The matric class of 2021 will not be writing their mid-year examinations, the Department of Basic Education confirmed on Wednesday. File picture: Chris Collingridge
Cape Town - The matric class of 2021 will not be writing their mid-year examinations, the Department of Basic Education announced on Wednesday.
This is as a result of the loss of academic learning due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which led to the 2020 Grade 11 class not being able to complete the year’s curriculum.
“In order to recoup some lost curriculum time, they didn't close in the last school recess. As an additional measure the normal assessments which they do during the middle of the year, normally referred to as June exams, will not take place,” DBE spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said.
He said that instead the matric pupils would be using the time for teaching and learning.
“They are worse off because they need to finish the curriculum for two reasons; they didn't finish the syllabus of 2020 and yet schools started late for the academic year 2021.
“This group has never written matric before so this is part of their final year exams preparation,” he said.
The June mid-year exams are often the first taste for matrics of how the final end of year National Senior Certificate exams may be. The June exams are often followed by the September exams also known as the “Trials”.
Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga told the Education portfolio committee that the plan was to keep matrics in class for as long as possible.
She was quoted by the Sowetan as saying: "We want to make up for the loss of time and for them to cover the curriculum. They did not go on holiday in March, and most of the schools are giving extra classes. The (usual) June period of exams will be used to cover the curriculum. We also have a team monitoring Covid-19 infections on a daily basis.”
Meanwhile, the Second Chance matric exams for all those who wrote exams previously and did not pass or those trying to upgrade their marks are in progress.
Candidates sat for their first exam on May 26 and the exams will conclude on July 7.
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