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- Matric exams will officially start on Wednesday, with the writing of the language papers.
- The exams follow another year of Covid-19 disrupting learning.
- The number of candidates in KwaZulu-Natal is the highest in six years.
Matriculants throughout the country will be putting pen to paper as the National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams gets underway on Wednesday.
This year sees an increased number of pupils taking the exams in some provinces, after a year in which Covid-19 has once again disrupted learning.
Across the country, almost 900 000 will sit for the exams.
The exams will kick-off with the language papers, with the first sitting for English Home Language, English First Additional Language and English Second Additional Language.
The national education department said in a statement the national examination system was ready to administer a credible public examination and was geared to accommodate any change that might be warranted by the current environment.
"It should be noted that despite the abnormal context, the Class of 2021 will be subjected to the same high quality examination that previous cohorts were subjected to, and the quality assurance council, Umalusi, has confirmed that the national examination system is ready to administer the 2021 NSC examination," the department added.
Gauteng
The Gauteng Department of Education said it had enrolled 175 599 candidates to write this year's matric exams.
According to the department, this was an increase of 17.55% from 2020, making the Class of 2021 the "highest enrolment number ever of candidates to sit for the NSC exams in the province".
In addition, 1 004 examination centres have been accredited, which comprise 652 public ordinary Schools, 244 independent schools, 97 AET centres, eight prisons and three designated centres in the province.
"Security arrangements have been put in place to safely manage the distribution and collection of question papers and answer sheets.
"These arrangements will be facilitated daily as the examinations progress."
The department said the credibility of the NSC examinations was paramount, and one of its interventions included pupils signing a pledge as well as a commitment agreement which bound it, the candidates and their parents to abide by all the rules and regulations that governed, conducted and administered the exams.
"We would like to wish all our Grade 12 learners the best of luck and assure them that they have our full support. Learners are urged to conduct themselves with honesty during the exams.
"Cheating and other exam irregularities may result in a criminal record. Tears and sweat taste the same but will get you different results. Tears will get you sympathy and sweat will get you change," Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi said.
Western Cape
More than 73 000 Western Cape pupils will sit for the exams on Wednesday - an increase of almost 20 000 candidates compared to last year.
The Class of 2021 includes 59 849 full-time and 14 117 part-time candidates. Exams will be written at 486 examination centres, with 1 887 invigilators appointed to oversee them.
More than 3 300 people would mark 890 000 examination scripts at 11 centres, the Western Cape education department said.
The 2021 matric class faced numerous challenges due to the pandemic, Premier Alan Winde said.
READ | End-of-year exam stress: Helping your children cope
"The Covid-19 pandemic has added so many additional hurdles in the way of this class, but they have overcome them to get this far. This is a remarkable class, and I salute you," he added.
"While this is a stressful time for many of our matrics, it is also a very exciting one as it is an opportunity to show your hard work and put pen to paper, showing what you've learnt.
"It is the final and most important stretch before you conclude your high school career. Remember to stay focused and prepare diligently."
Education MEC Debbie Schäfer said:
"We look forward to celebrating your results with you in January. I also just want to say to each one of you - just do your best. While this is an important exam, there are options if you don't do as well as you hoped."
KwaZulu-Natal
In KwaZulu-Natal, more than 201 000 full-time and part-time candidates would be sitting for their exams - the largest number of candidates in the province for the last six years, said provincial education department spokesperson Kwazi Mthethwa.
There will be 178 262 full-time and 22 845 part-time candidates sitting for the exams at 1 777 writing centres.
Education MEC Kwazi Mshengu is expected to visit schools in Phoenix, Durban, on Wednesday to monitor the start of exams.
Eastern Cape
In the Eastern Cape, 97 127 candidates will be writing the exams - an increase of 24 201 from the previous year.
The education department is aiming to increase the pass mark by 5% from 2020.
The province has 944 exam centres, 27 marking centres and 5 278 markers.
READ | How can parents support their children as the 2021 matric exams begin?
"Despite the challenges posed by Covid-19 to the system, which has led to the sector establishing new norms of doing things, we managed to deliver curriculum to our learners.
"This we did through taking advantage of the available limited time and the utilisation of strategies and interventions to ensure proper coverage of the curriculum and protection of teaching time for better outcomes," said Education MEC Fundile Gade.
Northern Cape
The Northern Cape Department of Education said pupils were ready for the exams, thanks to a range of interventions designed to support them amid disruptions caused by Covid-19.
"The year 2021 continued to be a very difficult and abnormal school year due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic," said department spokesperson Geoffrey van der Merwe.
"The Class of 2021 suffered severe losses of valuable learning and teaching time from Grade 11 as well as during this year.
"Despite the challenges of lockdown restrictions, the department launched various interventions at our schools and with our learners to ensure they received the maximum support we could muster in their preparations for the 2021 NSC examinations."
Covid-19 protocols would be in place at all examination centres, added Van der Merwe.
A total of 16 551 candidates, of which 13 056 are full-time candidates, will sit for the examinations in the Northern Cape. Following the exams, 778 markers will grade the papers at four marking centres.
Mpumalanga
The Mpumalanga education department said 69 260 candidates have registered for the exams at 560 centres.
"The department undertakes to do everything possible to curb examination irregularities, entrench integrity and sustain efficiency in the examination process," its head of department, Lucy Moyane, added.
The department said it would be comforted if it reverted to the 80% pass rate and obtained 83% - which was its target before the advent of Covid-19.
It sent its bests wishes to the Class of 2021.
"As you prepare for your final examinations, remember that you have toiled through this school journey in the last 12 years and you are one step away from reaching your final destiny within the basic education space," Moyane added.
Limpopo
The Limpopo Department of Education said it was ready for the NSC examinations.
Across the province, 106 564 full-time and 35 596 part-time candidates will be sitting for the exams at 1 609 centres.
"We have sufficient security measures that have allowed us not to have leaks in years. These have been recently upgraded to keep up with developments in the sector," department spokesperson Tidimalo Chuene said.
In addition, the department added the training of district exam managers, circuit managers, chief invigilators and one management team member per school had been completed in all districts, with Covid-19 protocols being part of the training and invigilation manual.
North West
The North West Department of Education said it was all systems go as 42 147 full-time and 5 315 part-time candidates sat for their final basic education exams.
The department added it had prepared 439 centres that have been audited for compliance. Of these, 417 are public centres, 20 are independent and two are designated centres.
"Printing and packaging is done under very secure conditions with surveillance cameras and physical security at all strategic points.
It said:
In addition, the department has two to three officials per school who are trained to ensure the smooth running of the examinations.
Education MEC Mmaphefo Matsemela said all measures were considered to prepare the 2021 cohort.
"Covid-19 has been a disruptor in the administration of year-end examinations in 2020. The Class of 2021 found us ready and we equipped learners with much needed assistance to sit for their examinations," Matsemela added.
Free State
Meanwhile, the Free State Department of Education told the SABC it was all systems go at about 353 centres, where the pupils will be writing their exams.
"We'll be having more than 2 400 markers, including chief markers, deputy chief markers. So, we are indeed ready.
"On Friday, the minister was in the province. All our learners in the province have signed a pledge, where they committed themselves, that they'll conduct themselves in a manner that is legal," department spokesperson Howard Ndaba told the public broadcaster on Monday.
Matrics confident ahead of exams
News24 spoke to a few matriculants ahead of the exams to find out how they were coping.
Barbra Kaptien, 18, and Nwabisa Guma, 18, from San Souci Girls High in Newlands said they were both "anxious yet optimistic" about the upcoming exams.
Guma said while not being fully present at school every day had taken its toll on her, the pandemic had given her a more hands-on experience with her schooling.
"I was able to sit more thoroughly with my academics and realise my full potential of what I am able to achieve whilst studying from home on my own.
"I'm going into this exams with confidence, knowing that I made it through to the final stage of my schooling with the pandemic still with us, and I'm quite sure my results will attest to that," added Guma.
"I'm sure proper protocols will be followed at the school, but it's still overwhelming to think that we'll all be boxed into a room to write the exams under these pandemic conditions."
Kaptien said she was ready to take on the biggest exam of her schooling career.
"The pandemic academically has been very challenging. Not having teachers always available to answer questions was a bit draining. But the anxiety I have for the exams is mostly because I'm prepping for my future, and this is our last run," she added.
The youngster said she did not think the effects of Covid-19 would affect the exams at all.
Jodi Jacobs, who attends the Mitchells Plain School of Skills, added the effects of Covid-19 had resulted in her not having enough time to study.
"Everything was just getting too much. You must learn by yourself, you are no longer in school every day and now we have the exams soon, which weighs heavily on us as students," she said.
Fareed Davids from Princeton High in Woodlands said it was comforting to know he had hundreds of matriculants with him that would be sitting for the exams.
"This is it. It been a very difficult year for us with the closing and opening of schools and not knowing where we stand as students. I'm confident that all our hard work and dedication to the books will be a success," added Davids.
