1. While it is not expected that the writing of a Senior Certificate Examination paper or ABET Level 4 examination paper will be disrupted, it is essential that there be contingency plans should an emergency occur. As the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) is concerned about the safety of each person placed in its care, it has formulated the following procedures in order to minimise the effect of any evacuation caused through an emergency. It is essential that the same basic procedures be used by all institutions which prepare candidates for these examinations.
2. As types of emergency vary, the procedures that follow are intended to cover all situations. It must, however, be stressed that having to evacuate an examination venue has very serious consequences for candidates.
3. If evacuation of an examination room were to be deemed necessary, the only options would be for candidates

  • to be evacuated under extremely stringent conditions (see 4 below) which are to be carried out to the letter in order for UMALUSI to consider allowing the examination written by the candidates to be processed, or

  • to write another fully moderated paper at the end of the examination period if this can be arranged, or

  • to write the supplementary examination in the subject concerned in February or March (Senior Certificate only).
4. As the last two options are most undesirable, schools must note the following concerning the first option:
4.1 If an emergency occurs before candidates start writing, they may not enter the examination venue(s) before being instructed to do so. They must, however, be isolated from other groups and kept under supervision.
4.2 If an emergency occurs while candidates are writing, and should it prove necessary for an evacuation to take place, candidates must

  • be informed that they must leave all books closed on their desks

  • be evacuated one room at a time, under constant supervision of the invigilator(s) in charge of that room and the chief invigilator, and under the overall control of the principal. Additional teachers (not those whose subject is being written) may be used to supervise the candidates.

  • not talk to or communicate with one another in any way

  • not have any books or papers with them

  • not have a cell phone with them

  • be seated in silence in a suitable place in the grounds and spaced apart so that no communication takes place

  • return in silence to the examination room when given permission to do so and carry on writing from where they left off, and

  • on their return, be given the rest of the designated time to complete the examination i.e. the total time allocated to the paper, less the time for which they had been writing before the evacuation took place.
4.3 The principal, the chief invigilator and the other invigilators must be in charge of the candidates at all times with each invigilator being responsible for his or her group of candidates. The circuit manager must be satisfied that all procedures have been carried out, and must monitor the situation closely from the time that he or she arrives at the school.
4.4 Failure to carry out the evacuation to the letter will compromise the validity of the particular examination. The other two options, with their grave consequences for candidates, will then have to be considered.
4.5 The circuit manager or EMDC Director must be notified immediately.
4.6 The circuit manager will endeavour to visit the school immediately in order to verify the procedures in his or her report.
4.7 A full report must be submitted to the Director: Curriculum Development on the same day that the evacuation takes place. This report must be drawn up by the circuit manager and must contain reports from the principal, the chief invigilator and each other invigilator. The Director: Curriculum Development will, in turn, inform UMALUSI as to what has taken place. It is hoped that the school will be informed within three days of the consequences of the evacuation for the candidates.
5. Principals must inform candidates of the school’s contingency plans should any evacuation be necessary and also of the serious consequences if such an evacuation is not carried out properly.
6. Principals must identify suitable alternative accommodation for use as examination venue(s) in case of an emergency.
7. In the unlikely event that a national or provincial examination will have to be re-written, the WCED will immediately inform all principals. Such a question paper would then probably be written within a day or two of the last examination on the timetable, i.e. after 19 November 2004.
8. Any disruption in the examination process or opening of the wrong examination question papers must be reported to the Chief Irregularity Officer or the Irregularity Officers of the WCED immediately. 
Chief Irregularity Officer: Ms J Rault-Smith 021 467 2622 082 448 1801
Irregularity Officers:      Mr T Magwaca     021 467 2626
                            Mr V Deacon      021 467 2336


SIGNED: B.K. SCHREUDER
HEAD: EDUCATION
DATE: 2004:09:23