This is what happens if matric exams are disrupted by load shedding
The Department of Basic Education (DBE) said that despite collaboration with the national power utility Eskom, if all else fails, there will be opportunities for candidates to rewrite a matric exam they miss because of load shedding.
During a portfolio committee meeting on Tuesday (25 October), the department said that it had established a close working relationship with Eskom to try and minimize load shedding during the exam period.
Despite this, Eskom has indicated that it cannot exempt schools from load shedding, as it would put the entire grid at risk. However, it said it would try and mitigate the rolling blackouts as best it could.
The department has urged schools to put in place backup systems such as generators and to charge up gadgets prior to the test. Matric students are expected to begin examinations on 31 October, which will extend to 9 December.
Students who write Computer Applications Technology (CAT) and Information Technology exams and fall victim to load shedding would have another opportunity to complete the exam in December, reported City Press.
South Africa has been plunged into the worst year of load shedding on record, with little sign of improvement. Rolling blackouts have taken their toll on schools, hospitals as well as everyday South Africans.
Eskom recently (23 October) announced a push to Stage 4 load shedding across the country as emergency energy reserves run dry at certain stations under the national power utility.
According to the DBE, there has been an increase in the number of students writing the National Senior Certificate this year at 923,460 compared to 897,786 in the year before – these students will write the examinations across 6,800 different exam centres across the country.
Despite the threat of load shedding, the monitoring standards council Umalusi, which examines the country’s readiness for the examinations, found that the education sector is at acceptable levels of readiness to ensure credible examinations.
The CEO of Umalusi, Dr Mafu Rakometsi said that one of the fundamental shortcomings that put the credibility of the examinations is the challenges related to load shedding.
Rakometsi said that load shedding has been another issue similar to the Covid-19 pandemic and has called on assessment bodies to make alternative arrangements for the supply of power when writing examinations.
Provincial departments of education have also chimed in on the knock-on effects of load shedding. Near the end of September, the KwaZulu-Natal Education Department raised concern over the impact load shedding has on the preparation of students prior to writing.
The MEC of the department, Kwazi Mthethwa, said that students are not only affected by load shedding when they are at school writing exams but also when they are at home preparing as power is often required for laptops, internet, lighting and discussing concepts with classmates.
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