Ilse Fredericks
14 November 2008
A total 36 matriculants missed their exams on Thursday after heavy rains and flooding made some roads impassable, and more disruptions were expected this morning.
Pupils at some schools in Montagu and Ashton were expected to write their exams at alternative venues, while in Touws River rescue personnel transported exam papers by boat to pupils who would otherwise not have been able to write at all today.
Touws River has been split down the middle after the Donkies River flooded the town's main access road on Thursday.
Pupils unable to reach the high school were to write at the primary school school instead. Several schools reported high absenteeism rates on Thursday.
The majority of matrics who could not write on Thursday were from Hexvallei Secondary School in De Doorns, the provincial education department's Brian Schreuder said this morning.
A matric pupil from this school, Daniella de Wee, is presumed to have drowned after being washed away while crossing a river on Wednesday to get to her Afrikaans exam.
On Thursday, a matric candidate from a farm between Caledon and Riviersonderend had to have his English question paper faxed to him. He was totally cut off and a pastor on the farm was appointed as an invigilator, department spokesperson Paddy Attwell said.
Two matriculants from Napier had to rely on the police to get them to their exam venue. They were transported in a 4x4 vehicle to Albert Myburgh Secondary School in Bredasdorp.
Schreuder, the education department's deputy director general of curriculum management, said on Thursday that pupils who could not write their exams would be able to write the supplementary exams in February.
"But there is a possibility that they will be given the opportunity to write before February," he said.
Attwell said some farm schools were so badly affected that no learning or teaching took place on Thursday.
More than 200 pupils were absent at Langeberg Secondary School in Robertson.
Principal Jacob Snyman said all matriculants made it to school to write, but that exams for pupils in the lower grades had to be postponed because too many pupils were absent.
"Many of them walk and they could not get to school. Some of the other children who did arrive were drenched. We had to let them go home early," he said.
In Touws River, 14 De Kruine Secondary matriculants who could not reach the school wrote at a different venue.
Principal Ben Willemse said the majority of pupils in the lower grades were absent. Those who did arrive, were sent home early.
Attwell said two schools also reported damage due to the bad weather.
Attwell said the department was closely monitoring the impact of the weather, and was working on contingency plans with schools.
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