Load shedding, protests see some matrics rewrite exams
The Department of Basic Education says some of the final matric exam papers will be rewritten, mostly due to the impact of community protests and load shedding.
This follows requests for some candidates to be granted permission to rewrite examinations in selected subjects.
Over 1100 candidates in Mpumalanga will rewrite their exams.
"Among the pupils who will rewrite their exams are 1 127 candidates from seven schools in Witbank, Mpumalanga who were affected by community protests,” says the department’s spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga.
"Load shedding as well as community protests and other incidences impacted some pupils across the country who could not write. Two pregnant pupils from the Western Cape and Limpopo were unable to write English Paper 1, three pupils from the Northwest missed Mathematical Literacy Paper 2 due to floods, and four pupils from the Eastern Cape missed Mathematical Literacy Papers 1 and 2 due to the principal's actions.
"Those pupils have been giving a chance to rewrite their exams on Thursday and we hope that they are prepared for that because we had to make arrangements for them based on the situation that they encountered so we urge them to prepare accordingly so that they have a good chance of passing that exam as another opportunity will only be given to them next year.”
Mhlanga says the infamous “impossible” question in Mathematics Paper 2 will be excluded.
"The Department of Basic Education has decided to exclude the infamous Question 5.1 from matric Mathematics Paper 2 marking, after pupils reported that it was impossible to solve.”
The marking of the exams papers are due to start on Saturday and run until 22 December.
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