The 2022 National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams will start in less than 40 days, and according to the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) the districts have been hard at work during the third term offering after-school and weekend revision classes in key subjects, providing exam support packs to candidates, holding online tutoring sessions, hosting residential camps and motivating learners.
According to the WCED, about 23 000 learners are attending Spring School over the coming school holiday, adding to their successful Winter School held earlier this year.
In the Cape Winelands Education District, 640 learners will attend residential camps at five schools as part of Spring School, while a further 4 660 learners will attend virtual classes with streamed lessons. In-person revision classes have also been taking place for learners writing mathematics during the third term, along with online tutoring in mathematical literacy for learners writing the subject. An online tutoring site has been created by the district with recordings and resources for the 2021-’22 Autumn, Winter and Spring Schools. Learners can also access Grade 12 Subject Survival Guides developed to support learners in specific subjects
According to Western Cape Education Minister David Maynier, every matric candidate in the province has received a matric revision pack this term. It contains past papers and memos in high-enrolment subjects, study tips, post-matric advice and the pass requirements for the National Senior Certificate (NSC). It also provides candidates and their parents with all the details on when and how the results will be released, the dates for re-mark and re-check applications, and how to apply for supplementary exams after receiving their results if they would like to improve their marks.
“Our ePortal contains nearly 9 000 matric-specific support resources that learners can access whenever they like. This includes revision guides, Telematics videos, marking guides, study tips, and a variety of others. A record number of 185 000 unique users accessed the ePortal during the winter holidays – we hope our learners will make just as much use of it during the revision period,” Maynier said.
The Grade 12 resources are available ar wcedeportal.co.za.
Psycho-social support
Psycho-social support for matrics is also being given serious attention in the run-up to the exams. “It is a stressful time for our matrics, and they need all the support they can get,” Maynier said.
Social workers have been on hand during residential camps to support learners in need and conduct motivational sessions with matrics. Workshops are being run in schools focusing on self-care, exam anxiety, study skills, motivation, time management, relaxation and stress management skills and a host of other topics.
“Printed and online psycho-social support materials are available to learners, and individual counselling and support is being made available to learners who need it,” Maynier said. “We urge any learner struggling to cope with the pressure to approach their teacher for help, or to contact the Safe Schools hotline on 0800 45 46 47 (toll-free).”
He also said that contingency measures are being put in place to ensure every aspect of the examination process can continue, from the printing of papers to the marking of scripts.
“We call on Eskom and our local government partners to assist us in making sure that load shedding will not prevent our learners from achieving their best possible results in these exams.
“We wish every one of our matric candidates the very best as they count down to the exams: they are on the home stretch, and we know that they have the ability to achieve excellent results this year.”
