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Basic Education Minister, Angie Motshekga, said the sector was ready for the 2021 academic year with teachers returning to school on 25 January while leaners would return two days later.
Addressing a media briefing on Thursday, the Basic Education Minister lamented the difficulties faced by the Education Sector amid the Covid19 pandemic and lockdown.
"When we started in January, nobody could have anticipated the sudden turn of our fate. In March, we were forced to close schools indefinitely to save lives, as part of the response to the coronavirus, which was causing chaos around the world," she said.
Minister Motshekga also announced that the Department was scheduled to release the matric results on 22 February and candidates should get their results the following day.
Meanwhile, the Department was also planning to challenges aspects of a recent judgment declaring the Department's decision to order a rewrite of two leaked exam papers as irregular and unlawful.
"As a sector, we sought to have the candidates to rewrite the leaked papers. We strongly believed, as we still do, that this was the only way to address the lingering questions regarding the integrity, credibility and fairness of the 2020 NSC examinations," Motshekga said.
She said that some of the findings of the High Court, were "discordant with applicable basic education legislative provisions, and some findings were made against the Department on issues that were not even raised in the court papers."
"We must state upfront that the compromise was not localised, as was the case in 2016, but it was widespread, as all provinces were implicated."
The Minister said the Department's legal team was exploring avenues that would be used to address some of the "errors we have picked up in the judgment."
The Department also said that the source of the leak of the Physical Science Paper 2 was the government printers' itself. The first leak of the Maths Paper 2 was traced to a private printing company where a person was arrested.
Meanwhile, Motshekga said all provinces have finalised admission processes with District offices available to assist parents where the need arises.
The Minister said the Department would "maintain the delicate balance of health and safety in schools" while pushing ahead with the curriculum recovery plan.
