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The Basic Education Department has eliminated final exams for students in grades 10 and 11 and will instead replace them with controlled tests.
Department spokesman Elijah Mhlanga told the SABC that the decision was made as a one-off measure, due to the teaching time lost due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“It is a unique measure that we have implemented after we looked at everything that affected schooling this year and felt that it would not be fair to have a full-scale examination when schools closed and reopened. With the curriculum cut we realized that we were not going to finish the curriculum, ”he said.
“10th and 11th grade students learn the same thing, it’s just the degree of difficulty of what they are learning. It’s basically something that isn’t really new to them. So what we’re going to do is create more time next year to make sure all the work that wasn’t covered is covered at that time. “
The weight of exams was reduced from 75% to 40%, while the weight of the school-based assessment (SBA) was increased from 25% to 60%.
A circular sent to schools and teachers presented the modified promotion requirements for grades 10 and 11 in more detail.
In the test, the circular stated that grade 10 assignments will last one hour, and grade 11 assignments will last two hours. According to the circular, controlled tests should be established only on the content taught.
The controlled test should cover a substantial part of the taught curriculum, preferably covered work in all terms, whenever possible.
The test, he said, must be administered under controlled conditions. The document said that core subjects such as languages, mathematics and mathematical literacy will offer the required number of jobs with a reduced duration.
“All electives to reduce the number of assignments to one test per subject,” the department said.
Later start dates
Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga says that to ensure that enrollees are not compromised by late release of Grade 12 results, Universities South Africa has agreed to extend the academic year until the end of February 2021.
The universities are expected to begin their 2021 academic year in March or April of next year. This, Motshekga said, will ensure that students can still be admitted to institutions of higher education on time.
The minister said this when ministers from the Social Services Group responded to oral questions in the National Assembly on Wednesday.
“On August 24 of this year, our Director General (Mathanzima) Mweli met with Universities South Africa, which is the body that regulates admissions to higher education institutions, and they indicated that universities will extend the 2020 academic year until the end February next year.
“So, while the opening of universities is not universal, we are sure that when we publish the (matrix) results on February 23 of next year, we will not be at a disadvantage for students because most universities will start their academic year 2021 in March or April of the next year, “she said.
This comes after the department announced last month that the 2020 12th grade exams would be completed on December 15, grading will conclude on January 22, and the results will be released on February 23, 2021.
The new school year will begin on January 25, 2021 for teachers and students a few days later.
Read: This school in South Africa is in such a state that students do not attend on rainy or windy days
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