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DEPT DECLARES EXAM ‘STATE OF READINESS’ IN ALL GRADES, ESPECIALLY MATRIC

Education MEC Martha Bartlett with Head of Department Tshepo Pharasi
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The Northern Cape’s Department of Education has registered a total of 12 198 matric learners for this year’s national senior certificate examinations. In declaring the department’s state of readiness, MEC for Education Martha Bartlett marked an increase of 1679 when compared to last year’s 10 519.

She indicated that the figure for part time candidates is 2643, resulting in a total of 14 263 that will write examinations at 142 centres that have been cleared.

“Progressed candidates may again opt for the Multiple Examination Opportunity in 2018. It should be mentioned that if any of the 12 198 full time candidates fail to complete the entire NSC (senior certificate examinations) or progressed learners choose to make use of the Multiple Examination Opportunity, their results will not be taken into consideration for the 2018 NSC results,” explained Bartlett.

“Marking Centres will officially close 15 December 2018 and the capturing of results on 17 December 2018. The Umalusi standardisation meeting is scheduled for 23 December and all statement of result will be at schools by 3 January 2019. The Minister of Basic Education will release the NSC results on 3rd January 2019 at 18h00 during a press conference.

“The Northern Cape will release the provincial results on 4 January, which will be followed by the Matric Awards ceremony the same day.”

She cited a string of support measures such as the holiday-school seasonal camps and a final-push programme having been undertaken in an effort to ensure the best results for the province and with much focus given to progressed learners.

Even though Bartlett came across as being overly ambitious in targeting a 100 percent pass rate, the department has managed to put the spotlight on educators through several interventions, which included among others; curriculum roadshows on mainstream subjects such as mathematics and physical science and the conducting of subject clinics across all districts.

“The examinations will commence on 15 October 2018 (with) computer application technology and conclude on 28 November 2018. All candidates will sit for NSC examinations on 23 October 2018 for English Home Language and English First Additional Language,” pronounced Bartlett.

Bartlett also announced that security authorities have been consulted to provide extra security.

Meanwhile, the department’s head Tshepo Pharasi stated that the department’s discussions with NC Learner Transporters Association, following an impasse over learner transport tariffs, are ongoing and that no problems were experienced in the start of the last school term this week.

However, the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) provincial leader Andrew Louw claimed in a statement that learner transport has been disrupted with 65 primary school learners from Mataleng being forced to walk a stretch of 20 kilometers to and from their Jan Kempdorp based school.  He also stated that some of the leaners were not able to attend school past Tuesday. Louw also mentioned that he will be calling on Bartlett to intervene.

By Thabo Mothibi

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Education MEC Martha Bartlett with Head of Department Tshepo Pharasi

 

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Thabo Mothibi is a former broadcast journalist (TV and Radio) – with specialist reporting experience; SABC Political/Parliamentary and TRC Teams over a period of five years (1995 to 2000).

One key foreign assignment - is the 11-nation African Connection Rally – overland journey from Africa’s northern-most pole in the coastal Tunisian city of Bizerte to the southern-most pole in South Africa’s Cape Agulhas. From the journalistic years, Thabo then delved into Government media liaison and serving two former Ministers and three MECs. He became the Northern Cape Provincial Government’s first department based Communications Director at Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development - 2008-2010 – where he also served as Head of Ministry from 2003 – 2008.

As a former anti-apartheid activist, his political background and professional training aided him in spearheading the Northern Cape ANC’s 2004 National Elections media and publicity campaign and that of the 2006 Local Government Elections.

Whilst based in Waterkloof in Pretoria -2010 to end 2011, he consulted for Manstrat Agricultural Intelligence, then returned to the Northern Cape in 2012 to date, to consult independently and pursue other entrepreneurial interests in media and communications through KwaVuko Communications and Marketing.

Thabo Mothibi obtained his NQF7 through Wits University’s Graduate School of Public and Development Management (P&DM) in Johannesburg, a Unilever Mandela Rhodes Academy for Marketing and Communications Academy (UMRA). The goal of the NQF7 programme was to educate and train public and private sector professional communicators and marketers in government communications..