By Johnathan Paoli
Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube has welcomed the conclusion of the 2024 National Senior Certificate examinations, saying that she is pleased with how they were administered.
“Despite some challenges, the overall administration of the exams has been smooth, with minimal irregularities thanks to the collective efforts of our dedicated educators, administrators and learners themselves,” the minister told reporters in Cape Town on Wednesday.
The exams commenced on 21 October with the English paper, and involved over 727,000 full-time candidates and 155,000 part-time candidates.
Gwarube pointed to several successes during the examination process, including the stringent monitoring of high-risk centres, where a minimum of 70% of locations were monitored during each session.
She said this rigorous oversight was designed to maintain the integrity of the exams despite external disruptions.
The minister also acknowledged that in regions like Jan Kempdorp, Gert Sibande and Limpopo, protests and inclement weather disrupted exam schedules for several learners.
Most notably, 319 students in the Eastern Cape were unable to write their exams due to flooding.
However, she welcomed the contingency plans that were in place to accommodate these learners, underscoring her department’s readiness to address unforeseen challenges.
“We are prepared to support learners affected by these disruptions and ensure that they have the opportunity to complete their exams,” Gwarube said.
The minister also spoke about five female learners who were gang-raped while preparing for their exams in the Eastern Cape, followed by another similar attack earlier this month.
Gwarube called for a collective societal response to violence against women and children, particularly during the observance of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.
“These incidents serve as a painful reminder of the dangers that many young learners, especially girls, face in their daily lives. We must do everything in our power to create safer environments for our children,” she said.
Now with the exam writing phase complete, the department will shift its focus to marking.
The department has set up 181 marking centres across the country, which are expected to begin operations on Wednesday, with over 70,000 markers expected to be involved in grading the exams over the next 13 to 15 days.
Gwarube said ensuring that marking was conducted fairly and consistently was her top priority, noting that 60 out of 164 planned Marking Standardisation Meetings had already been completed to finalise marking guidelines.
On food safety, she said new regulations have been implemented to ensure that all food vendors at school and marking centres complied with regulations.
Workshops have been conducted for examination managers and school principals to maintain hygiene and safety protocols.
“We are committed to ensuring that our learners and markers are safe from preventable health risks, and we are taking significant steps to monitor food safety across all centres,” Gwarube said.
As the exam period concludes, the minister has urged matriculants to celebrate responsibly, especially in light of recent concerns around alcohol consumption during “pens down” events.
While recognising the achievement of completing the exams, Gwarube reminded students that this time should be marked by safe and responsible celebrations.
“Matric is a major milestone and it’s important that our learners celebrate their achievements safely. I urge them to avoid risky behaviours, such as alcohol abuse, which can endanger their lives and the lives of others,” she said.
Following the double capturing of almost 12 million marks by 16 December, Umalusi is expected to hold its standardisation meeting on 23 December and give its satisfaction of the fairness of the exams by 7 January.
The minister called for continued vigilance and hard work throughout the next phase. She is expected to announce the results on 13 January.
INSIDE EDUCATION
