Call for probe on progression

THE DA in the Eastern Cape has called for an urgent investigation into the progression policy for pupils at all schools.

DA MPL Edmund van Vuuren raised the flag after 12 pupils from a Port Elizabeth school were allegedly sent back to Grade 11 despite their school reports, issued at the end of last year, stating they could proceed to Grade 12.

According to the Department of Basic Education’s guidelines for the promotion and progression of Grade 10-12 pupils, a pupil cannot spend more that four years in this phase (Grade 10-12), meaning they can only repeat either Grade 10 or 11 once.

In a letter sent to Education MEC Mandla Makupula on Monday, Van Vuuren said the DA was deeply perturbed that after pupils had been informed, through an official document signed by the school principal, that they had progressed to Grade 12, they were sent to Grade 11.

According to Van Vuuren, the pupils had already failed Grade 11 twice. “This is malicious, it is cruel, it is unacceptable,” he wrote.

Education spokesman Malibongwe Mtima said the department had noted the matter and was following it up.

“We are following formal processes to rectify this matter. At this stage we cannot give much information as the matter is still under investigation,” Mtima said.

Van Vuuren said he feared this might not be the only case as more pupils might be affected.

“We are calling on an urgent investigation to verify if processes are being followed,” he said.