Durban - The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education MEC Mbali Frazer says the province is ready to administer the 2022 National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams.
Frazer was speaking during a briefing at Inanda Seminary School on Tuesday.
“The Department of Education in KwaZulu-Natal is ready to administer the 2022 National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams for the 198 866 full and part-time candidates,” she said.
Frazer said KZN’s exam system was the biggest in the country, with 6022 invigilators to manage the writing of the exam in 1780 centres.
The MEC said the distribution of exam material would be done through 13 nodal points and 103 distribution and collection centres.
“KwaZulu-Natal will print 120 question papers, which will total 34 million pages. There will be 28 morning and 27 afternoon sessions in the 2022 National Senior Certificate exams,” she said.
Frazer said the department started the 2022 academic year with some sense of relief and optimism, given that unlike in the 2020 and 2021 academic years, the Class of 2022 was going to start the year without the challenges that were visited upon the sector by the devastating Covid-19 pandemic.
“In order to ensure that the Class of 2022 is ready and sharpened for the end of the year exams, as a department we started the year by developing the 2022 Academic Improvement Plan, whose objectives were in the main, to improve pass percentage from 76.8% to a maximum of 100% or a minimum of 80%,” she said.
The MEC thanked teachers for their sterling work and dedication sometimes under very difficult conditions.
“Our gratitude also goes to organised labour for the passion not only for the interest of educators, but for the wellbeing and academic excellence of the children of KwaZulu-Natal.
“Our relationship with organised labour is encouraging and is among the reasons why as a department we say we are ready for the 2022 NSC exams,” she said.
Frazer called on parents and members of the public to support the Class of 2022.
“We urge the people of KwaZulu-Natal to protect schools in their neighbourhoods from those who want to turn them into playgrounds for criminal activities. We are also once again appealing to communities to desist from disrupting schools or blocking our learners and educators on their way to school during protests. Our children must not be denied their right to education because of conflicts that have nothing to do with them such as service delivery issues and faction fights,” she said.