Department of Education ready for year-end exams

© Kostyantine Pankin – 123RF.com

National Senior Certificate Examinations commence on 26 October 2015 and will conclude on 27 November 2015. Invigilators who supervise the writing of exams are currently being trained across all provincial education departments (PEDs) and the DBE has conducted standardised training of all officials responsible for the training of invigilators. A National Procedure Manual on Invigilation has been developed. Furthermore, to inculcate a sense of commitment to complying with the examination code of conduct, all learners will sign a pledge at a pledge signing ceremony. The Department will monitor the writing of the examinations with the assistance of PEDs and Umalusi. In addition, the DBE has appointed 81 independent monitors who will be deployed to the districts.

Matric exams security

Printing and packing are progressing according to plan. For security reasons, question papers will be made available to PEDs only a week before printing commencement. Printing commenced on 24 August 2015 in three PEDs and the others will follow as per their printing plans. Storage facilities and distribution points across all PEDs are currently being inspected to ensure that the security norms and standards are maintained. Question papers will be distributed to each examination centre on the morning of the examination in every province, except in the Northern Cape where question papers will be stored at schools that are far from districts and in the Western Cape where schools will receive exam papers in consignments using preprogramed locking devices. The DBE is currently conducting an audit of marker appointments across all PEDs. The 10 subjects with the highest enrolment have been selected for this purpose.

Annual National Assessment

Administration of ANA 2015 in schools scheduled for 15-18 September 2015. ANA will be administered in all grades from Grades 1 - 9. To date around 8.6 million learners have been registered on the GET national database. Provincial and school verification is ongoing.

Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape and Western Cape opted to print their tests, using their existing facilities. All five provinces are finalising printing and will commence with the distribution of tests towards the end of August 2015 for tests to be in or closest to schools by 11 September 2015. Tests for Free State, Gauteng, North West and Limpopo are being printed. Printing and distribution to nodal points must be completed by 4 September 2015.

Tests will be written in all schools from 15-18 September 2015. Principals will allocate teachers to invigilate classes that they do not teach. A district official will invigilate independent schools that participate in ANA for purposes of being evaluated for subsidies. PEDs will monitor the test administration process. The DBE will employ independent monitors to reinforce monitoring that will be done by the DBE, PED and District officials.