Department ready to administer matric finals

The department said it has recorded about 56 000 full-time candidates that will write the matric exams in the province this year, a 10 000 increase from last year’s 46 000 candidates

October 5, 2015

Trevor Hlungwani 1 minute read

MBOMBELA – The Department of Education says it is ready to administer the 2015 grade 12 final examinations, which will run from October 26 to November 27.

The MEC for education in the province, Ms Reginah Mhaule, briefed the media on Wednesday at the department’s offices in River View.

Although protest actions have caused school disruptions in some parts of the province, the MEC said the department had employed various measures to bring learners up to date with their curriculum.

The department said it has recorded about 56 000 full-time candidates that will write the matric exams in the province this year, a 10 000 increase from last year’s 46 000 candidates. Moreover, a total of 5 384 part-time candidates will also sit for the exams.

She said about 2 600 invigilators were appointed and trained to oversee the process.

In addition, all candidates will be expected to sign a pledge of good conduct to curb irregular behaviour during exams. Although the department has never experienced any disruption in the past five years, Mhaule said various systems were put in place to ensure that the exams ran smoothly.

“Question papers will be printed under high security and we will make sure that we check potential backlogs to avert possible challenges,” she said.

She also advised learners to take advantage of weekend classes offered at schools to prepare themselves for the final exams. According to Mhaule, the department will support deserving learners with bursaries by approaching business people to help.

“Furthermore, learners with disabilities that require financial assistance to access higher education and training institutions will be given first consideration.”

The candidate enrolment per district is spread as follows: