The department had made sure to mitigate the challenges posed by the pandemic and was well prepared to proceed with exams under strict Covid-19 regulations.
The 2020 National Senior Certificate examinations have proceeded without any glitches in Mpumalanga, so far. MEC Bonakele Majuba said he is satisfied with their proceedings. “For now it’s all systems go. I think we have thoroughly prepared. We hope and believe that we are going to have clean exams. The learners are well prepared, with the assistance of all stakeholders in the Department of Education, teachers and parents,” said Majuba. He witnessed the writing of the first exam paper at Matsulu Community Hall with 101 Tikhontele Secondary School learners. Read: Premier monitors 2020 matric exams Majuba said the greatest challenge facing the class of 2020 was the outbreak of Covid-19. He said the department had made sure to mitigate the challenges posed by the pandemic and was well prepared to proceed with exams under strict Covid-19 regulations. Also read: Top tips to help your teen ace their final exams The province target is an 83 per cent pass rate, a 2,7 per cent increase from the previous year’s 80,3. “We had thought to maintain that target irrespective of the challenges that we might have,” he said. Majuba added that 200 Edgeview Academy Development Skills Centre matrics, an alleged fly-by-night school in Mbombela, were sent back to their original schools to continue with their exams. The MEC said, “The school will not continue to operate because it is not registered. We urged all matrics to go back to their original schools where they will be able to proceed with their exams,” he said. On Monday Majuba requested parents to urge their children to embrace indigenous languages. “We need to consciously motivate parents to encourage their kids to know the significance of indigenous languages and to continue to make efforts to promote them. Our culture and ways of doing things are embedded in our language, and as such they need to receive the required leverage,” said Majuba.
