DISPLACED GRADE 12 LEARNERS FACE MOCK EXAMS WITHOUT GUIDANCE FROM BASIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

ACTSA and ZEPCC call for urgent intervention as examinations approach

Grade 12 learners displaced by recent xenophobic unrest are days away from their mock examinations, but ZEPcc Academy says it has received no response from the Department of Basic Education (DBE) despite seeking assistance since July.

“We have been knocking on the Department of Basic Education’s doors since July, and the clock is now running out. Some learners were displaced before they could register, while others have been deregistered because they could not attend school. We urgently need the Department to intervene and make special provision for these learners to write their examinations.”- ZEPcc Academy

• 354 learners are registered with ZEPcc Academy.
• 78 are Grade 12 learners.
• 19 Grade 12 learners are currently displaced.
• 37 Grade 12 learners are currently not attending classes.
• 110 Grade R-11 learners are currently displaced.
• 195 Grade R-11 learners are currently not attending classes.
• Mock examinations are scheduled to begin on 25 August 2026.

“These learners need a safe and practical way to continue their education and sit their examinations. We are calling on the Department to urgently consider special arrangements for affected learners, including those who could not register or have been deregistered because of circumstances beyond their control.”- ZEPcc Academy

ACTSA, in partnership with ZEPcc, is calling for an urgent response from the Department of Basic Education. ZEPcc Academy has established interim online classes for affected learners, but says access to devices and data remains a significant barrier.

“Education is a constitutional right. Learners should not be academically disadvantaged because they were displaced by xenophobic unrest. ZEPcc has taken steps to keep these learners learning, but an interim community response cannot replace the responsibility of the education authorities.”

Notes to Editor:

ZEPcc Academy approached Action for Southern Africa (ACTSA) following recent xenophobic unrest which resulted in Zimbabwean learners and learners from other African countries being separated from their established schools and learning environments. Some learners have returned to their countries of origin, while others remain in South Africa but have relocated to different provinces with relatives for their safety.

Some affected Grade 12 learners were unable to register because displacement began as early as April. Others have reportedly been deregistered from their schools because of prolonged absenteeism linked to the unrest.

Many displaced learners who remain in South Africa are afraid to return to their former schools because of the hostile environment. Learners who have relocated to other provinces or across borders cannot or will not return to their previous classrooms under the current circumstances.

ACTSA and ZEPcc are therefore calling on the Department of Basic Education to consider safe alternative examination arrangements, including whether emergency examination centres could be established or whether ZEPcc could be temporarily authorised to serve as a designated examination centre for affected learners, subject to the Department’s requirements.

The organisations are also calling for the Department to:

1. Appoint a senior official to coordinate the response and urgently meet with ACTSA and ZEPcc.
2. Provide a clear examination pathway for affected Grade 12 learners, including those who have relocated within South Africa or returned to their countries of origin.
3. Establish an education-continuity mechanism for affected learners from Grade R-12, including learners who cannot access online education because of device, data or connectivity constraints.

Section 29(1)(a) of the South African Constitution provides that everyone has the right to a basic education. The displacement of learners from their established schools does not remove that right.

The education disruption is occurring against a continuing tense environment affecting foreign nationals in South Africa. On 17 August 2026, the March and March movement announced a 30 September 2026 deadline for what it described as a “massive deportation” of undocumented foreign nationals. This is a deadline announced by the movement and is not a government or official deportation deadline.

The lived reality in many affected communities is that xenophobic intimidation, displacement and attacks have not necessarily been limited to undocumented foreign nationals. Documented foreign nationals have also been targeted, with some people forced to leave their homes, businesses and communities because of threats to their safety.

ENDS