MATRIC EXAMS DILEMMA FOR 603 ESWATINI PUPILS

SITEKI – Dilemma!

The future of at least 603 Eswatini pupils doing Matric hangs in the balance, as the South African Department of Basic Education has stopped them from sitting their examination this year. The country’s Matric Examinations Coordinator, Thamie Silindza, described this matter as a complicated one. He then referred further comments to U-Tech High School Head teacher Boy Khumalo. “Honestly, this is a complicated matter. I am tasked with running the Matric examination programme, but it will be appropriate that you contact our principal. This year, we have 603 pupils who are supposed to sit their Matric exams at the centre, according to the register I have,” he said.

Confirmed

Khumalo confirmed that they received a communiqué from Umalusi, in South Africa (SA), informing them that Eswatini had been omitted from siting Matric examinations this year.
Umalusi is the Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further Education and Training, which sets and monitors standards for general and further education and training in SA in accordance with the national qualifications. Umalusi accredits private providers of education and training, as well as private assessment bodies to offer tuition and assessment for qualifications. It is also responsible for the quality assurance of assessment in Grade XII and issues the National Senior Certificate to successful candidates. Khumalo said he was in constant communication with their SA counterpart, and the local Ministry of Education and Training after he relayed the latest developments to the Minister, Lady Mabuza.

The local centre, U-Tech High School, normally hosts Matric exams for pupils from 10 schools locally, namely; Milestone, Mbalenhle Academy, Diamond Valley, Harrolds, Pro-Learning and Phumelela. The rest are Hillside, Wem, Bookville and the host (U-Tech High). Khumalo stated that the local ministry was engaging its counterpart in SA, under the tutelage of Angie Motshekga. He shared that according to his understanding, sitting Matric exams for the local pupils was supposed to end this year. He mentioned that they had communicated to the schools’ head teachers that next year, there would be no exams. The administrator said he was not certain, for now, what to do next, but was optimistic that their pupils would be allowed to sit the exams for the last time this year, as they continued to engage the SA authorities.

He added that Minister Mabuza had made an appointment with her counterpart in SA to find a lasting solution to this matter, considering that the future of the pupils was at stake. “We had a correspondence informing us that our pupils would not be allowed to sit their Grade XII Matric exams this year. That arrangement was supposed to take effect this year and I don’t know what happened, but we are still holding talks with them,” he said. When asked what would be the next step regarding the matter, as some pupils were attending lessons with the hope that they would sit the exams, Khumalo said the talks were ongoing with their counterpart in SA, to reach common ground. He pointed out that they had not lost hope. “We hope that our ongoing engagements will yield positive fruits, which will see the pupils finally sitting their exams this year. We are optimistic that a solution will be found at last, so that the pupils and parents can heave a sigh of relief,” the head teacher said.

Concerned

Meanwhile, some parents said this was a serious issue that should be sorted out urgently. A concerned parent told this publication that he was left in a predicament on what to do next after paying E27 000 at U-Tech High as tuition fees for his child, who is doing Grade XII. The parent, who asked that his identity be concealed, said the amount also included the examination fee. “I am confused on what to do next, as I had paid E27 000 for my child with the hope that he would sit the exams this year. We were informed that they would be sitting the Matric exams for the last time this year, only to be confronted with the bad news that the centre had been stopped from hosting the exams,” said the agitated parent. He further highlighted that the centre should push and constantly engage their counterparts in SA to allow the local centre to host the exams this year. “We are crossing fingers that the centre will be allowed for the last time, so that our children can sit their exams,” the parent said.

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