KZN aims for above 80% matric pass rate
Education Department prepared and optimistic
WITH just nine days to go before thousands of Grade 12 pupils sit for the National Senior Certificate examinations, KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Education, Kwazi Mshengu, is confident that the province will achieve a pass rate above 80%.
He was speaking during a media briefing yesterday, at which he revealed that about 183808 pupils would sit in the province for the 2019 NSC exams, which start on October 11.
He said 148493 were full-time candidates, and 35315 were parttime.
The total number of papers to be written was 112 in 61 subjects.
Mshengu said the department had engaged in a number of extra learning programmes in which pupils were provided with tuition over the school holidays.
“The province wants to improve the overall pass percentage by a minimum of 5% from last year’s pass rate,” said Mshengu.
In last year’s matric exams, KZN scored a 76.2% pass rate.
“The pass percentages of all the 12 districts must improve by a minimum of 5%. The province wants to increase the number of schools achieving a 100% pass. The province is targeting an increase of 5% in bachelor passes and to eliminate all the non-performing schools (0% schools).
“In January this year, Learner Support Material (LSM) was delivered to schools in KZN. Since then, we have been visiting schools to monitor the progress. Subject advisers have provided support to teachers and pupils. Extra tuition was provided, especially for struggling pupils,” he said.
Mshengu also noted that the roll-out of textbooks and Learning and Teaching Support Material (LTSM) for next year was expected to be completed by December.
This effectively meant that when schools opened in January, no pupil would be without a textbook or stationery. Mshengu and departmental officials visited the Ndabase Printing Solutions warehouse in eManzimtoti, where the material is being stored.
Mshengu said the department would administer the exams in 1763 centres, 1700 of which were public schools and 63 independent schools. He said immigration status had been granted to 632 pupils, while other concessions had been granted to 685 pupils with special needs.
Mshengu said invigilators and monitors would be trained in eight broad areas, which were activities prior to the start of examinations, examination rules, dos and don’ts during the examination, effective invigilation, management of mark sheets, handling of examination material, attendance registers and conclusion of the examination session.
“We have appointed 8 342 markers, 1 334 senior markers, 191 deputy chief markers, 1 194 internal moderators and 74 chief markers. The appointed markers will be supported by 184 examination assistants. There will be 27 marking centres for the exams, with marking centres spread throughout the province,” Mshengu said.
The capturing of marks would begin on December 4 and was expected to be completed by December29. Results are expected to be released by national Minister of Education Angie Motshekga, on January 8.