Cape Town - The Western Cape has the second highest number of matric exam markers who have withdrawn, after Gauteng, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) confirmed on Monday.
A total of 2 703 of 46 024 markers have withdrawn since marking began on January 4 and the process is expected to be completed on January 22.
In previous years, marking lasted a maximum of 14 days, but this year it will go on for 18 days.
The department, however, remains positive that the marking of the combined 2020 matric exam papers will be completed on time despite some hiccups.
The DBE’s exam director, Priscilla Ogunbanjo, said Gauteng had the highest number of 827 withdrawals, followed by Western Cape with 600 people.
About 238 markers contracted the virus after reporting for duty in the centres.
A marker in Estcourt, KwaZulu-Natal, fell ill at the marking centre, was admitted to hospital and died there.
Another marker who is believed to have been in contact with the deceased has since been infected and eight others are in isolation.
DBE director-general Mathanzima Mweli said it was the first time that the department has had to place health and safety as priority number one in the administration of the exams.
“There has been anxiety and fear among markers and their families, to the extent that some of the marking personnel opted to withdraw from the process. While some withdrew due to the fear, others withdrew because they themselves tested positive for Covid-19 or somebody in the family had tested positive.
“In the majority of the cases in the Eastern Cape, most, if not all, of the markers who tested positive reported that they had recently attended weddings, funerals or a family ceremony with a considerable amount of people present.
“This confirms to us once again that social gatherings and the lack of compliance in such settings remain our single biggest challenge when it comes to the fight against Covid-19,” said Mweli.
The Western Cape Education Department’s spokesperson, Bronagh Hammond, said they had prepared for the withdrawal of markers, or markers who did not arrive at marking centres, as it happened every year for a variety of reasons.
“The WCED has been able to manage this with the reserved list of markers at hand. As of January 9, six markers have tested positive for Covid-19 since marking commenced. These are isolated cases and it did not result in further spreading. The marking is proceeding well and all health and safety protocols are being adhered to,” said Hammond.