“Seven days of the 30-day examination have been completed and the examination is proceeding well,” he said, adding load-shedding had led to certain examinations starting late in some provinces.
The subject most affected by load-shedding was computer applications where exams either started early or late.
In the Eastern Cape, seven examination centres started late, and Mweli said the pupils were compensated for lost time.
In Gauteng, 14 computers blew because of load-shedding, destroying the work of the pupils. Mweli said the pupils will rewrite their exams.
In Limpopo, pupils also had to start examinations late due to load-shedding. Several pupils are also said to have been found in possession of crib notes and cellphones which are prohibited inside the examination centres.
Inside the first seven days of matric exams: crib notes, protests and pupils’ computers blowing
Despite glitches, basic education department pleased with first week of matric exams
Image: Gallo Images/Die Burger/Jaco Marais
Several matric pupils in KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, the Eastern Cape, North West, Western Cape, Mpumalanga and the Northern Cape were found with crib notes during examinations this week.
This was revealed on Sunday by the director-general of the department of basic education, Mathanzima Mweli, who briefed the media on how the first two weeks of the 2022 matric exams went.
Though Mweli said the first week went well, he said there were minor challenges in certain areas, which included protest action in Gauteng, North West and the Northern Cape.
Bad weather also affected examinations in North West and the Northern Cape.
Protesting parents 'try to disrupt matric exams' at KwaMashu school
“Seven days of the 30-day examination have been completed and the examination is proceeding well,” he said, adding load-shedding had led to certain examinations starting late in some provinces.
The subject most affected by load-shedding was computer applications where exams either started early or late.
In the Eastern Cape, seven examination centres started late, and Mweli said the pupils were compensated for lost time.
In Gauteng, 14 computers blew because of load-shedding, destroying the work of the pupils. Mweli said the pupils will rewrite their exams.
In Limpopo, pupils also had to start examinations late due to load-shedding. Several pupils are also said to have been found in possession of crib notes and cellphones which are prohibited inside the examination centres.
Army, intelligence recruited to prevent matric exam leaks and safely transport papers
“We want to plead with parents to talk to their sons and daughters that they should not bring into the examination room what is not allowed. Our invigilators also ensure they repeat and remind candidates about what is not allowed,” he said.
In the Western Cape, one candidate is said to have arrived later than allowed. The latest a pupil can be is one hour.
“The candidate was not allowed to write because we don’t allow anyone to enter the examination centre if they are late by one hour because some candidates finish writing their exam in an hour and could have shown the question paper to the candidate who had not written,” said Mweli.
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