Durban - The Grade 12 trial exams starts today and the final exams are just two months away.
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education (DoE) said that the province was preparing ahead of the trial exams and the final exams.
Muzi Mahlambi, head of communications at the KZN DoE, said the department was ready.
“We are already looking at the results of matric pupils for term one and term two.”
Mahlambi added that the results of the trial exams would show the areas for improvement.
“After the trial exams we will know exactly which areas to work on. We will use the September school holidays as our spring programme to fine tune preparations for our matric final exams.
“We are happy with our progress for the preparation of the final exam and have worked very hard. We are expecting to see an increase in the pass rate percentage for matric pupils this year.”
National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of South Africa KZN CEO Thirona Moodley said that schools across the province had been involved in intervention programmes from the first term.
“Managers and teachers are aware that this group of matrics has been severely affected by gaps in content knowledge – a legacy of the pandemic. This cohort was directly affected by alternate days schooling timetables and lockdown protocols, and this could have a devastating effect on the matric results.”
The current Grade 12 class had their Grade 10 and parts of their Grade 11 years affected by disruptions due to Covid-19. Moodley added that teachers in many schools had gone “above and beyond” to prepare pupils.
“They have been implementing extra morning and weekend classes, and weekly testing and revision programmes in an attempt to support learning within schools.”
National Teachers’ Union president Sibusiso Malinga said pupils were ready.
“It is very pleasing that there have been no disruptions in the academic year and the year has progressed well. Teachers have given their utmost to ensure that pupils are ready for their matric final exams, and we are expecting big things from the matric Class of 2023.”
National Association of School Governing Bodies general secretary Matakanye Matakanya said that they were pleased with the effort of teachers, pupils and the Department of Education in preparation for the upcoming exams.