Umalusi says schools are ready for one million matrics to write exams

Umalusi, the council for quality assurance in general and further education and training reported this morning to on schools’ readiness to administer and manage the November matric examinations. 

Umalusi CEO Dr Mafu Rakometsi acknowledged they had encountered difficulty in conducting quality assurance, but with proper planning they had been able to overcome the challenges. “This has been a peculiar year for many sectors, including the education sector,” Ramoketsi says.

In total, there are a little more than  one million candidates who will sit their final exams from 5 November 2020.

Umalusi assessed the readiness of schools in three assessment bodies; the Department of Basic Education (DBE), the Independent Examination Board (IEB) and the South African Comprehensive Assessment Institute (SAICA). 

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This large number alone has required an extension of exam centres, invigilators, and markers.

For the department of basic education, there are 10 593 exam centres across the country. This is due to the large number of people who will be sitting for their final exams and ensuring social distancing requirements are followed. More invigilators have also been recruited.

Marker recruitment is ongoing and schools are recruiting more markers for subjects where shortages have been identified. Marking will begin in January 2021 and results released in February. 

Umalusi is happy with the IEB and DBE and SAICA’s control measures for printing, packaging and the delivery of question papers. 

Umalusi also reports the systems for mark capturing are ready, although challenges were identified. 

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