As
a result of the flash flood that has affected the residents of Kariega, the
town was left in the dark as water and electricity in the area have been scarce
to non-existent in some areas.
According to Department of Education
spokesperson, Malibongwe Mtima, “the Eastern Cape Department of Education MEC,
Fundile Gade, and the Acting Head of Department (HoD), Sharon Maasdorp, are
camping in Kariega, KwaNobuhle, in the Nelson Mandela education district to
monitor and support flood-affected schools in the area that were writing
Computer Applications Technology (CAT) paper 1.”
In the province, 4873 full-time
candidates are registered for Computer Applications Technology (CAT). All
schools have confirmed that learners wrote without disruption. However, the
inclement weather created serious problems of access and power outages for
Kariega schools that are part of Nelson Mandela Bay Metro.
“In Nelson Mandela
Bay Metro, 50 schools offer CAT with 2054 (42%) out of the total candidates’
population of the province. There are 319 candidates who have not managed to
write, all coming from 5 schools in the Kariega area,” Mtima said.
On
November 28, learners who did not write will be offered an opportunity to write
their CAT exam by DBE. The department is also organising an alternative for
learners using scholar transport in affected areas. There is communication
between DBE and NMBM for the use of churches and town halls for learners who
cannot make use of their schools due to the damage caused by the flood.
“Additionally,
the department in this area has partnered with the South African Police
Services (SAPS) to ensure the safe transportation of examination question
papers to all the affected schools in the area,” he added.
In addition, the
delivery of the Learner Teacher Support Material (LTSM) to 300 schools by 10
NMB distributors has been suspended for two days due to the heavy rains. This
is meant to keep the consignment safe until the heavy rain clears.Education
MEC, Fundile Gade, urged NMB schools to work with the district leadership for
support during this period. Gade promised the full swing delivery as soon as
the rain subsides.
“Picking and packaging are still in full swing in the
warehouse since the district has already received 100% of its allocation from
the provincial warehouse. However, to avoid damages to the consignment in
transit to schools, we have decided to suspend until the weather clears. Our
timelines may be affected by a day or two due to this, but we are already
working on a recovery plan for the lost delivery time,” Gade said.
Gade urged
parents and schools to be on high alert and ensure that learners are safe and
sound during this rainy period while preparing and writing their examinations.
