Empangeni inmates to sit for matric exams

Eight inmates at Qalakabusha Correctional Centre in Empangeni are set to join thousands across KwaZulu-Natal who will sit for their final matric exams next week.

More than 172 000 full-time matric learners, 18 000 part-time candidates will begin their National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations on Monday, 21 October.

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With preparations under way, the KZN Department of Education says it hopes to surpass last year’s 86% pass rate and obtain a maximum of 100% or a minimum of 90%.

“As a province, we always say our aim is to pass all candidates who sit for the final exams, thereby obtaining 100% performance,” said MEC Sipho Hlomuka.

“The reality, though, is that there are other factors, which sometimes make it difficult to pass all our learners in the system, hence we say, if we regrettably do not attain 100%, we need to ensure we do not obtain less than 90%, which will still be a great improvement from the 2023 National Senior Certificate examinations results.”

Hlomuka said all districts are making a final push to support matriculants through weekend tuition sessions.

“This is crucial as it provides additional learning opportunities for pupils to consolidate their understanding and boost their readiness,” he said.

Once exams have concluded, marking will commence on 1 December and conclude on 10 December in all 32 marking centres. Marking centres will close on 18 December after the collection of answer scripts back to the storage in districts.

The NSC results will be officially released by Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube on 15 January 2025.

“In case of inclement weather, SAPS and SANDF services are on standby to assist with distributing and collecting examination scripts.

“The Department of Education has also hired four-wheel-drive vehicles to use in case of such challenges.” said Hlomuka.

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