The National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations get underway in 10 days amid concern over the risk of a second wave of COVID-19.
CAPE TOWN – There are ten days before matrics start sitting for their final exams.
The National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations get underway amid concern over the risk of a second wave of COVID-19.
The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) on Monday warned that no party was worth having to miss writing the finals.
Education MEC Debbie Schäfer said that a recent cluster outbreak of COVID-19 linked to young people gathering at a southern suburbs bar had served as an important lesson about the necessity of following the golden rules of preventing COVID-19: physical distancing, washing hands, and wearing masks.
“Today marks 10 days before the main matric exams begin. Ten days is also the minimum amount of time that someone who has been in close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case needs to quarantine,” Schäfer said.
The Department of Basic Education’s exam protocol stipulates that a pupil who tests positive for COVID-19 will not be able to write exams while recovering from the illness.
That pupil will have to wait for supplementary examinations between May and June.
The same goes for pupils who have to quarantine because they were in direct contact with a confirmed case.
Schäfer said that that means that these pupils will not be able to head to university, college, or even find jobs next year all because they chose to ignore safety protocols.
She warned that pupils were putting themselves at risk if safety protocols were not followed outside of schools where measures are being implemented.
