Quality assurance body Umalusi says it is confident that the Basic Education Department and independent assessment bodies are ready to manage 2020 grade 12 exams, despite some challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought.
Over a million candidates will sit for the matric exams, the largest group in South Africa’s history.
They include candidates who were supposed to write in June but couldn’t due to lockdown regulations.
The number of exam centres has been increased to accommodate the learners.
Umalusi says there are staff shortages, including the recruitment of markers in the Eastern and Western Cape.
However, Umalusi CEO Mafu Rakometsi says the challenges will be addressed before learners sit for the exams from next week.
“Despite the circumstances imposed by COVID-19 assessment bodies have worked very hard, all concerns have been brought to the relevant authorities for corrective action to be done before the start of the examinations.”
Media briefing by Umalusi on the state of readiness for the 2020 matric exams:
Umalusi says it will not support any plans to water down the quality and content of this year’s national exams.
Rakometsi briefed the media in Johannesburg on Friday, on the state of readiness for the Grade 12 exams.
He says Umalusi is concerned about the disruptions caused by COVID-19 and the resultant lockdown on the education system.
COVID- 19 | Umalusi aware of the damage to the country’s education system:
