Basic education to decide on rewrites for pupils who missed matric exams due to protests

The basic education department has noted with concern continued community protests causing disruptions in the administration of matric exams in some parts of the country.

More than 1,000 matric pupils could not sit for their final year exams this week due to protests in Mpumalanga, North West and Gauteng. 

At least 1,127 pupils from six centres in Mpumalanga could not access their schools to write their exams, leaving the department with a serious decision to make.

“At six centres in Nkangala district in Mpumalanga, 1,127 pupils could not write maths and maths literacy paper 2 due to community protests. The matter is under discussion as to when will these candidates be given another opportunity to write the affected papers,” said department spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga.

“There was a late start to the exam in North West due to a community protest. The department is also investigating an incident at one centre in Gauteng East district where 53 pupils did not write economics paper 1.”

Mhlanga said the 53 pupils from Phandimfundo Secondary School did not write because the principal advised them not to come for the paper. 

“The principal had advised the candidates not to appear for the paper and misdirected the province that there was a protest in the area. The district will initiate a disciplinary proceeding against the principal of Phandimfundo Secondary School,” he said.

The department appealed to community members to allow pupils to write their exams. 

“The department will make an announcement regarding the next steps to be taken for the pupils who missed exams through no fault of their own,” Mhlanga said.

Service delivery protests are biggest threat to matric exams

Earlier this week, the department’s director-general Mathanzima Mweli pleaded with communities, civil society and other stakeholders not to prevent pupils getting to examinations.

Mweli said pupils have endured enough trauma and service delivery protests were the  biggest threat to matric exams.

“We appeal to community members to allow the examinations to proceed. The repercussions for not doing so are devastating to pupils and the communities themselves as it is the children of the same communities who suffer the consequences,” Mweli said.

He also made an appeal to the South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) and called for workers to recognise the importance of exams.

“We want to make an appeal that pupils shouldn’t be prevented from writing exams for any reason whatsoever. An appeal to broader civil society, different formations in our society and Sanco in particular, as the leading formation when it comes to broader civil society.”

Mweli said pupils who missed their exams will rewrite the missed papers in May or June next year.