Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube. Picture: Gallo Images/Lefty Shivambu
The stage is set for nearly a million candidates across South Africa to write the 2024 matric examinations.
Grade 12 pupils from public and private schools begin their exams on Monday.
The Department of Basic Education (DBE) will have 882,336 pupils sitting for the NSC, while 16,400 Grade 12s will write the Independent Examination Board (IEB) exams.
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Addressing the media on Sunday, Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube affirmed the department’s preparedness to administer the 2024 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations.
Gwarube wished all the candidates the best for their exams.
“This is your moment to shine. You have worked over the past twelve years and now you have the opportunity to showcase your knowledge, your skills and your determination. We are confident that you will approach these exams with the focus, discipline and the commitment that brough you this far.
“Please stay off Instagram, Facebook and TikTok and other social media to minimise disruption during this critical time,” Gwarube said.
She added that many of the learners 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.
Gwarube warned matriculants that the department will not tolerate cheating.
“We reorientated the obligation of making sure there’s no cheating or copying, away just from teachers and being a punitive thing to say learners must take personal accountability. They need to pledge they are not going to be cheating.
“This has a profound impact on your future if you are found to be so. We are not going to tolerate that, we are watching the process hawkishly,” Gwarube warned.
Gwarube said her department has also appointed 55 000 qualified markers to ensure accurate grading as matriculants sit for their exams.
She emphasised that new measures have been put in place to prevent past issues such as printing errors, leaked papers and poor document storage.
Gwarube also highlighted the department’s efforts to safeguard the integrity of the matric exams.
ALSO READ: 2024 matric final exam NSC and IEB timetable: Here’s what and when you will be writing
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