Zimbabwean Grade 12 Pupils Brought Back To SA To Write Matric Exams
Grade 12 Zimbabwean pupils who left South Africa after the June 30 immigration deadline are being brought back into the country this week to prepare for and write their final matric examinations.
The intervention comes as the October National Senior Certificate examinations draw closer, leaving affected pupils with limited time to return and resume their studies.
Zimbabwean Pupils Face Matric Exam Race
The Zimbabwe Exemption Permit Coordinating Committee (ZEPCC) Academy has appealed to affected Grade 12 pupils to make contact ahead of the examinations.
The organisation says pupils who are outside South Africa, as well as those who remained but could not register, were deregistered or missed examination requirements, should seek assistance.
In a notice to parents, the committee said:
“They should contact ZEPCC Academy to be taken to a boarding facility to prepare and write their 2026 exams. We hereby inform you that the children will be going to SA before end of this week.”
The pupils will reportedly be accommodated at a boarding facility in Johannesburg.
Questions Remain Over Matric Arrangements
There are still questions about how many pupils will be accommodated and who will meet the costs of accommodation, meals and other necessities.
The situation follows concerns raised earlier this year about Zimbabwean pupils whose education was disrupted after their families left South Africa.
The committee previously highlighted the particular difficulties facing Grade 12 pupils, many of whom have followed South Africa’s Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) throughout their school careers.
Pupils Return As Exams Approach
The latest intervention is aimed at giving affected pupils an opportunity to complete their preparations and sit for the 2026 matric examinations.
At least 35 000 children reportedly returned to Zimbabwe with their parents between May and September, although the number of Grade 12 pupils among them was not provided.
The move provides a last-minute route back into the South African education system for affected candidates ahead of the crucial examinations.