NYAKALLO TEFU
With just three days and counting before matriculants can write their final year exams, the departments of education in the Western Cape, Limpopo, Eastern Cape, Gauteng and Mpumalanga say they are ready to administer the 2020 final examinations.
WESTERN CAPE
Western Cape Education MEC Debbie Schafer says her department has done all it can to prepare matric learners for their final examinations.
The MEC spoke to Inside Education in an exclusive interview on the province’s readiness for the 2020 matric exams.
“From June, when learners returned to school, Grade 12’s have had the most classes since then, and have been in class every day,” said Schafer.
The MEC said her department has made available more resources to matric learners to ensure that they are ready.
“Matrics have received an examination support booklet, which provides advice on the exams and bursary options,” added Schafer.
The province has maintained an 80% pass rate for the past two years, and the MEC said she is confident that matriculants this year will do well, despite how the pandemic changed things for them.
“I am hopeful and obviously it has been a very difficult year but we will see,” said Schafer.
EASTERN CAPE
Eastern Cape Education MEC Fundile Gade says he is confident that the class of 2020 will achieve an 80% pass rate.
“We are confident that we will get it, I have also looked at some of the trial papers and so far, we are doing well and when you speak about quality on the output, you are speaking about us, particularly on mathematics and science in the country,” said Gade.
The MEC spoke to Inside Education on the province’s state of readiness for the final matric examinations.
“We have gone a bit far because we have prepared ourselves for the rest of the year, we have also ensured that the centres preparing the learners in the province are on the final stage of the last push programme which is meant to finalize the revision for all subjects,” said Gade.
The MEC says his province has for the past three years been the most improving in terms of the matric pass rate and is very confident that this will continue.
GAUTENG
IT is all systems go for the Grade 12 exams, starting on 5 November 2020.
This year, Gauteng will have the largest number of candidates sitting for the examination, with 235 975.
1866 centres are ready to host the exams and 13 789 invigilators have been trained and appointed.
LIMPOPO
Limpopo Education MEC confident that matriculants in the province will do well in final exams.
With pressure mounting for matriculants across the country as final examinations take place in less than 3 weeks, Limpopo Education MEC Polly Boshielo says in terms of the results for 2020, she is aiming for quality.
The MEC said this during an exclusive interview with Inside Education when asked about her expectations for the matric pass rate for the 2020 academic year.
“We cannot compare the number of learners in Limpopo as we have more than provinces like the Free State, the percentage is an issue, but when you look deeper into the results Limpopo has always topped in terms of mathematics, physical science and other subjects”, said Boshielo.
“For me it’s always quality rather than competing over percentages, added Boshielo.
The Province has for the past 5 years improved its pass rate however, remains the lowest province in terms of the pass rate percentage
“If you read things in percentage, they give you a different perspective, Limpopo has always had many bachelors, even in the top 30, Limpopo had 9 and those who were number 1 had nothing in the top 30”, said Boshielo.
MPUMALANGA
The Department of Education in Mpumalanga says more than 57 000 full time candidates and more than 6 000 part-time will be writing this year’s National Senior Certificate examinations.
The department said to comply with health protocols all candidates and invigilators will wear face masks at all times.
The Department says it is optimistic that it will manage incident-free examinations as it happened in the past eleven years.
(COMPILED BY INSIDE EDUCATION STAFF)
