The Minister of Basic Education, Mss Angie Motshekga, announced on the afternoon of 4 December 2020, that the leaked papers will be re-written on 15 and 17 December 2020. Welcoming the announcement would be like welcoming an ambulance: If there had not been a disaster, there would have been no need for it in the first place.
Mathematics Paper 2 will be re-written at 14:00 on 15 December 2020, Physical Sciences at 09:00 on 17 December 2020 and Information Technology as well as Computer Applications Technology at 14:00 on the same day.
Matric examinations pose quite a challenge for candidates in a normal year. The timetable is carefully worked out to ensure that there is enough time to prepare. And the conclusion of the examinations usually marks a time of great celebrations and rejoicing.
The emotional impact of reaching the end of the examinations only to have to return to your books to study for one of the most difficult papers of the year again should not be underestimated.
Moreover, matric question papers are meticulously prepared and moderated months in advance to ensure the best possible quality. It is obviously not possible to achieve that with a question paper that has to be prepared on such short notice.
A person’s matric results are required for study and job applications for the rest of your life. And that is why learners, teachers and even parents leave no stone unturned to ensure that matrics perform as well as they possibly can. This is particularly true for key subjects like Mathematics and Physical Sciences.
In reality, this year’s matrics are experiencing something that is endemic in the “adult world”: A small group of people behave in a dishonest manner and then they either get away with it or they make life difficult for everyone else.
The FF Plus wishes everyone affected the very best of luck and clarity of mind.
Read the original article in Afrikaans by Dr. Wynand Boshoff on FF Plus
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