Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga’s decision to force South Africa’s Grade 12 learners into a matric rewrite for Maths and Physics Paper 2 is being challenged in court.
Teacher unions head to court to block matric rewrite
As reported by The Star, the South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) is expected to file a court order in a bid to stop the education department from going ahead with the matric rewrite.
On Friday, Motshekga unsettled the nation’s matrics when she revealed that a couple hundred pupils — if not more — had been exposed to leaked papers of Maths and Physics Paper 2.
The only resolution to ensuring a fair examination was to prepare for a rewrite. The sentiment was also shared by Western Cape Education Department (WCED) Head Brian Schreuder who, in a statement, said:
“We understand that this will cause disappointment and will impact on the plans of some of our candidates, but we appeal for understanding. These are exceptional circumstances and are ultimately in the interest of fairness to all candidates and the credibility of these examinations. There can be no traces of doubt in the integrity of the National Senior Certificate when the results are released.”
‘Learners are being punished’ – SA teachers
Teachers’ unions disagree wholeheartedly with this, however. SADTU General Secretary Mugwena Maluleke found it premature for the department to enforce such a decision when investigations into the leaked papers had not concluded.
It’s even more dumbfounding considering that of the 390 000 matric pupils, only 200 or so may have seen the leaked papers.
“It undermines the work of our teachers and learners who worked under difficult circumstances due to Covid-19. Learners are being punished for something that is not of their making as only a few saw the paper,” he said.
Matric rewrite December 2020 schedule
Motshekga’s spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga shot down these claims and confirmed that plans for the national matric rewrite are still in place.
“The department will wait for the matter to get to court upon which it will be defended. Until the court papers are received it remains unclear what case they intend to make in the court,” he said.
The rewrite for Maths Paper 2 is scheduled for Tuesday, 15 December and Physics Paper 2 will be written on Thursday, 17 December.