| 1. |
The Minister of Education, after consultation with the Council of Education Ministers, made the decision last year, in terms of Section 3 (4) (l) of the National Education Policy Act as amended in Volume 455 of Government Gazette 24852 of 9 May 2003, [size: 111 KB] that the common deadline for the registration of candidates and subject grades should be 15 March of each year of the examination. |
| 2. |
We refer you to Circular 0167/2003 which gives the closing date for Senior Certificate entries as 15 March of each year of the examination. |
| 3. |
This circular serves to underscore the contents of the aforesaid circular with some amendments. |
| 4. |
In the event of any candidate needing to alter his or her grade after 15 March, the head of institution is to complete the attached form and submit it together with supporting documentation (including a medical certificate where applicable) requesting the department to change the subject grade to the appropriate one. A departmental committee will then assess each application during May each year. The department would like to emphasise that only requests for grade changes involving exceptional circumstances will be considered, and then only provided that the requests are made by no later than 30 April of the year of the examination. |
| 5. |
Candidates who make unauthorised subject or grade changes will not be given a result in the subject concerned. They will be allowed to enter for the supplementary examinations in the subject/grade of their choice to be written during February/March of the following year. The procedure employed in the past of withholding the results of these unauthorised grade-change candidates for 14 days has been withdrawn. |
| 6. |
The importance of maintaining the correct standards of assessment throughout Grades 10 and 11 and using these to make the final decision for subject and grade choice is once again stressed. |
| 7. |
Heads of institutions should note that the increased difficulty of work or the possible failure on the higher grade will not be considered as exceptional circumstances for late grade changes. Such requests will not be put forward to the committee for consideration. |
| 8. |
Schools must ensure that the teaching, learning and assessment in Grades 10 and 11 are of a standard that will enable learners to make appropriate grade choices on entering for the Senior Certificate examinations. Heads of institutions are also reminded that a mark between 100 and 159 on the higher grade is automatically converted to a standard grade pass. |
| 9. |
Heads of institutions are once again reminded that decisions on grade changes may be made by the school only with the full consent of the parents. Please refer to Circulars 0223/2003, 0167/2003 and 0050/2001 in this regard. |
SIGNED: R.B. SWARTZ
HEAD: EDUCATION
DATE: 2004:03:05
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