Over one million learners are expected to sit for the matric examination on Thursday, the largest group in the country’s history.
The Department of Basic Education is administering a combined examination with both full-time and part-time learners.
Matric Exams: Thursday, 5 November
– English FAL P1 (2 hrs) 09:00
– English HL P1 (2 hrs) |English SAL P1 (2.5 hrs)Don’t forget:
Your mask, 2 pens, pencil, eraser, highlighter, water bottle, pocket tissue paper or handkerchief pic.twitter.com/dizh1roG6x— Dep. Basic Education (@DBE_SA) November 4, 2020
Over 616 000 of those writing are full-time candidates writing their final examination for the first time.
The rest were meant to write exams in June, but those were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Omphile Mohatli, a 17-year-old learner from Tembisa, says she is ready.
“We went on a camp last week which was very productive and it helped because we were learning day and night. I didn’t have more explanation on the chapters but now it was cleared out. We looked into pass question papers and they cleared everything,” says Mohatli.
Learners who test positive for COVID-19 can write exams
The Basic Education Department says matric learners who have tested positive for COVID-19 will now be able to write their exams.
In its Twitter feed, the Department says learners will be allowed to write in isolation and under strict health protocols as dictated by the Department of Health, as outlined in the statement below:
The Department of Basic Education and the Department of Health have just concluded an agreement this evening that will ensure that learners who test positive for COVID-19 are allowed to write the final matric examinations. pic.twitter.com/bcEkczJEWe
— Dep. Basic Education (@DBE_SA)
Meanwhile, Quality assurance body Umalusi says that despite shortcomings, it’s all systems go for this year’s National Senior Certificate examinations.
The quality assurance body says that while the sector faced challenges that came with the COVID-19 pandemic, examination bodies are prepared to administer matric exams:
-Additional reporting by SABC News