Matric farewell ‘not a priority this year’ – Basic Education
The Department of Basic Education says matric farewells are not a priority this year.
The class of 2020 faces uncertainty about whether or not they’ll get the traditional send-off at the end of the year as the country continues to be under lockdown.
The academic year was disrupted earlier this year when schools closed their doors amid growing Covid-19 numbers.
As a result, pupils across the country have had to play catch up as the year quickly draws to an end.
Basic Education spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga says schools must rather focus on completing the syllabus.
“We feel that it’s unfortunate that people are spending time thinking about matric farewells in a year when we’ve gone through a lot of stress and trauma due to the coronavirus which has disrupted schooling. We would rather be urging people to focus on catching up.
“Social events are not beneficial, especially in a time like this one where we should all be working together to support learners who are currently stressed due the disruption that has taken place this year.”
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Mhlanga says if schools decide to go ahead with matric farewells, they will have to get the necessary permission.
“A school that wishes to continue with this event will have to speak to the District Office or the provincial Education Department because it would need to be authorised by that department, it should obtain the support of that department, especially if a school is going to be used.
“Right now learners are busy with preliminary examinations and after that they will be preparing for the final exams, we would rather have them focus on that than spending time thinking about what to wear, who to go with to the function,” Mhlanga adds.
Under the Covid-19 regulations, social gatherings are limited to 50 people.
Social distancing must also be adhered to.
“If these social events are organised outside school premises, outside schooling time then we consider those as community social events, they cannot be linked to the department,” says Mhlanga.
“Such social events we are going to request that parents take full responsibility for what is going to arise as a result of that.”
Mhlanga says that since the phased return of pupils to classes, the department has made headway in saving the academic year.
“We are seeing stability across the country.”
Listen to Mhlanga below:
