The Chairperson of the Select Committee on Education and Technology, Sports, Arts and Culture, Elleck Nchabeleng, has welcomed assurances from the Department of Basic Education that the class of 2021 is ready for the final examinations.
The department’s work has been commendable, given the uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, which has made planning difficult. It has also hampered the committee’s monitoring work, but nonetheless it appreciates what the department has been able to report. The committee will follow-up and hold the department accountable once the parliamentary recess period to accommodate the upcoming local elections is over.
Minister Angie Motshekga revealed last week that 735 677 learners will sit for their final Grade 12 examination in 2021. She said all nine provinces have indicated their state of readiness and it is all-systems-go for examinations in the second year of Covid-19-affected examinations.
Nchabeleng praised teachers who, over and above their teaching duties, have had to fulfil the roles of parents and healthcare workers, while dealing with the strain of living through a pandemic.
“The committee appreciates even more the support given to learners both inside and outside the classroom in order to complete the curriculum. These are over and above such programmes as the Anti-bullying and Woza Matrics Campaigns, and the National Schools Hygiene Programme, which was recently launched in Cape Town.”
The committee wishes Grade 12 learners all of the best for their final examinations.
