KZN English exam goes ahead without a glitch following threats of disruption

The Grade 12 National Senior Certificate English paper 1 exam in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), which had the provincial education and community safety departments on high alert following threats of disruptions, has gone ahead without a glitch.

“The examinations are being conducted well, with no major incidents affecting the integrity or credibility of the examinations,” Education MEC Kwazi Mshengu said in a statement.

“We will continue to jealously protect the integrity of the examinations through monitoring and other safety measures.”

Earlier in the day, senior management of the provincial education department visited several schools in the province, offering well-wishes to pupils.

Mshengu’s statement was prompted by threats of disruptions emanating from a lobby group in the province.

Following the threats, Community Safety MEC Bheki Ntuli issued a strongly worded statement on Monday, saying any action aimed at derailing the exams would be met by “tough action from the state”.

“These threats are viewed very seriously, and we do not take them lightly. Anything that seeks to disrupt the future of our children will be met with tough actions from the state. Anything that tampers with the future of our children will never be tolerated,” said Ntuli.

Mshengu added the education department had devised a plan to prevent examination malpractices in the province, a plan which included strict oversight by district and head office officials, Umalusi personnel as well as department of basic education staff.

The matric exams end on November 28.

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