The department's spokesperson, Geoffrey van der Merwe, says roughly 3000 grade 12 learners from schools in the vast province, will from Friday onwards, be stationed at seven centres across the province for a period of three to four months in preparation for their final school exams. Van der Merwe assures parents and the community at large that the department has put measures in place to safeguard the health of all educators and learners attending the camps during the coronavirus pandemic.

All staff and learners attending these camps will be subjected to regular screening and testing for the coronavirus during this three-to-four-month period. In addition to this, they will each receive personal protective gear to ensure that they are adequately protected. Van der Merwe stresses the camps are necessary to salvage what is left of the academic year. The learners will arrive at the designated camps this coming Friday for orientation. Formal classes will only begin next week Monday. “The camps will function as normal schools where teaching, learning, and assessments will be prioritised. We are confident that these interventions will contribute positively to an improved pass rate in the NSC Examinations,” says Van der Merwe.

Learning and teaching across 122 schools in the Northern Cape – especially those in the provincial epicentres of Francis Baard and Pixley Ka Seme – were negatively impacted by the coronavirus, with educators and/or learners testing positive for Covid-19 post the phased reopening of schools in June. The province has been transparent regarding the confirmed cases in schools, revealing that 134 educators and 65 learners overall had contracted the coronavirus, before President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the reclosure of schools amidst high community transmission.

On Tuesday, the province welcomed grade seven learners back to school, without any reported incidences or issues.

OFM News