The National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations for the matric class of 2021 concluded on Monday, 6 December with no serious irregularities reported according to the Department of Basic Education. The marking of these final examination scripts commenced on Wednesday, 8 December and is scheduled to conclude on 22 December 2021.
More than 41 000 markers have been appointed to mark the scripts of the 897 786 candidates who were registered to write the 2021 NSC examinations. These markers who are located at 193 centres across South Africa will be required to adhere to strict Covid-19 protocols as marking commenced when South African scientists detected the new Omicron Covid-19 variant.
Marking Centre manager at Parktown Boys High School, Matome Mokgobanama says the Department has sent all the necessary Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to ensure that markers do not contract the virus. Mokgobanama has also urged markers to take care of themselves during this marking period so that the matric results can be issued on time.
We will not have any casualties in the marking sites for as long as we make sure that we sanitize always, we make sure that we wear our masks and we make sure that we keep socially distanced. Those non-pharmaceutical strategies work. It is our job to make sure that by next year the results are issued.
In a statement the Department said that back-up marking centres have been organised in case an outbreak of Covid-19 infections occur at a specific centre and markers need to relocate.
"The Department of Basic Education is working very closely with the Department of Health to ensure that all marking centres are fully compliant to the Health and Safety Protocols and to deal with any emergency that may occur," read the statement.
The Department's spokesperson, Elijah Mhlanga said that officials will visit all 193 marking centres across the country to ensure that Covid-19 protocols are followed.
Unions have also said that they will be checking that marking centres are compliant with the Covid-19 safety protocols and have urged markers to make sure that they follow all the protocols in place to prevent outbreaks.
“We had, however, urged our observers and markers in particular, to ensure that there is no lapse in safety measures, and that they shouldn’t hesitate to raise alarm bells in situations where safety protocols are being ignored,” said Ben Machipi of the Professional Educators Union (PEU).
The Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga is expected to announce the matric exam results on 20 January 2022 and these results will be released to provinces on 21 January 2022.
