File picture: African News Agency (ANA)
Cape Town - The Department of Basic Education has amended the matric examination timetable in order to accommodate the upcoming Local Government Elections.
The matric exams, which were initially scheduled to start on November 1, will now commence on October 27, 2021, with the papers, English (Home Language, First Additional Language and Second Additional Language) P1, Business Studies P1 written on October 27 and 28 respectively.
The department, in a statement, said the decision was taken earlier this morning after the Council of Education Ministers held a special meeting. The CEM meeting took place following a series of consultations with the key stakeholders in the Basic Education sector.
“The purpose of the consultation sessions was to deliberate on what would be the most appropriate option regarding a change to the timetable, given that there are five weeks away from the commencement of the examination.
“There are 207 question papers to be written over 25 days (5 weeks), and there are no vacant sessions in the current 25-day timetable. Hence, the re-scheduling needed to be confined to either to: a) Prior the commencement date; or b) Post the conclusion date,” read the statement issued by the department.
Meanwhile, DA spokesperson on basic education, Baxolile Nodada, said since the beginning of the academic year, the class of 2021 has had to overcome difficult uphill battles due to Covid-19's devastating impact.
“We must take all possible precautions to guarantee that there are few disturbances at the final hurdle.By altering the exam schedule, matriculants will avoid any possible disruptions, and those who are eligible to vote will not be forced to choose between writing final examinations and exercising their democratic right to vote,” she said.
The department has made available a wide range of resources to assist the learners with support materials on different platforms through the Remote and Digital Learning Programme Woza Matrics.
Political Bureau