The Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube held a media briefing at the Ronnie Mamoepa Media Centre on the state of readiness to administer the 2024 National Senior Certificate Examinations which begin on Monday 21 October 2024. An excess of 727 000 full time and 155 215 part time candidates are prepared to sit for examinations.

COVID-19 A PROBLEM

Gwarube said this year?s matriculants 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. Over the course of their academic journey, the department has instituted several mitigation measures to address these gaps."

She said these interventions were part of their Learning Recovery Programme, which aimed to mitigate the effects of the pandemic and ensure that learners could make up for lost time.

"Some key initiatives supporting the Class of 2024 have included personalised learning interventions, additional teaching support and socio-emotional care. Equally, provinces rolled out face-to-face extra tuition sessions, Saturday catch-up programmes and extended school hours in key subjects?"especially to learners who struggled to cope with the curriculum content due to earlier disruptions."

SECURITY CHECKS

Gwarube said in terms of security, 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 and 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.Furthermore, distribution trucks will be equipped with tracking systems to monitor their movements and ensure that question papers reach exam centres on time and without compromise."

She said after the exams have been wrapped up the focus will shift to the marking process.

"Marking is a critical part of ensuring the credibility and fairness of the NSC exams. The department has appointed over 55,000 qualified markers across 188 marking centres nationwide. These markers have been selected based on strict criteria to ensure that only experienced and qualified educators participate in the marking process."

She said despite the challenges faced by the Class of 2024, they are confident that their collective efforts have prepared them well for the upcoming examinations.

"Their journey has been one of resilience and determination and we believe that they will rise to the occasion."