The Covid-19 pandemic heavily disrupted schooling operations and learners have not been getting enough examination practice. As a result, a provincial education department will be launching a campaign to get learners back on track.
In an attempt to reverse the learning losses caused by the pandemic, the Western Cape Department of Education (WCED) announced that schools across the province will now have the option of giving their Grade 10 and 11 learners more examination practice at the end of this year.
The #BackOnTrack campaign is set to launch ahead of the school calendar’s third term, in support of schools that want to help learners rebuild their exam-writing skills that were lost as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
WCED MEC David Maynier, says that for the past two years, Grade 10 and 11 learners have not written full-scale exams and when they get to Grade 12, they are required to write full-scale exams in all their subjects and many learners will find this challenging.
The work starts in earlier grades to ensure that they are in the best possible position to succeed in their National Senior Certificate exams.
Maynier explains that the minute offers schools the option of adapting the end-of-year assessment to an examination format where a greater variety of questions can be asked.
This will allow for more in-depth testing and practice in answering such questions under examination-controlled conditions, so that learners are better prepared for future exams.
The minute does not change the weighting of the test, or the content to be covered, to ensure that it is a fair assessment.
Schools that wish to use this option to adapt the format of the end of year assessment must apply to their district office for approval before the end of the third term.
