With the 2022 final examinations around the corner, the Gauteng Department of Education has outlined measures and interventions regarding the ongoing power cuts during exams.
The 2022 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations are due to begin on Monday, October 31, and the six-week exam period will come to an end on Wednesday, December 7.
The exams will be taking place amid ongoing power cuts across the country, and Umalusi which gave the final examinations the green light on Friday, urged the Department of Basic Education to make alternate arrangements for the supply of power during the examination period to mitigate the risk of load-shedding.
The Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane, in response to questions tabled in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature by the DA’s Khume Ramulifho, said his department had taken measures including interventions on the ongoing power cuts.
“An audit of Computed-Aided Transcription (CAT) and Information Technology (IT) Laboratories has been conducted and one of the areas of focus for the audit was whether the centres have a generator to serve as back-up in the event of electricity supply cut. The centres that do not have generators were urged to procure or rent generators to avoid the disruption that may result from power cuts,” the MEC said.
He added that power utilities Eskom and City Power had also been informed of the important dates on which CAT and IT practical examinations are written to minimise the power cuts on those dates.
With regards to marking, Chiloane said each member of the Marking Process Unit (MPU) was provided with a laptop.
“Members will be encouraged to ensure that the laptops are charged at work as well as at home while power is on. The load shedding programme is posted in the unit and members are sharing printers while the power is on,” the MEC said.
In terms of capturing of marks, he said the venue for capturing of external marksheets had been secured, and power back-up will be available. School based assessment capturing will be done at 30 Loveday Street.
“The back-up supply for 30 Loveday Street is a challenge due to the building structure, however, the landlord is being engaged to install a bigger generator with a capacity that can carry the essential units with the examination sections prioritised,” Chiloane said.
Meanwhile, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga, who attended the Free State Matric Prayer Service in Qwa Qwa on Sunday, told SABC News that the Basic Education sector would swing with the tides and do what other businesses had done amid the power cuts.
“I can’t say that as a sector we will be immune to the challenges that are there but at least when there are power cuts we have notification so we know when they will come. But when we write exams, we communicate a lot with the Department of Energy to say, ‘during this period can you suspend power cuts’ but I can’t guarantee that we will be able to fully do away with power cuts in the country,” the minister said.
She added that the sector will have to navigate through like the rest of South Africa.
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