By Hendrick Makaneta
The Department of Basic Education should be lenient when marking the matric class of 2020.
This has been a difficult year. Learners found themselves stranded, especially during lockdown, when learning and teaching came to a standstill. It is for this reason that, as education activists, we are urging the department to show leniency as they mark matric learners’ scripts.
Covid-19 caught us all unprepared and it is only fair that we allow the 2020 class a smooth transition to the next level of their careers. Holding them back by being stricter will do no one any good as the system will be more congested. The Grade 12 papers were set before the emergence of Covid-19, hence there is a need to adjust ourselves accordingly.
The Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further Education and Training (Umalusi) should make the necessary adjustments in line with the spirit of propelling the children within the system of higher education. In doing so we will be able to maintain the much-needed stability.
We cannot expect to function normally under abnormal conditions. Learners should not be punished for something that was not created by them.
We should all salute the class of 2020 for demonstrating resilience. Our thoughts and prayers should also go to the teachers and learners who lost their lives and the lives of their loved ones during these difficult times.
Above all, we should salute the teachers who took the trouble to be with learners when MPs were scared to meet them. These are the soldiers who have kept the education flag flying.
Hendrick Makaneta is an education activist.
The Star