Grade 12 learners from various schools across the country will have the opportunity to rewrite specific subjects that they missed, due to valid reasons. The re-write exams will take place on 8 December, 2022.
For some learners, this exam season was filled with chaos, ranging from instances of loadshedding and physical assault, such as the stabbing of one learner.
One specific problem faced during this year's final exams was the ongoing protest action, particular in the province of Mpumalanga. At times, the protests became such a barrier to the exams taking place, that the question papers could not be delivered to the schools in order for learners to write.
In Gauteng, protest action also made it difficult for that province's matrics, resulting in over 50 learners not writing their exam. However, after an investigation, it was revealed that the school's principal had actually prevented the learners from writing one and/or two exams, by sending letters to parents communicating as such.
Action has since been taken against the principal.
The DBE, along with Umalusi, made the decision to grant the opportunity for a period of re-writes for the following subjects:
- Mathematics Paper 2 (Mpumalanga Department of Education)
- Mathematical Literacy Paper 1 (Eastern Cape Department of Education)
- Mathematical Literacy Paper 2 (Mpumalanga Department of Education, Eastern Cape Department of Education and North West Department of Education)
- Economics Paper 1 (Gauteng Department of Education)
- English First Additional Language Paper 1 (Limpopo Department of Education and Western Cape Department of Education)
Some of the reasons cited in the rewrite requests include disruptions such as loadshedding and technical glitches during the Computer Applications Technology (CAT) Paper 1 and Information Technology (IT) Paper 1 exams, miscommunication from a school principal which resulted in Economics learners missing the exam, banning pregnant learners from sitting for their exams, as well floods.
In addition, the situation regarding the difficult question (Question 5.1) that arose in Mathematics Paper 2 has been resolved, says the Department of Basic Education (DBE), who has admitted that the question was in fact made out of error.
"The question will be excluded from the marking process. The question paper will be marked out of 143 and the mark will be upscaled to 150," reads the Department's statement.
The DBE is encouraging all learners who will be participating in the rewrites to prepare as best as they can for this second chance.
