Durban – The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education said with 33 days to go until the National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations begin, it was concerned that service delivery issues might disrupt the examination process.
“The Mercury” reported on Monday that a school was torched in Dassenhoek, near Pinetown, at the weekend.
Department spokesperson Kwazi Mthethwa said on Tuesday that the matric trial exams which ended recently had proven once again that the systems the department had put in place to ensure the integrity and credibility of the exams were watertight.
Mthethwa said this gave the department confidence ahead of the final exams.
“What is of concern to the department is that service delivery issues from time to time threaten to disrupt school functionality and by extension, the examination process,” he said.
KZN Education MEC Mbali Frazer urged communities, particularly community leaders, to ensure that schools were protected at all times.
Frazer said this was especially important during the critical end-of-year examinations.
“It is very disturbing that whenever communities have an issue to raise with authorities, our schools become soft targets, as community members find it easy to disrupt schools in order to raise their service delivery concerns,” said Frazer.
The MEC wished pupils a safe break at the end of the third term on Friday.
“Grade 12 learners must use this time to study and attend our Spring Classes,” said Frazer.