The Department of Basic Education (DBE) deferred the May 4 to June 26, 2020 grade 12 (matric) supplementary examinations due to the on-going coronavirus pandemic stranglehold.
The Director-General of Basic Education Mr. Mathanzima Mweli cited Covid-19 “disruption to the schooling…” as the cause for the postponement. DBE statement on April 18 stated that:
“This is the matric examination which was to be written by more than 350,000 part-time candidates who include those who did not meet the pass requirements in the 2019 final exams as well as those who sought to rewrite to improve their marks.”
Last Thursday, the first-phase of the 21-day control measures to deal with the epidemic in South Africa (SA) as announced by the government of the Republic elapsed.
Before that, President Cyril Ramaphosa stepped-up the second-phase of the lockdown which will last for two weeks, ending at the very tail of April. From that score onwards, it is an open guess what will happen next.
Professor Salim Abdool Karim, Epidemiologist and Infectious Diseases Specialist, estimated that SA can expect a peak of its infections around August-September 2020. So far, the slow rise in cases, hospitalizations, and deaths is helped by the shutdown rules of social and/or physical distancing and the stay home orders.
For now, it is business unusual across the expanse of a country and and certainly, things will never pan out the same again. As people grow frustrated because of social challenges, the government is playing its trump-card tightly close to its enormous chest.
And it does not get any better. The economy, on the other hand, is tanking; shedding thousands of jobs on its unpredictable disintegrating path. Small and Medium-Enterprises (SMMEs) out of business activity, are going bust in one fell-Covid-19 swoop.
Well, as if that is not enough, global rating agencies are chipping at and chopping SA economy at will. At will for the coronavirus pandemic is not a South African epidemic, it is a worldwide hideous phenomenon.
Until there is a tangible virus let off, DBE says the second-on-the-cherry matriculation examinations are off and will be rescheduled.
On this front, Mweli said:
“The details regarding the merged June and November examination will be communicated to you in due course. Candidates will be informed regarding registration, examination centers and time-tables.“
Of importance also is when will (SA) schools reopen? The situation is still uncertain at the moment. Because of this, nothing solid has been confirmed by the authorities yet owing to the safety concerns of the pupils and officials. But the department hinted on a phased approach to that end.
From that ground, the postponement of the 2019 matric rewrite comes as a result of the escalation in the socio-economic restrictions to minimize the impact of coronavirus outbreak. So far, the brutal blows of the novel coronavirus, to a degree, have been softened somewhat.
The chase for the National Senior Certificate for the class of 2019 is still elusive yet on course. However, the department encourages all students to remain steadfast on their studies.