The Western Cape Department of Education (WCED) says they will be doing all they can to ensure that transport issues do not result in matriculants being unable to write their Senior Certificate examinations. Arson on nineteen Metro Rail carriages at Salt River’s train depot on Sunday was the cause of some matriculants arriving late for their examinations, according to PRASA CEO Mosenngwa Mofi on Monday. He made an appeal to the general public to not allow cases of vandalism to the public railway, as it may result in students losing their chance at Matric.

Jessica Shelver, the spokesperson for Western Cape Education MEC Debbie Schafer on Tuesday confirmed that some learners had arrived late at schools due to trains as well as a large accident on the N1 high way on Monday. But she said these learners were able to complete their examinations.

“Our guidelines are very clear, Matric candidates who are more than an hour late for their examination are not allowed to write and need to then wait until the next year … but Minister Schafer liaised with the examination authorities and the students were allowed to write because of the special circumstances surrounding their lateness,” Shelver explained.

Shelver also said Minister Schafer and MEC for Transport Donald Grant has made an appeal to public transport entities to ensure learners arrive on time, as they cannot make constant exceptions for late comers of examinations.

“Minister Schafer has discussed this concern with the Provincial Minister for Transport and Public Works, Donald Grant, who has, in his time as Provincial Education Minister, seen the effects of late public transport on candidates writing the matric exams. Minister Grant joined Minister Schafer in her appeal to Metrorail and the taxi associations to assist [the Department] in ensuring that candidates get to their exam centres on time,” Shelver said in a statement. VOC