The director of a school in the Free State was suspended after allegedly preventing a student from taking a final exam due to outstanding school fees. This situation prompted urgent intervention from the provincial department of education.
The student was scheduled to take an English language exam on October 15th at Selekelela Secondary School in Kwaakwa, where the director also served as the chief invigilator. According to the Free State Department of Education, the student's access to the examination hall was supposedly restricted due to existing payment arrears.
The department subsequently provided psychosocial support to the student and confirmed that the candidate is continuing with the exams. A department representative, Howard Ndaba, stated that an emergency virtual meeting was convened with chief invigilators from public, private, and independent schools to re-clarify examination procedures.
Ndaba stated: 'The department called an emergency virtual meeting with chief invigilators from all public, private, and independent schools to emphasize that no candidate should be denied access to the examination hall because of unpaid school fees or any other issue unrelated to the right to sit for the exam.' He warned that non-compliance with examination instructions would not be tolerated.
The department reiterated that directors and chief invigilators are obliged to protect the right of relevant candidates to take exams. Currently, the deputy director has been appointed as the chief invigilator for the remainder of the examinations.