Umalusi, the South African Council for quality assurance in general and further education and training, on Friday said they wanted the 2018 matric examinations to be conducted fairly and credibly.
“It is part of Umalusi’s legislative mandate to ensure all assessment process and national examinations that full under its authority comply with the quality standards set by Council,” Umalusi Chief Executive Officer Dr Mafu Rakometsi said.
Rakometsi said Umalusi is generally satisfied that the system is ready to administer the 2018 national examinations and matriculants will sign a pledge that they will not cheat in this year's exams and resident monitors will be sent to all high-risk areas.
Public and independent assessment bodies have been hard at work in the past few months to make sure that their examination systems comply with Umalusi’s policy and directives regarding the administration, management and conduct of examinations.
"As the quality assurer for this important sector of the South African education system, Umalusi’s role is to monitor and verify the work of public assessment bodies -- department of basic education and department of higher education and training and private assessment bodies, Independent Examinations Board (IEB), the South African Comprehensive Assessment Institute (SACAI) and Benchmark Assessment Agency (BAA)," said Rakometsi.
"For the National Senior Certificate (NSC), the 2018 examinations will be written by approximately 629 141 full-time and 167 401 part-time candidates with a total of approximately 796 542 candidates. These examinations will take place at more than 8000 centres across the provinces. IEB has registered 11 657 full-time candidates across the country and 929 part-time candidates at 249 examination centres. SACAI has registered 175 full-time candidates and 2404 part-time candidates with a total of 2579 candidates at 76 examination centres."
He said early this year, Umalusi reviewed and re-conceptualised its approach to the quality assurance of assessment with specific reference to the following 10 focus areas: management, registration of candidates, school-based assessment, printing, packaging and distribution of question papers, conduct of examinations, appointment of marking personnel, systems for the capturing of marks, management of examination irregularities, accreditation of examination centres and certification.
Rakometsi pleaded to the protesting communities to refrain from using examinations and schools as a bargaining tool for their own political ends.
“I further want to appeal to various communities across the country to refrain from destroying and burning school property in the hope that they will get attention from authorities,” said Rakometsi.
The exams will start on Monday with technical subjects.
- African News Agency
