Pretoria - The Department of Basic Education (DBE) says it is pleased that the impasse in Malamulele has finally been resolved and that schools in the area will open for the first time this year.
The department said this will allow learning and teaching to commence in the 140 schools located in the affected region.
“The Provincial Department of Education and DBE will work together to ensure that a catch-up plan is implemented to try recover the lost time,” DBE said.
Education services were disrupted in the area due to violent community protests, resulting in four and half weeks of stoppage in learning and teaching.
Residents in the area have been demanding their own municipality after they claimed that Thulamela Municipality has been channelling services to Tshivenda-speaking areas, rather than their own, which is dominated by Xitsonga speakers.
Locals have prevented learners from attending school and have razed four schools since January, forcing the police to put the area on lockdown.
“The department will ensure that the four schools that were burnt during the protests are repaired and will move swiftly to assist the 2014 matriculants wishing to sit for the supplementary exams, which commenced yesterday,” the department said.
The DBE said there are more than 300 candidates in Malamulele, who qualified to write the 2015 supplementary examinations.
The department said no candidates had registered to write Computer Applications Technology or any of the language subjects written on the first day.
“Our records also indicate that there are no candidates registered to write the subject offered on the second day. There are, however, 10 candidates who have registered to sit for exams on the third day,” it said.
The department said question papers have already been delivered to the district office and these would reach all the schools as per the examinations schedule and management plan.
“We urge all learners in the Malamulele area that qualify for the supplementary exams to report to the relevant circuit office, district office or school to confirm their registration for the exams,” DBE said.
It said it will ensure that all the learners that qualify in the affected district are given an opportunity to write the examinations. - SAnews.gov.za
