The Education Department in Mpumalanga has announced its readiness to administer the 2023 Grade 12 final examination.
More than 68 000 full time pupils have registered to sit for the Grade 12 examination in the province this year.
Part time candidates are more than 16 000.
The department has already appointed and trained 571 Chief and Deputy Chief invigilators.
The department says its target is more than 83% pass rate this year.
Nhlakanipho Maseko and Cebile Madukwane of Guduza Secondary School in Kabokweni say they are ready for the exams.
“Fortunately, we haven’t encountered any problems in our school because if there was load shedding, then we have generators at the school. Personally, I am ready for the exams and I prefer to say everyone is ready because manage to get 90% pass in our preparatory exams. What I have done thus far to prepare for the exams include drafting a study timetable and should I happen to slip up then I make it up by adding extra time or going to a teacher for assistance.’
Last year some pupils were found in possession of crib notes during the examination in Bushbuckridge.
MEC Bonakele Majuba says they have put plans in place to ensure that the exams are incident free.
“Having learnt from the past mistakes of what happened last year, this time around we have tightened even at the school level to make sure that we leave no stone unturned. That is why the pledge is going to be done at Bushbuckridge so as to make sure that that does happen. That’s why we also included SACE to be part of that so as if there are teachers who partake in doing things and if they also collude and do wrong things, such teachers might be even cancelled form the roll of teachers.”
Meanwhile, angry parents of Volkrust Primary School are threatening to shut down all the schools in the area during the examination period.
They are accusing the department of failing to complete the construction of the school.
Volkrust Primary School SGB Chairperson, Mandla Kubheka says nine classes, an administration block, kitchen, hall and the sports facility are yet to be built.
Kubheka also claims that there is overcrowding at the school.
“If ever they do not attend to our concerns as parent of Volkrust Primary School, then we are going to disrupt and matriculants won’t be able to write exams because we want the MEC to come and attend us. This because the people that they have been sending to talk to us say their hands are tight. So, we want him to come and address us.”
MEC Majuba has urged parents to refrain from disrupting schooling.
He also says School Governing Bodies are aware that the current school infrastructure backlog increased after some funds were redirected to buy personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 period. – Reporting by Mthobisi Mkhaliphi
