Motshekga: Matric final exams to start in November
Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga has confirmed that the class of 2020 will write their final exams in November.
Motshekga confirmed the date in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) on Thursday while providing MPs with a progress report on the reopening of schools.
“The papers are already set and as the chair said, you don’t want a class of 2020 whose matric is doubtful,” she said.
“You’d write later rather than write less because you want the matric certificate to have the same credibility and currency like any other matric certificate. We have moved the exams from starting in October to November.”
Motshekga also reiterated her defence of the decision to reopen schools amid the coronavirus pandemic.
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She revealed that attendance figures have been in the region of 98% since the reopening of schools two weeks ago.
“In the past 14 days of schools reopening we’ve had more than 98% attendance in our schools. This means that parents trust what we are doing.”
At the same time she admitted that the next phase of reopening, which is due to start in July, could leave the department with a headache due to a lack of space to practice social distancing.
Motshekga said class rotation could be one solution.
“We are looking at alternative measures that include rotational teaching where learners will come in the morning, and the next cohort comes in two hours later after we have cleaned.”