End of matric exams if pupils test positive for coronavirus
GRADE 12 pupils who test positive for Covid-19 during the matric exams will not be allowed to sit for the remainder of the exams, according to the Department of Basic Education.
The department’s national spokesperson, Elijah Mhlanga, said yesterday that matric pupils who tested positive for coronavirus would not be allowed to write because the department had a responsibility to ensure there was no danger of more pupils and teachers contracting the virus.
Mhlanga said if a pupil tested positive during the exam period and was later cleared with a negative test result, that pupil would be able to return to school to write the final exams for their other subjects that they had missed.
“The exam starts on the November 5, it continues until December 15, which means there is time in between for someone to go for another test, which can determine whether they can write or not based on the results,” Mhlanga said.
Mhlanga said that for the papers that were missed, the pupils would be given the opportunity to write these exams in May and June next year.
Earlier this month, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga said the 2020 combined matric exams would be the largest public examination to be administered in South Africa.
This was due to the June Senior Certificate (SC) examination having to be written together with the National Senior Certificate (NSC) examination next month due to the Covid-19 pandemic. “More than a million candidates will sit for the examinations, and we certainly have never had to manage a number that large before. It is going to be a huge task, but one that we will need to ensure is managed and co-ordinated smoothly,” she said.
Motshekga said all exam centres, both public and independent, had been audited in preparation for the 2020 combined exam.
She said all provincial education departments had secured the extra rooms at existing exam centres needed for writing the combined 2020 November Grade 12 exams.
“A protocol, to ensure compliance with Covid-19 measures has been developed and distributed, to guide all the chief invigilators, invigilators and all other officials involved in the management of the conduct and administration of the examination,” said Motshekga.
Matric pupils have 20 days left to prepare before the start of the exams.
Earlier this week, it was reported that 37 Cape Town matric pupils, who were part of a cluster of 63 people, were infected with Covid-19 at a bar.
The KZN Department of Education said a circular regarding how to manage the Covid-19 infection had been sent to all schools in the province.
“All other related protocols will be announced alongside the State of Readiness for the matric examination to be presented by the MEC for Education in KwaZulu-Natal, Mr Kwazi Mshengu, just before the commencement of exams,” said the department’s provincial spokesperson, Kwazi Mthethwa.