The Northern Cape Department of Education has confirmed that it is ready to administer the 2022 National Senior Certificate (NSC) Exams. "We declare that all systems go for the 2022 National Senior Certificate Examinations," it said in a statement.
The department hosted a provincial pledge signing on Monday at the Thabo Moorosi Multipurpose Hall in Mothibistad, where more than 2000 Grade 12 pupils took an oath to conduct themselves ethically and professionally during the exams.
The department said the Class of 2022 has an enormous task ahead of them to ensure that they improve on the 2021 pass rate percentage and surpass the national average of 76,1%. The NC produced a pass rate of 71,4%, an increase of 5.4% from 66% in 2020.
The NC education department mentioned in their statement the state of readiness for the 2022 matric exams.
According to the department, the following described their state readiness:
1. The conduct of the exams for all candidates will commence on 31 October 2022 and conclude on 7 December 2022.
2. All exam centres have been audited by provincial and district officials based on a national instrument. The Northern Cape has registered 145 National Senior Certificate Examination writing centres.
3. The 2022 National Senior Certificate registration has been completed. We have registered a total of 16 105 candidates, of which 13 873 are full time candidates and 2 232 part-time candidates.
4. The Province leaves no stone unturned in ensuring that examination irregularities are prevented, especially acts of dishonesty and possession of unauthorised electronic devices like cell phones. A total of 146 Chief Invigilators were appointed and trained to strengthen our efforts to eradicate examination irregularities for the 2022 NSC examination.
5. All 72 papers are set by Department of Basic Education panels. Packing, boxing and distribution of question papers are done per district, per school, per paper. Security measures are brought in to track each and every question paper printed.
The Province is confident that all candidates will receive question papers on time, on the day of writing.
6. A thorough process was conducted to ensure that quality marking of answer scripts will take place. The required marker personnel were appointed as follows:
• 766 Markers
• 164 Senior Markers
• 51 Chief Markers
• 21 Deputy Markers
• 51 Internal Moderators
• 3 Centre Managers
• 6 Deputy Centre Managers
• 150 Examination Assistants
7. We have identified three marking centres for the marking personnel. The marking centres will open on 7 December 2022, and answer scripts and question papers will be delivered to marking centres. The capturing of marks will take place up to the 21st of December 2022.
8. The National Minister of Basic Education will have a press conference on the 19th of January 2022 to release the national results.
The department thanked the Department of Basic Education (DBE) for their various interventions in making sure that learners are equipped with necessary tools of learning to endure the backlogs of the past two years due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
"The Department of Education has had various interventions with a strong emphasis on progressed and borderline learners in order to ensure that our schools and learners get the maximum support," it said.
According to the department, the DBE's interventions were curriculum roadshows and subject clinics, radio broadcasts of lessons, online and off-line content applications, Saturday classes, weekend lock-in sessions and psycho-social support, differentiated content support by subject advisers for problematic and higher enrolment subjects, provisioning of additional learning support material and holiday school camps for approximately 8000 learners.
Furthermore, the department pleaded with the parents, guardians and family members to support, guide and be patient with matric pupils throughout the exam period.
"We are confident that the Department of Education, with the full support of the Provincial Government, has, during these extremely trying times, done our level best to equip each and every willing candidate to sit down for what will be the most important examination they will ever write," the department said.
It said the provincial results would be released on January 20, which will be followed by the matric awards.
"We are confident that the Class of 2022 will do the Northern Cape proud," said the department.
Education