Concern over matric exams

Expecting pupils to successfully write tests ‘unrealistic’

AS MILLIONS of pupils head back to school on Monday, concerns are mounting over whether matric pupils would be ready to write and successfully pass final exams this year.

President of the National Professional Teacher’s Organisation of South Africa (Naptosa) Basil Manuel said school readiness would only be properly assessed by Monday and in the coming months.

“Our other concern goes to the matrics and exams starting in November into December. There needs to be protocols to deal with infections at that time, what happens if a pupil tests positive in the middle of the exam period – will they be allowed to write at a later stage? What happens to the people that learners comes into contact with, the invigilators. These are the little things we need to have discussions around,” he said.

In a meeting by the Progressive Organisations Forum this week, discussions on school readiness for examinations were held.

Speaking in the meeting, former Principal Nadeem Hendricks said expecting matrics to successfully write exams was unrealistic.

“What I’m witnessing with Covid19 is the biggest injustice for the (matrics) preparing for examinations. If there is any educator saying that the learners in our communities will be ready, (they) are simply lying,” he said.

Professor Nuraan Davids from Stellenbosch University’s Department of Education and Policy Studies told Weekend Argus that matrics would benefit from exams being pushed into next year to give them more time.

“To expect pupils to walk into a full scale exam is wholly unrealistic given the major interruptions that have taken place over the last few months,” she said.

“The need for not just being prepared academically but the psychological aspect of it many of them would have gone through varying psychosocial challenges that came with the lockdown would be unfair. When compared to the smaller group who would have benefited from online learning during the hard lockdown is to place undue pressure on children.”

“What would work is extending the 2020 academic year into 2021 and running examinations into January and negotiating with institutions of higher learning to accept first year students later.”

Grade 5s and 8s will return on August 31 across the country which for many would be for the first time since the first closure back in March.

Premier Alan Winde said everything was on track for the reopening of schools.

“Infections over the last week stood at 0.0009 among pupil (which were 14 pupils who were infected). The message is safety, how we do manage infections as they arise,” said Winde.

Chairperson of the South African Paediatric Association of South Africa (SAPA) Professor Mignon McCulloch said keeping children out of school long term was not sustainable as Covid-19 may be around for the next two years.

The association had expressed their disappointment with the second closure back in July stating that this decision was not based on scientific evidence as children’s risk to acquire and transmit Covid-19 was lower than adults.

Spokesperson for the MEC of Education Kerry Mauchline said over R400 million had already been spent on soap, masks and other cleaning material which have been delivered to schools as pupils return.

She said the 2.4 million masks procured for pupils were sent out to schools a while ago to accommodate those who haven’t been to school since March.

She said schools have submitted temporary revised education plans to manage maintaining social distancing to accommodate more pupils.

“Some of the models chosen by schools include having grades at school on alternating weeks, or alternating days, or in shifts,” she said.

Speaking to the ad hoc committee on Covid-19 in the provincial legislature earlier this week, the Wellington Governing Body Forum said an emergency meeting would be held on Sunday to discuss challenges facing schools the area.

“The challenge will be the return of pupils on (Monday) our schools have challenges with overcrowding in classes and not enough space,” said the forum’s Kenny Williams.

Tony Marcels from the Western Cape Federation of Governing Bodies of South African Schools said the drop in fee payments also affects SGB staff.

He said some schools may face challenges from the CCMA over the handling of some of the terminations of contracts for SGB-appointed teachers.

News Agency (ANA) | TRACEY ADAMS African TRAFALGAR High School’s matric students arrive at school yesterday, ahead of all classes returning on Monday.