The Western Cape education department is facing a mammoth task as nearly 100,000 pupils are expected to write matric exams in November across the province.

This is compared to the 64,465 who wrote exams this time last year.

This is because the May/June 2020 exam session could not take place due to the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown, and has instead been combined with the November session.

According to Western Cape education MEC Debbie Schaefer, maths literacy will be the subject with the largest number of candidates with 56,754 pupils expecting to write paper 1 on November 12 and paper 2 on November 16.

“Eight subjects have just one candidate: equine studies, Latin second additional language, modern Greek second additional language, IsiNdebele home language, Setswana first additional language, sport and exercise science, Unisa practical music grade 7, and Urdu first additional language,” said Schaefer.

She said of candidates writing this month, 54,741 are full-time matric pupils.

“10,544 part-time or repeat candidates, and 19,286 May/June senior certificate candidates will write in this session, as well as 10,856 learners who were due to write supplementary exams this year following the 2019 NSC exams,” she said.

“Administering the NSC exams is difficult enough in an ordinary year, without the added complications of a combined session amid a global pandemic,” said Schaefer.

Teachers and teaching students will have to mark and check 1 million test scripts at 10 schools and the Cape Teaching and Learnership Institute. Pupils will write a combined 137 exam papers at 512 exam centres.

“The WCED Examinations Directorate has done a sterling job in preparing for this session. I thank all of our WCED officials and school staff members for their extensive preparations so far and wish them the very best in the running of the exams ahead,” said Schaefer.

Basic education minister Angie Motshekga is expected to announce the matric exam results on February 22 next year.

TimesLIVE