Johannesburg - Matric candidates across the country have begun writing their preliminary exams.
In Gauteng, preparations are still ongoing, and candidates will sit from Friday, according to provincial department spokesperson Steve Mabona.
In North West, exams started on Monday, and 38 310 pupils sat for them.
“The 2020 academic year was engulfed by long school breaks posed by Covid-19. That reduced the contact time between pupils and teachers. The long school breaks couldn’t discourage pupils from attending school, and many schools have completed their syllabus,” said North West MEC Mmaphefo Matsemela.
Matsemela also thanked communities for allowing exams to go ahead without a hitch.
“On behalf of the department, l would like to thank our communities for the smooth running of the examinations on the first day. I am optimistic that pupils will finish their examinations without any disruptions. We have tightened all processes for the question papers not to be leaked, right from printing until school level. We have contracted private security firms to guard the storage point.
“I want to encourage our pupils to continue to work very hard now that we are closer to the finishing line.
“Pupils should ensure that they collect the marks of the preliminary examinations as they will be added in their results at the end of the year.
"I want to encourage our learners to continue to work very hard now that we are closer to the finishing line. Learners should ensure that they collect the marks of the Preliminary examinations as they will be added in their results at the end of the year", said Matsemela.
Exams for most provinces will end during the first week of October. Final examinations start on November 5 and run until December 15.
The Star