Department of Education Extranet

STATE OF READINESS FOR THE 2023 NATIONAL SENIOR CERTIFICATE

The Northern Cape Department of Education (NCDoE) can confidently state that we are fully prepared to administer the 2023 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations based on the principles of fairness, credibility and integrity.  Various programmes and plans have been put in place to make sure that this year’s examinations run smoothly. The final examinations for Grade 12’s will commence on Tuesday, 24 October 2023 and conclude on Wednesday, 6 December 2023.

Scope of the 2023 NSC Examination

A total of 13 097 full-time and 2 576 part-time candidates will be writing the NSC examinations at 139 public schools, 3 independent centres and 4 district established centres.

Profile of the Class of 2023

The Class of 2023 forms part of the group of learners who suffered severe learning losses due to the Covid-19 pandemic. These learners were in Grade 9 when the pandemic first hit and were also the last group of learners to return to school when schooling normalised. This implies that the Class of 2023 is one of the most affected groups of learners and therefore has a mammoth task to further improve on the 2022 matric pass percentage of 74.2% and surpass the 2022 national average of 80.1%.

Support rendered to the Class of 2023

With the commencement of the 2023 NSC examinations just days away, it is all hands on deck for the education department to assist learners in achieving their academic goals. Various data driven interventions and restorative measures were implemented to ensure learners get the required support to successfully conclude their schooling careers. These interventions include amongst others the following:

•       Saturday classes, Lock-In Sessions and Psycho-Social Support;

•       Holiday School Camps (Autumn, Winter and Spring Schools)  

•       Incubation Camps

•       Provision of Tablets to all Grade 12 learners loaded with Edukite software. This initiative makes learning through the use technology not only accessible to learners at school, but also in the comfort of their homes. In addition, the tablets do not require any data to operate and comes equipped with pre-loaded school subjects and innovative learning material.

•       Differentiated Content Support by Subject Advisors and

•       Curriculum Roadshow and Subject Clinics

Integrity Management

The Department has gone to great lengths to ensure that the examinations are conducted without irregularities. The State Security Agency already conducted an audit of the provincial printing precinct and additional security measures are brought in, to track each and every question paper printed.

In addition, all candidates will sign a pledge at a school ceremony on Friday, 20 October 2023 to confirm their non-participation in acts of dishonesty during the writing of the examination. Chief Invigilators and Storage Point Managers were also intensively trained to strengthen measures to circumvent examination irregularities. Provincial and District Monitors will also be trained to monitor the conduct of the examination sessions throughout the province. Stakeholders are thus urge to assist in this regard by reminding candidates to ensure that they are not allowed to enter the examination room with unauthorised material like their cellular phones and smart watches.

Marking of the 2023 NSC Examination

The answer scripts of the 2023 NSC candidates will be marked at three marking centres on 7-23 December 2023. A stringent marker selection process was concluded in line with the Personnel Administrative Measures (PAM) criteria to ensure that quality marking is maintained. A breakdown of marking personnel is listed below:

•       930 Markers

•       82 Chief Markers

•       82 Internal Moderators

•       3 Centre Managers

•       6 Deputy Centre Managers

•       3 IT Support

•       84 Examination Assistants

Release of results

The Minister of Basic Education, Mrs Angie Motshekga will be announcing the matric results on 18 January 2024. The Northern Cape provincial results will be release on 19 January 2024, which will be followed by the annual Matric Awards Ceremony.

Conclusion

Matric is a high-pressure examination and immense emphasis is placed on learners’ academic outcomes. As a result, it is likely that learner stress and anxiety levels will be much higher during the upcoming examination period. All candidates are therefore advised to put a high premium on both their physical and mental health.

Local communities are urged to support the 2023 matric candidates by giving them ample time and space to concentrate on their studies during the forthcoming final examinations. It is through teamwork between learners, teachers, parents and the community at large that the Class of 2023 can be successful in the examinations and the future which awaits them.

A call is made to the Class of 2023 to stay committed to their studies and to make use of every available piece of learning material to them, to yield the sought after success. We also want to make a special appeal to all stakeholders to rally behind the Class of 2023 to ensure they remain steadfast despite hindrances, because we firmly believe that success will follow those who never give up in life. The Northern Cape Department of Education wishes the Class of 2023 all of the best with their final examinations.

End.