Johannesburg - The Department of Basic Education said on Tuesday that the National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations were progressing well as learners entered their fifth week of this year’s exam period.
"This week learners will be sitting for History Paper 2, Business Studies and Afrikaans among others.The Department is pleased to report that examinations are proceeding well without any major incidents thus far," the department of Basic Education's Elijah Mhlanga said in a statement.
"In some instances, community protest action has been reported and has threatened to disrupt examinations, but thankfully these did not materialise and examinations have continued uninterrupted across the country."
The department said that such actions put unnecessary pressure on the Grade 12 learners who were writing and caused untold stress and anxiety during an already stressful period.
"We once again call upon civil society organisations to be mindful of our Matriculants during this period and do all in our collective power to ensure the Grade 12s are able to attend their examinations without any threat or hindrances,"Mhlanga said.
The department added that the examinations would conclude on November 28 and marking would commence in earnest around the country at a total of 144 marking centres shortly thereafter.
"The department has enlisted the services of 44,911 markers around the country to mark the scrips of 802,636 candidates, 634,527 of those who are full-time learners."
Mhlanga said that Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga would be announcing the pass mark for the class of 2017 on January 4 2018, whereafter learners would be able to access their results at their school or examination centre on the morning of January 5.