With the Matric final exams commencing tomorrow, 27 October, the Western Cape will see 73 966 candidates writing in the province, 59 849 full time candidates, and 14 117 part-time candidates. An increase from last year's numbers.
The Western Cape Education Department's (WCED) Minister, Debbie Schäfer, said in a statement:
The subject with the largest number of candidates this year is Mathematical Literacy, with 48 658 candidates writing Paper 1 on 5 November, and Paper 2 on 8 November. Three subjects have just one candidate writing: Sepedi Home Language, isiZulu Home Language, and IsiZulu First Additional Language.
2021 will also be the first year the Marine Sciences exam will be written with 12 Matric sitting for it in the Western Cape. Marine Sciences was introduced as a pilot project for Grade 10s in 2019 at three schools, in partnership with the Two Oceans Aquarium.
The curriculum, which is approved by Umalusi, covers five areas: Marine Geography and Geology; Marine Chemistry; Marine Physics; Marine Biology; and Humans and the Ocean. Five schools now offer the subject.
In the Western Cape, exams will be written at 486 examination centres, with 1 887 invigilators appointed to oversee the writing.
As for nationally, tomorrow we will see 124 065 candidates will write English Home Language, 609 830 candidates writing English First Additional Language and four candidates writing the English Second Additional Language paper.
A total of 897 786 candidates will sit for the November 2021 NSC examinations, involving 735 677 full-time candidates and 162 109 part-time candidates.
The exams will end on 6 December with marking taking place between 9 and 22 December. The DBE Minister, Angie Motshekga, will announce the results on Thursday 20 January 2022, and individual results will be available at schools on Friday 21 January 2022.
The department has encouraged South Africans to rally in support of the class of 2021 and offer them the required assistance, while making sure they do not participate in any erratic activities.
Parents must be extra vigilant to ensure that learners do not resort to engaging in any activity relating to examination irregularities.
The department confirmed that the national examination system is ready to administer a credible public examination and it is geared to accommodate any change that may be warranted by the current environment.
It has assured that candidates who exhibit Covid-19 symptoms, as well as candidates that test positive, will be permitted to write their examination, however a special isolated centres will be arranged.
In order to address the negative effects of Covid-19, measures such as the provision of supplementary material, vacation classes, after-school programmes, teacher content training and placement of volunteer teachers were put into task, said the department.
