‘No to matric rewrites’

The Department of Basic Education’s (DBE) announcement that Gr 12 learner will have to rewrite the Mathematics Paper 2, is opposed by stakeholders in the education sector.
The Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga announced on Friday, 4 December that the mathematics paper 2 will be written on 15 December and physical science paper 2 on 17 December.
The Department of Basic Education had consulted with the unions and South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu), and the majority of unions made their views known that they were against the decision and consensus was reached. However, Umalusi did not agree and the decision to rewrite was taken.
The announcement came after it was confirmed by both Umalusi and DBE of the leak.
“It was found that the two papers had leaked after information was received by the department on the day learners sat to write.
Sadtu says it is seeking legal action against the DBE and Umalusi over the decision to have all learners who wrote the National Senior Certificate mathematics and physical science, rewrite because the examination papers were leaked.
Sadtu General Secretary, Mugwena Maluleke says preparing for the 2020 matric examinations was not easy under the Covid-19 conditions and the learners’ mental health and readiness for rewrite is a big concern.
“We believe the decision to have all learners doing mathematics and physical science rewrite is unfair and premature because the investigation has not been concluded.
“Based on the initial investigation which has shown that the number of learners who may have seen the paper are less than 200 out of the 390 000 who wrote the paper, there is no basis for a national rewrite.”
The Congress of South African Students (Cosas) on the other hand demands that all learners not go to the exam rooms for the rewrite as they did not initiate any leak.
Provincial Secretary Sello Mahladisha says after the incident of the leaked papers, the department has not consulted any stakeholder to chant a way forward and the School Governing Body (SGB), parents and unions were set aside.
“The department has not apologised to learners for the mess they have created. Instead they order learners back to the classroom to rewrite the papers.”
He says Cosas demands that the South African Human Rights Commission launch an immediate investigation into the mental damage suffered by learners, as a result.
“We demand the immediate dismal and termination of the printing contact.
“We will also be taking the department to court for negligence and maladministration.
“Continued arrogance by the department will also lead to reciprocate of Back-To-School Campaigns in exchange of a total shutdown from the beginning of the year and throughout.”