This, after Grade 4-11 learners are compelled to write exams before any of the 2019 academic work could commence. Learners in this mining town missed the fourth quarter of school last year when protests against service delivery broke out and led to the shutdown of schools and businesses. Community members in town went on the rampage calling for the resignation of Mayor Thandi Reachable on grounds of poor service delivery, the high unemployment rate and tender irregularities, amongst others. Learners in this town thus had to revise the missed fourth term’s work during the month of January before writing exams, which are expected to run until next week.

Parents at the school have long expressed their dissatisfaction over the writing of examinations, stating that it would put learners and teachers under immense pressure to revise the whole year’s work and write all subjects within two weeks. They claim the provincial education department disregards their concerns and does not care about the future of learners in Koffiefontein.

OFM News on Monday reported that examinations for Grade 4-11 learners were in full swing and that the department’s spokesperson, Howard Ndaba, said the issuing of reports will take place on February 26, while the 2019 curriculum is expected to kick-off on the 1st of March.

Parents at the Koffiefontein Combined Schools have lambasted the department for this decision after indications that all learners would be progressed to the next grade based on their Schools Based Assessment (SBA), commonly known as the year mark. They said the writing of these exams also poses questions as to whether the learners in this town would be able to finish the 2019 curriculum in due course.

Ndaba, however, said the SBA’s could not be used to progress the learners to the next grade as they only amount to certain percentages in the different grades. He highlighted that grade 1-3 learners will not write exams because according to their policy their SBA counts to 100% and are not compelled to write exams, while it counts 75% in grade 4-6, 60% in grade 7-9 only 25% for grade 10-11.

He said they have noted the concerns raised by the parents regarding prolonged hours and pressure the learners will be subjected to amongst other things and will be providing all schools in the town with psycho-socio support.

OFM News