‘Stay out of trouble.’ That’s advice from the Department of Basic Education (DBE) spokesperson, Elijah Mhlanga to the matric class of 2024 as they prepare to sit for their National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams.
With over 732 000 candidates expected to write this year, the department has reassured that it is ready to administer the examinations which take place in 40 days’ time. English paper 3, will be the first paper to be written on 21 October 2024, at 09:00 and writing will end on the 28th of November 2024.
“We are ready. We have done the numbers and have identified our usual top three provinces with the largest enrolment numbers: KZN 172 000, Gauteng 136 000 and the Eastern Cape with over 100 000 candidates. We know the enrolment across the country, we have also identified our exam and marking centres. We also know the routes for the transportation of the exam papers. Everything is in place,” Mhlanga said.
All provincial education departments have learner support programmes to assist learners ahead of their exams. These are held in a group form with the teachers present and are seen as a form of revision.
Mhlanga, however, says parents and guardians must also support their children who are in matric.
“We are appealing to the households where there are Grade 12 learners to please support them, make sure they feel confident that they can come through and sit for the final exams. Let’s try to create more time for them to learn, they will be needed in school for longer times, allow them to go. We should reduce the responsibilities we give them that could drain them physically such that they cannot study when they need to”, added Mhlanga.
Other tips he gave to the class of 2024 are the following:
- Form study groups, make sure you have a group of people who have a mindset to study and pass.
- Use past papers. The exam you are going to face might have questions that have already been asked in the past five years
- Ask and speak to your teachers for support
- Use other additional material like study guides.
- Eat healthy, exercise and stay out of trouble
“You cannot drop out now, it is only 40 days to go, you have done so well to stay in the schooling system, you’ve done so well to stay in school this year alone for you to come this far,” Mhlanga said when motivating candidates.
The full timetable for the 2024 NSC exams can be found here: https://www.education.gov.za/Portals/0/Documents/Publications/2024/2024%20NSC%20timetable.pdf