As the 2024 National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams approach, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education (DOE) has declared its readiness. The exams, beginning on Monday, 21 October, will see 172,433 full-time and 18,019 part-time candidates writing under the supervision of 6,343 invigilators across 6,710 exam rooms. MEC for Education, Sipho Hlomuka, confirmed that the department is “combat-ready” for this enormous task.
“There will be 27 morning and 27 afternoon sessions,” said Hlomuka, adding that KZN will print 120 question papers, totaling 30 million copies. Distribution will be managed through 13 nodal points and 103 collection centres. The MEC praised the efforts of the 2023 class, noting that KZN was the second-best performing province last year, but the department is targeting even greater success. “Our minimum target is 90%, an improvement from last year’s 86%,” he said.
In preparation, the DOE organized Winter Classes and Spring Boot Camps, supporting nearly 99,000 learners with extra tuition in challenging subjects. “We’ve provided our learners with every resource to succeed,” Hlomuka said.
Marking will commence on 1 December, and the National Minister of Education, Siviwe Gwarube, will release the results on 15 January 2025. The DOE has contingency plans for severe weather, with SAPS and SADF on standby.
“We’re committed to ensuring all our candidates are given the best chance to excel,” concluded Hlomuka.
