Pretoria - An 18-year-old matriculant from Mofolo High in Soweto is believed to have committed suicide after discovering she had failed her matric exam.
According to media reports the girl was found hanging in a storeroom of her house and a newspaper with matric results was lying on the floor.
Minister for Women, Children and Persons with Disabilities Noluthando Mayende-Sibiya expressed shock at the incident and conveyed her condolences to the family.
She advised parents to support unsuccessful pupils and urged them to try again.
"Parents and families must support learners who have been unsuccessful in their matric examination. It is in difficult moments like these that our children need us most as parents.
"Let us help learners to understand that poor results do not mean the end of the world. There is always an opportunity to try again and improve on your educational outcomes," she said.
The minister congratulated all learners who had passed their 2009 matric exams and wished them well in their future endeavours.
