Cape Town – A matric pupil at Bernadino Heights in Scottsdene’s life was turned upside down when she contracted Covid-19 just before she had to start writing her final exams.
To make matters worse, she was unable to attend the school’s valedictory service the weekend before the exams started.
The national Department of Basic Education (DBE), which failed to consult the Western Cape Education Department and its provincial Health Department counterparts when changing the Covid-19 protocols at 9pm on the eve of the exams, played a major role in her having to endure an emotional roller-coaster – repeatedly going from despair to elation and back again.
Through it all, she kept studying, not giving up hope, though she felt she was ’’being taken for a joke’’. Thanks to the Kraaifontein High School principal, she has been able to continue writing her exams.
Recounting how she was “broken inside’’ on testing positive, she said in a Facebook post: ’’I couldn't understand why this was happening and days before my final exam… I cried so much and I could talk to nobody about what I was going through.
’’I felt like I was at my lowest point. At this point I was unsure whether or not I'm even going to write my final exam. I still studied, having a little hope .
’’Tuesday night my aunty went to the principal of Bernadino Heights and he told her he would let her know the next day whether I could write or not.
’’Wednesday afternoon around 2 he told my aunty that I could write, provision was made for me to write in isolation and I went to go study again. Later that night while I'm studying, he sent another message to my aunt saying that I'm not allowed to write at the school.
’’Myself being already emotional unstable, having to go through a roller-coaster of emotions, I felt let down by the principal. Wednesday night it was decided nationally that matriculants who tested positive with no symptoms are allowed to write in isolation.
’’I was one of those asymptomatic people so I barely had symptoms. My principal, knowing this, still said no, meaning I could have written yesterday in isolation but I missed my first final paper.
’’I felt and I still am disappointed in my principal. Thursday afternoon my aunt spoke to the circuit manager, Mr Mangonem, and he spoke to me as well and told me that I'm going to write today.
’’I felt so relieved and I started crying because finally things were coming right. This morning (Thursday) past 7 Mr Mayor from the Department of Education phoned my aunt and said that provision was made for me to write at Kraaifontein High.
’’At 07:17 on our way to school, he phoned again to say there's nothing they can do for me and I won't be able to write. As a matriculant you want to go into an exam with a clear mind and at this point I was just tired of being taken for a joke, it felt to me.
’’My aunt went in and spoke to the principal and he said that he has a room for me and it's ready and I can write at his school in isolation. I felt relieved and thankful that the principal of Kraaifontein High, who doesn't even know me, is willing to allow me to write at his school.
’’I just want to say thank you so much to the principal of Kraaifontein High for taking me in to write at his school and treating me so kind. I'm forever grateful.’’
Explaining how the situation unfolded, Western Cape Education spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said on Thursday: ’’On Friday morning, we were presented with a case whereby a Covid-19 positive candidate indicated their intention to write the exams.
’’In the absence of DBE protocol agreements at that time, the WCED policy was to only let candidates that were positive for ten days or more write the exam. The family member had indicated this was the case. The WCED assisted the candidate to write the exam.
’’When the certificate was produced, it transpired that it was not true and that the candidate should have been in self-isolation.
’’The candidate did not write on Thursday, not as a result of lack of assistance, but because she was unaware of the previous evening’s announcement. (It was at 21h00 the night before.)
'’DBE have since released protocol documents on Sunday and therefore we are now trying to assist candidates on a case by case basis.
’’The school (Bernadino Heights) itself did not have the facilities, nor can we force a school to administer an examination to a Covid-19 positive learner as this goes completely against the health and safety protocol in nationally gazetted directions.
’’The principal also did not indicate that they will consider the candidate writing – as protocol had ALWAYS been (up until the night before) that learners with Covid-19 could not write.'’
IOL