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Leaked document reveals new proposals for 2020 school calendar

Parents, pupils and teachers are waiting for news on the remainder of the academic school year.
Parents, pupils and teachers are waiting for news on the remainder of the academic school year.
Image: CHRISTIAAN KOTZE/AFP

Contrary to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement on July 23 that the academic year “will go beyond 2020”, it has been proposed that the school year end on December 15 for pupils in grades R to 11.

This is among the proposed amendments to the 2020 school calendar, according to a leaked document presented to a Hedcom workshop on July 28. Hedcom comprises the director-general of basic education Mathanzima Mweli and the superintendents-general of education of the nine provinces.

According to one of the suggestions, the 2020 school year “should not be carried over to the first quarter of 2021”.

The workshop was told that a break in school will be needed to separate the third and fourth terms and the suggestion was a week's holiday from October 26 to 30.

There were 163 remaining days for educators and 156 for pupils.

The new academic year for teachers was planned for January 18 and January 20 for pupils.

However, the new academic year could also be postponed for a week to January 25 as teachers appointed as matric markers may still be busy marking from January 18 to 22.

It was recommended that the matric exams start on November 5 and end on December 15.

Matric marking was expected to take place from January 4 to 22, while February 2 was proposed as the date for the standardisation of marks by exams quality assurer Umalusi.

It was proposed that the ministerial announcement of the results take place on February 22 and the provincial announcements a day later.

The proposed amendments will be shared by a Hedcom subcommittee with the teacher unions on Friday.

© TimesLIVE


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