Hundreds of EC pupils refuse to write matric exams

Matric examinations started smoothly across the country early this week but not at one Eastern Cape school as hundreds of progressed pupils burned down an administration block on Tuesday demanding to be allowed to write all subjects like the rest of the matric class of 2018.

The Eastern Cape education acting head Ray Tywakadi said Ndaliso Senior Secondary School progressed Grade 12 pupils were advised by the department to write some subjects this year and the remainder of them next year as they are part of the Multiple Examination Opportunity candidates.

“Due to this protest, 350 learners from this exam centre failed to write English First Additional Language (FAL) Paper 1 on Tuesday. All the efforts were made to convince them but in vain. Out of 358 candidates registered to write their examination, 232 are progressed learners.

“During the protest, the protesting learners also assaulted the deputy principal of the school. As part of managing the situation, a meeting was held yesterday to address the following demands from the protesters: The department must give permission to write all 7 subjects; and the department must give new Grade 11 report cards which shows they passed all subjects in 2017 [despite the fact that they failed].”

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Tywakadi revealed that at the meeting a group of pupils agreed to write the exams from Wednesday while another group “remained hell-bent and wanted to disrupt all agreed upon issues”.

On Wednesday evening, national basic education department spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said arrangements were made for 63 of the candidates to write at another school.

“Only 30 of them pitched and were transported to the alternative venue. The remaining 33 candidates did not write. Discussions are ongoing to persuade the learners to write,” he said.

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