MEC urges public to protect schools

The KwaZulu-Natal MEC for the Department of Education, Mbali Frazer has urged the public to protect schools in their neighbourhoods from those who want to turn them into playgrounds for criminal activities.

She asked communities to desist from disrupting schools or blocking pupils and educators on their way to and in schools. Frazer said pupils must not be denied their right to education because of conflicts that have nothing to do with them such as service delivery issues and faction fights.

The MEC was recently speaking during a virtual media-briefing on the state of readiness for the 2022 National Senior Certificate Exams.
She said the department is ready to administer the 2022 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations for the 198 866 full and part-time candidates.

She said the KZN Department of Education’s examination system is the biggest in the country, with 6022 invigilators to manage the writing of the examination in 1780 centres.

“KwaZulu-Natal will print 120 question papers, which will total 34 million pages. There will be 28 morning and 27 afternoon sessions in the 2022 National Senior Certificate exams. In order to ensure that the Class of 2022 is ready and sharpened for the end of the year exams, we started the year by developing the 2022 Academic Improvement Plan, whose objectives were in the main, to improve pass percentage from 76.8% to a maximum of 100% or a minimum of 80%,” she said, adding that their aim and target is to obtain 100% performance as a province.

Frazer said if they do not attain 100%, they need to ensure that they do not obtain less than 80% which will still be a great improvement from the 2021 National Senior Certificate results.

“Other objectives of our Academic Improvement Plan included increasing the number of schools that obtain a 100% pass rate, improve Bachelor passes by 5%, to improve passes in Mathematics, Sciences and other technical subjects. However, we do just want our learners to pass, we also want to improve the quality and quantity of passes in Home Languages and to increase the percentage of distinctions in each of the NSC subjects. The elimination of schools which perform at 40% is also one of our main targets. We also want to improve performance of learners with Special Education Needs and many other objectives which we’ve worked hard achieve. All the 12 districts also developed their districts academic improvements plans that were informed by the Provincial Academic Improvement plan,” she said.

Frazer added that this is a crucial time, saying that they ask members of the public, especially parents to support the Class of 2022.

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