The Gauteng Education Department has joined the Eastern Cape in postponing pupils' preliminary examinations for two weeks, due to the teacher strike.

The exams were originally scheduled to start on 3 September.

The department said the exams will now be written in the afternoons while catch-up programmes take place in the mornings.

The "regrettable" decision has been necessitated for two reasons:

• Firstly the current strike conditions make it difficult to continue with the exams immediately, and
• Secondly, once the public sector strike ends, it will be necessary to catch up on teaching time. It will therefore be necessary to twin exams with the catch-up programme.

"We understand and empathise with the stress which our matriculants and their parents are experiencing at this crucial stage of their school careers.

"We urge them to remain focused and to study together with their classmates using the study guides we have printed for them," the department said.

Study guides are available on www.thutong.gov.za or www.education.gpg.gov.za. SABC public service radio stations are also running programmes focusing on matric examinations.

• Sowetan's education supplement Power Your Future is running examplar question papers to help Matrics. Pick it up with today's newspaper.