Teacher unions have raised fresh fears that the Covid-19 infection surge due to the second wave of the virus could derail the completion of matric exam marking during the stipulated 18-day period.
The department of basic education is facing mounting pressure to complete work on the National Senior Certificate examinations on time in order for quality assurer Umalusi to start its work of verifying the credibility of the exams and ensuring results are released on schedule.
However, unions say they have seen increasing withdrawals of markers from some of the 180 marking centres this week as induction began in earnest, with marking expected to commence tomorrow.
The country’s two largest teacher unions, the SA Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) and the National Professional Teachers Organisation of SA (Naptosa) say there is an increased risk of Covid-19 outbreaks, especially in centres in identified Covid-19 hotspots, due to markers living off the premises.
Sadtu has raised concerns that the department of basic education is largely dependent on individual markers’ behaviour, especially in Covid hotspots, to avoid an outbreak at marking centres.
Naptosa says the marking, which has to be completed in less than three weeks, may be derailed due to markers commuting to the centres daily from their homes being exposed to the risk of contracting the virus.
Yesterday, the Eastern Cape education department sent home 74 senior markers and marking centre managers after they tested positive for Covid-19 during mandatory screening and testing.
The Eastern Cape has numerous declared Covid-19 hotspots now during the second wave, which include Nelson Mandela Bay, Chris Hani, Buffalo City, Amathole, Alfred Nzo, Sarah Baartman and the OR Tambo district.
Eastern Cape provincial spokesperson Mali Mtima told Sowetan that those who tested positive would be replaced and that markers would be screened daily.
The marking centres opened their doors on Monday nationwide and 45,000 markers are getting ready to mark 14 million scripts from the Grade 12 pupils who sat for exams last year.
According to the unions, at least 25,000 out of the 45,000 markers will be commuting from home to marking centres every day amid a surge in Covid-19 cases in various areas across the country.
Sadtu general secretary Mugwena Maluleke said: “Our concern is the travelling [to and from marking centres], which we are not in control of. We can make a call and say: travel alone in your car, don’t go via your friends ... but we would have loved a situation where we have control and the only control would have been residence.”
Naptosa’s executive committee member Basil Manuel said they were concerned about the increased risk of Covid-19 “due to the fact that we have the majority of the markers going back to their families every day, living off the premises”.
Manuel said this issue was raised with the department, however the union’s hands were tied as there was insufficient hostel accommodation available for the markers.
Manuel said they were also concerned that some of the centres had already begun to see markers withdraw.
“There’s a marking centre in Cape Town which had four teachers withdrawing on the first day. There is a substitute list but those substitutes need to be trained first before they could be brought in and there’s very little time to do all that,” Manuel said.
Department of basic education spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said the unions’ fears were “reasonable” but appealed for patience.
“The fear is reasonable but adherence to protocols is even more important for everyone in the country,” Mhlanga said.
“Everybody has a responsibility to adhere to safety protocols and those [markers] commuting have an even bigger task to make sure that they don’t get exposed to the virus.”
Mhlanga said they would have a full picture of the numbers tomorrow as all 45,000 markers were expected to report for duty then.
Wits University professor of vaccinology Shabir Madhi said: “Living in a facility such as a hotel may in fact lend itself to even greater negative consequences, particularly if there is going to be social engagement at any stage, including during breaks such as at breakfast and supper.”
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