Students Who Test Positive for The Coronavirus Will Write Their Final Exams

Students Who Test Positive for The Coronavirus Will Write Their Final Exams

Date Published: November 6, 2020

The Department of Basic Education along with the Department of Health has just released a statement to inform that any students who test positive for the coronavirus will still be able to write their end-year examinations. 

This comes shortly after the Department of Education decided that any students with COVID-19 would not write their exams in 2020 and would have to write the supplementary examinations in 2021. 

What you need to know

Here is everything you need to know about the statement released by the Department of Basic Education:

  • Both parents and learners reached out to the DoBE to ask for a review of protocol: After the DoBE stated that positive students would not write their examinations, parents and learners requested that these protocols be changed. Both the DoBE and the Department of Health reached a mutual decision that alternate venues will be made available for students who test positive for the coronavirus. 
  • COVID-19 positive students will write in a separate venue: Positive students will write in a separate venue under very securer conditions to meet both the safety and examination regulations.  
  • Positive students are now the responsibility of the Department of Health: The DoBE stated that students who test positive are now the responsibility of the Health Departments and are no longer framed as an educational issue. 
  • Minister Motshekga warned that students should remain cautious: Despite the separate venues planned for COVID-19 positive students, Minister Motshekga has warned students to remain cautious. Safety protocols must still be followed to ensure that the virus is not spread amongst the students and academic staff. 
  • All students will be screened upon arrival to their final exams: Each student will be screened before entering their examination venues. Any students with temperatures that exceed 38 degrees will be moved to write in an isolation venue.

Author: Andrea Frisby