With less than three weeks until pupils sit for their 2022 final exams, Education MEC in Mpumalanga Bonakele Majuba said they were confident and ready to get started.
“All due processes have already been put in place to ensure that the 2022 examination progresses in keeping to the provided rules and regulations,” he said.
Majuba unveiled the state of readiness for the 2022 National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams, that are expected to begin on October 31, at Ikhethelo Secondary School in Mzinoni, Govan Mbeki Local Municipality on Tuesday.
He said since 2010, the department had been able to manage an incident-free examination process and their desire was that the same success should be achieved this year as well.
“The 2022 Grade 12 examination will be the biggest in the history of writing such an examination process and for this reason, we will need to be extra vigilant and more meticulous in all material aspects of managing these examinations,” he said.
The MEC said there were 71 582 full-time candidates who had registered to sit for the 2022 NSC exams.
“It is the first time that the province has registered such a high number and I must say that I am extremely encouraged and happy about it because it confirms that the majority of learners that enter our system in Grade R, the majority of them do make it to Grade 12,” he said.
He said learner registration in districts was as follows:
- Bohlabela District registered 16 812 learners.
- Ehlanzeni District registered 19 722 learners.
- Gert Sibande District registered 16 403 learners.
- Nkangala District registered 18 645 learners.
He stated that all candidates would write in 566 schools, 39 of which were independent.
He said 566 chief invigilators who undertook an induction from September 7 to 14 had already been appointed.
“The department will deploy resident monitors on a rotational basis to 39 independent schools, which will be administering these exams,” he added.
“The department has already appointed 5 401 markers, 841 exam assistants, 150 admin and capturers and 57 centre managers are yet to be appointed, leading to a total of 6 449 marking and support personnel.”
He indicated that chief markers and internal moderators would be orientated on October 27 and the final marks-capturing process would be on December 23 before standardisation.
He further said learners would be expected to observe the rules and regulations of these exams and as such would be expected to sign the pledge of good conduct on October 21.
The MEC highlighted that the department would provide all learners with irregularity awareness leaflets on transgression of examination rules to ensure that they are always mindful of what to do and the consequences of the transgressions relating to these exams.
“The department has granted approval to 24 schools with limited space to use alternative venues like churches and community halls to write the exams.
“Learners who do not have official identity documents have been granted temporary identification cards to enable them to write the exams. There are about 2000 learners who could not submit their formal South African identity documents,” Majuba said.
He encouraged parents to make it their priority that their children had important documents such as birth certificates and ID cards.
“Parents must visit the offices of the Department of Home Affairs to solicit the necessary assistance,” he said.
Furthermore, he wished the Class of 2022 the best in their final exams. “Your 12 years of sacrifice and hard work are about to yield positive results,” he said.
kamogelo.moichela@inl.co.za
EDUCATION