Children can be seen in class at the Olievenhoutbosch secondary school on their first day back at school since the beginning of the national lockdown to help prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus, 8 June 2020, Pretoria. Picture: Jacques Nelles
Education activist Hendrick Makaneta has called for the Department of Basic Education (DBE) to use Internal School-based Assessments (SBA) marks to credit all matriculants who missed exams on Monday due to protest.
About 1 127 Grade 12 pupils from six centres in the Nkangala District, in Mpumalanga, could not write their Mathematics and Mathematical Literacy paper two, after residents embarked on a massive and violent electricity protest.
The community of KwaGuqa Extension in Emalahleni, barricaded the N4 road near KG Mall with stones and burning tires.
The DBE acknowledged the community protest that disrupted exams and said they are discussing when the candidates will be given another chance to write.
Makaneta said he caught wind that the matrics will be provided a different paper than the one their fellow Grade 12s wrote and said the principle of fairness will be compromised.
READ MORE: Mpumalanga woman shot dead, shops looted during violent electricity protest
“In order to achieve fairness, all candidates should write the same examination. It will be unfair for Mpumalanga learners to write a different paper than their counterparts in other provinces.
“But at the same time, it will equally be unfair for Mpumalanga to write the same paper that has already been written as the paper has already been leaked to the affected learners,” he said.
Makaneta pleaded with the DBE to make a blanket for adjustment and said the “logical” thing to do is to target the SBA and use the marks that are already in districts to give pupils an average.
The department’s spokesperson, Elijah Mhlanga said they are also probing an incident where an Economics Paper One exam was not written at a centre in the Gauteng East District.
“The principal had advised the candidates not to appear for the paper and also misdirected the province that there was a protest in the area,” said Mhlanga.
The department said the principal of the Phandimfundo Secondary School will face disciplinary hearing after 53 pupils missed the exam.
Makaneta said the same procedure should be adopted for the matriculants due to the misleading protest reports.
“We wish to call for calm in communities. We urge protesters to think twice about their action and find a way to allow learners to proceed with the writing of examinations without any further delay,” Makaneta said.
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