At the Seemahale Secondary School in Botshabelo, candidates were sitting for the Computer Application Technology exam on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Information Technology learners will do their practical exams.

The provincial Education Department did not foresee any challenges with electricity at the school as rolling blackouts do not affect Botshabelo.

However, the situation in Qwaqwa remains a concern as the town experiences regular, severe power cuts.

About 40 000 full-time learners across the province will officially start their final Grade 12 examinations on the 31st of this month with languages.

They will conclude the examinations with the last paper on December 7.

Generators

The Basic Education Department says a large number of schools have already procured generators in the light of  Eskom’s ongoing rolling blackouts.

Earlier it said the power utility told its officials that it was not possible to exempt examination centres from rolling blackouts because they were not situated in one central place.

The Matric Class of 2022 will officially begin their final examinations on Tuesday, amid concerns about power disruptions.

However, the Department’s spokesperson, Eliljah Mhlanga, says they are confident that the end-of-year exams will still be written.

”It might not be all of them but a huge majority of them do have generators. This matter was discussed even before the exams started. So, we hope that those types of arrangements have been made. We will see what to do. But in the timetable, we have the first two days of the exams on which technical subjects are being written and again on the last two days. If something were to really happen and they cannot write, we would look at another opportunity, and with that opportunity, we hope that we should have some stability.”

SABC News