Spokesperson for the Eastern Cape Department of Education, Mali Mtima, confirmed that the department have submitted a request to the National Office to consider giving all the 173 National Senior Certificate (NSC) candidates from OR Tambo District an opportunity to write in December, since the strike that was allegedly hosted by taxi operators was beyond their control.
This followed an incident where all the major entry/exit points to the area were blockaded, allegedly by protesting taxi operators, last week.
“It is being attended to as we speak. The communication has been sent to them so that they should know what is happening.
“On the issue of the common paper that was going to be written internally, the department is working with the schools to provide an opportunity for those kids, but it is going to be done in line with the legislation that is currently available. This is what the department is doing, working around the clock to ensure that things are going well,” said Mtima.
He said that Cluster A schools’ functionality in two districts under the OR Tambo District was severely affected by the taxi impasses, as such learners were unable to write their mid-year examinations, last week.
According to him, the two districts of this cluster, namely OR Tambo Inland and OR Tambo Coastal, were the only ones affected by this taxi violence.
He said 73 FET schools, out of 104 in the cluster, ground to a halt due to this incident.
“It is only those that are outside Mthatha that were able to continue with schooling. In the OR Tambo Coastal Education District alone about 34 FET schools were affected, leading to 8 960 learners who were unable to write their examination paper. The schools are from areas like Libode, Ngqeleni, and parts of Port St Johns. Furthermore, there has been no schooling in 271 primary schools in three of the four Circuit Management Centres of this district.”
He added that about 10 877 Grade 12 learners from the OR Tambo Inland Education District could not write their examinations, due to this disruption.
Mtima added that in the other four districts of this cluster, examinations continued without any disruption.
“About 292 primary schools also felt the brunt of the violence and could not function on the day of the incident. Also, six centres accommodating 173 National Senior Certificate (NSC) candidates could not write their history supplementary examination paper.”
