JOHANNESBURG — For Edmund and Catherine Kaas, earning a matric certificate was a dream more than three decades in the making.
The Eldorado Park couple, aged 50 and 51 respectively, returned to the classroom as adults, juggling work, family responsibilities and the demands of studying after decades away from school.
Earlier this month, their determination paid off when they finally received their Grade 12 results.
Edmund achieved a bachelor’s pass, while Catherine earned a diploma pass.
For the couple, however, the certificates represent far more than academic qualifications. They say completing matric was about closing an unfinished chapter, setting an example for their children and grandchildren, and proving that it is never too late to pursue a dream.
A dream put on hold
Edmund and Catherine left school more than 30 years ago after discovering that they were expecting their eldest daughter, who is now 32.
Life quickly took over.
The couple built a family, established careers and became deeply involved in their community. They are now parents of two and grandparents of two.
But despite their achievements, there was always one unfinished goal.
Catherine said the idea of returning to school resurfaced after the couple came across a Facebook post about an adult matric ball in Manenberg, Cape Town.
One of the stories featured an older woman who had completed matric with distinctions.
That achievement immediately caught their attention.
“A plus minus 56-year-old woman passed with two or three distinctions, and that drew us in,” Catherine recalled.
The couple looked at each other and wondered why they could not have the same opportunity.
“We wish we had a platform like that to write and redo our matric,” she said.
That Facebook post ultimately became the beginning of a journey neither expected to undertake in their 50s.
Discovering Hopeful Leaders
The couple began following the Hopeful Leaders Night School, an initiative established to give adults another opportunity to complete their schooling.
The organisation began in Manenberg and has since expanded to communities across the Cape Flats and beyond. Its founder, Yumna Alexander, created the initiative after her own educational journey convinced her that adults who had left school early needed accessible opportunities to return to education.
Hopeful Leaders has become known for combining classroom teaching with a strong support network, with learners encouraged to study together and support one another.
The organisation has also highlighted the achievements of older learners through its matric balls and graduation-style celebrations.
The couple eventually saw an announcement about registrations opening in Klipspruit in Gauteng.
They signed up.
“We knew it was God who heard us,” Catherine said.
Their classes included physical teaching, WhatsApp support groups and fellow students who became part of what they described as a “study-together family”.
The wider growth of adult education initiatives such as Hopeful Leaders reflects a demand for second-chance education in South Africa. Adult learners can also pursue recognised Senior Certificate routes through other education providers, with flexible study options designed for people balancing work and family responsibilities.
From boardrooms to the classroom
Returning to school was not simply about employment for the Kaas couple.
Both had already built careers and taken on leadership responsibilities in the corporate world.
But they found that matric remained an important qualification in professional environments.
More importantly, they realised that completing their education would reinforce the message they had spent years sharing with their children and young people in their community.
“We have spent years pouring into our children and the youth in our community, preaching the value of education and standard-setting for self-worth,” the couple said.
They eventually reached a point where they felt they needed to practise what they preached.
“We looked at each other and realised we couldn’t preach what we hadn’t fully walked ourselves,” they said.
That realisation became one of their strongest motivations.
Studying at 50 is a different experience
Going back to school after more than 30 years was never going to be easy.
The couple admitted that the experience initially felt unfamiliar.
“Wow, what a whirlwind!” they said.
Walking back into a learning environment after decades away pushed both of them beyond their comfort zones.
Being the oldest students in the classroom became a source of humour, but they quickly discovered that age could also be an advantage.
They brought life experience, discipline and a clear understanding of why they were there.
Instead of feeling embarrassed about being older than their classmates, they embraced the experience.
What began as an intimidating return to education eventually became an enriching adventure.
Family responsibilities never stopped
The biggest challenge was not necessarily the schoolwork.
It was finding enough time to study while continuing to meet their responsibilities at home.
The couple also care for Edmund’s 90-year-old mother, adding another demanding responsibility to their daily lives.
Catherine said they had to carefully divide their time between caring for an elderly parent, managing the household, supporting their family and attending demanding classes.
The couple therefore had to treat studying almost like another job.
There were sacrifices along the way.
Edmund joked that Catherine even had to pause her favourite Netflix series.
For a couple who had spent decades building a life together, however, the challenge became something they tackled as a team.
Their grandsons were a major motivation
The Kaases also wanted their grandchildren to see first-hand what perseverance looks like.
Their two grandsons became an important part of the motivation behind their decision to return to school.
They wanted the boys to understand that setbacks do not have to define a person’s future.
“ No matter what life throws your way or how much time passes, you can achieve anything when you put your heart, faith, and hard work into it,” they said.
That message was particularly important to the couple because education had always been something they encouraged within their family and community.
Their matric certificates now give them an opportunity to demonstrate that message rather than simply talk about it.
From schoolmates to high-school sweethearts
Their academic journey also gave their marriage a new dimension.
The couple has been together for almost 34 years, and they joked that returning to school together effectively made them “high school sweethearts”.
They attended their own matric ball, an experience that was particularly meaningful because neither had enjoyed that milestone when they were teenagers.
After decades of marriage, raising children and building careers, they found themselves dressing up and celebrating alongside other adult learners.
For Catherine and Edmund, it was more than a party.
It was a celebration of a dream that had once seemed to have passed them by.
They said completing the journey together strengthened their relationship and deepened their appreciation for each other.
The final exam
After months of classes, studying and balancing family responsibilities, the end finally arrived.
The couple wrote their final examination paper on June 22, 2026.
Then came the wait.
On August 7, they officially received their results.
Catherine passed with a diploma pass, while Edmund achieved a bachelor’s pass.
For two people who had left school more than three decades earlier, simply reaching that point was an extraordinary achievement.
The results also gave them something tangible to show their family and community after months of sacrifice.
A second chance at opportunity
The Kaases’ story also illustrates why second-chance education matters.
For adults who leave school early because of pregnancy, financial pressure, family responsibilities or other circumstances, the absence of a matric certificate can continue to affect employment and further-study opportunities years later.
Adult education programmes have created opportunities for people to return to learning at very different stages of life.
Hopeful Leaders Night School, for example, has previously celebrated hundreds of adult learners at its matric events, with students ranging from people in their 20s to learners well into their 40s and beyond.
The initiative’s founder has spoken about how obtaining matric can become a gateway to further education and improved career prospects.
For the Kaases, that second chance came at a time when many people might have decided that education was already behind them.
They chose otherwise.
Ready for their next chapter
Now that the certificates are safely in their hands, the couple has no intention of slowing down.
They are preparing to update their CVs and explore opportunities in the corporate world.
“We have so much passion, experience, and value left to give,” they said.
Their qualifications may be new, but their professional and life experience spans decades.
That combination could prove valuable as they embark on the next stage of their careers.
They also hope their story will encourage other adults who have unfinished educational goals.
“Go for it with all your heart”
For anyone considering returning to school later in life, the Kaases have a simple message.
“Go for it with all your heart!”
They believe the sense of pride and personal fulfilment that comes with finally completing something that once seemed impossible is worth every late night, sacrifice and moment of doubt.
For them, the matric certificate is not simply a piece of paper.
It represents perseverance, faith, marriage, family and the courage to start again.
Their journey began with a Facebook post featuring another adult learner who had refused to believe that age was an obstacle.
It ended with Edmund and Catherine standing together as matric graduates more than 30 years after leaving school.
And now, at 50 and 51, they are preparing for yet another beginning.
