Despite of the challenges as a result of the public sector strike, the Eastern Province is administratively and logistically ready to conduct credible examinations for 2010.
Despite of the challenges as a result of the public sector strike, the Eastern Province is administratively and logistically ready to conduct credible examinations for 2010.
All the necessary security measures are in place. All the municipalities are ready to assist in cases of adverse weather conditions and any other emergencies that may emerge in their areas. All the question papers are ready and well secured.
The examination time tables for individual candidates (called admission letters) have been distributed to all schools and the learners who will be sitting for the examinations next week have received them. All the candidates who are eligible to sit for examinations shall therefore do so.
The only major concern is whether the candidates are prepared. No doubt, the extended public sector strike has presented challenges to some of our schools in that they may not be in a position to fully undertake preparatory revision of the work ahead of the exams. This would also have been made worse by the extended winter break in June to accommodate of the 2010 Fifa World Cup.
In order to ameliorate these challenges, the department has instituted several measures that included a print media campaign with lessons throughout the World Cup period, and a recovery plan as a response to the strike.
The plan entailed accelerated joint classes for Grade 12s at identified hot spots throughout the province that were manned by committed and conscientious teachers who heeded the call to go the extra mile in assisting our learners.
As a precaution, we are also on high alert and shall double our monitoring efforts and teams during the examinations.We advise all candidates not to indulge in any irregular activity as the consequences of cheating shall have severe repercussions.
We also advise candidates to desist from looking for short cuts. We anticipate the proliferation of criminals who are likely to attempt to sell candidates fake question papers. Please be warned.
The province has 912 NSC Examination Centres with 67 610 full time and 11280 part time candidates. There are 11689 candidates in 405 centres registered for the Abet Level four examination. All these strategies have been arranged in order to prepare learners for the final examinations.
Loyiso Pulumani is the acting director of the Communications and Customer Care Provincial Department of Education
