The nation is prepared for the 2024 National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams, according to Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube, as 882 336 Grade 12 learners will sit for the first English paper on Monday.
In private schools, some 16 400 candidates will undertake the Independent Examinations Board (IEB) examinations.
Gwarube announced the examination system’s readiness at the Ronnie Mamoepa Media Centre in Hatfield, Pretoria, on Sunday.
The Department of Basic Education has taken stringent security precautions to maintain the integrity of examinations by collaborating with the National Joint Operations Committee (NatJocs), and the Provincial Joint Operations Committee (ProvJocs).
“The department has taken extensive precautions to safeguard the integrity of the examination process. We have completed audits of all storage facilities across the country to ensure they meet the required standards for secure handling of examination materials.
“All exam materials will be stored under strict conditions. Provincial Education Departments (PEDs) have been equipped with Standard Operating Procedures to ensure the safe, and secure handling of question papers from printing to distribution,” said Gwarube.
The department will monitor 6334 public schools and 575 independent examination centres. Additionally, 70 part-time monitors have been deployed to oversee high-risk centres.
“At least 70% examination centres will be monitored per session. These efforts will help to prevent irregularities such as group copying or leakage of exam papers. Distribution trucks will be equipped with tracking systems to monitor their movements, ensuring that question papers reach exam centres on time and without compromise,” said Gwarube.
The minister stated this year’s matric cohort underwent a National Pledge-Signing ceremony nationwide last Friday, declaring to uphold examination ethical standards.
“We are also engaging in an ongoing campaign to promote exam integrity among learners and their families. The pledge reinforces the importance of ethical conduct and discourages any attempts to engage in dishonest practices. Additionally, pledge-signing ceremonies have been held in schools across the country to publicly reaffirm learners’ commitment to these values,” said Gwarube.
The department has tightened security during the marking process after completion of examinations by appointing over 55 000 qualified markers across 188 marking centres nationwide.
The markers were selected based on a strict criteria, ensuring that experienced and qualified educators participate in the marking process.
Marking Standardisation Meetings will be held for each subject.
“External moderators from Umalusi will closely monitor the marking process in order to ensure that there is no variation in the quality and accuracy of the marking across different provinces,” said Gwarube.
Gwarube will administer her first NSC examination proceedings as basic education minister after the inception of the Government of National Unity.
The minister applauded the Class of 2024 for its steadfast commitment to completing its education, highlighting that this group of learners started their high school journey at the peak of Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
“These learners have faced a range of challenges throughout their academic journeys, mainly due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in their earlier years of schooling.
“The Class of 2024 entered Grade 8 in 2020, right at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. The disruption caused by the pandemic during these formative years has had a lasting impact on their learning,” said Gwarube.
Gwarube said the education ministry piloted some key interventions as part of the “Learning Recovery Programme”, which aimed to mitigate the effects of the pandemic to make up for lost classroom-time.
Learning initiatives included rolling out face-to-face extra tuition sessions, Saturday catch-up programmes, and extended school hours in key subjects – especially for academically challenged learners due to earlier disruptions.
Moreover, Gwarube said the “Last Push” programme played a crucial role for learners to fully grasp content before examinations commenced.
Ensuring that no learner is left behind, the programme also catered for differently-abled learners.
The department made provision of special accommodations, Braille papers, large print, and the South African Sign Language (SASL) for differently-abled learners.
“Various provinces convened winter, spring, and other matric camps to take matriculants away from disruptions at home and from social ills that could potentially distract them from their exam preparations. In the ‘Last Push’, we have seen learners give their complete focus and attention to the upcoming matric exams,” said Gwarube.
The Star