POLITICS

Only 1.3% of WCape candidates who failed matric don't qualify for supplementary - Donald Grant

MEC says only a very small number of pupils (666) failed more than two subjects in the NSC examinations

Only 1.3% (666) of candidates did not pass the NSC or qualify for a supplementary.

The Department has collated the figures of the candidates who have qualified to write the 2013 supplementary examinations.

I am delighted to see that so many of our candidates qualified for access to this second chance.

6 412 candidates qualified this year. They now have the opportunity to re-write and pass their NSC.

It also means that 98.7% of candidates in the Western Cape who wrote the 2013 NSC in this province either passed their NSC or qualified to write supplementary exams.

Only 1.3% (666) of candidates did not pass or qualify for a supplementary.

These figures are significant as they indicates that only a small percentage of candidates (1.3%) failed more than two subjects in the NSC.

It also indicates that many of our candidates were close to passing their exams with only one or two failures in certain subjects.

In all examinations, some candidates simply ‘slip-up' or are significantly weak in a specific subject. Therefore they are given a second chance to complete their NSC requirements by writing the supplementary exams if they meet the criteria.

The examinations are scheduled to commence on 17th of February 2014 and will conclude on 25 March 2014.

Assistance to those writing:

In order to assist these candidates to pass their supplementary examinations, the Western Cape Education Department is offering free tuition to candidates.

The tuition programme includes broadcast revision lessons via satellite to 146 schools across the province using its Telematics system.

The WCED and Stellenbosch University set up the system originally to provide extra tuition for matric candidates in the Western Cape.

Expert teachers will provide quality lessons via satellite to candidates who have registered to write the supplementary exams.

Candidates will be able to view these broadcasts between 10 February and 18 March 2014 from 15:00 to 17:00 on weekdays.

The revision lessons will cover the following subjects - English HL, Afrikaans HL, Geography, Life Sciences, Physical Science, Mathematics and Accounting.

The timetables can be found on the WCED website (Please see attached documents)

Candidates who do not have access to any school listed can either download lessons via Youtube from our website - or can purchase support lessons on DVDs at a nominal price from the WCED by calling EDUMEDIA at 021 6899536.

I encourage as many of our candidates as possible who qualified to write the supplementary examination to take advantage of the tuition opportunities available to them.

It is a great revision exercise and allows them to address some of their weaknesses in the previous exam.

I encourage as many of our candidates who qualified to write the supplementary examinations to take advantage of the tuition opportunities available to them. It is a great revision exercise and allows them to address some of their weaknesses in the previous exam.

I should like to remind candidates that applications for supplementary exams close on the 24th of January 2014. This date is not flexible.

Applications for the supplementary exams can be downloaded from the WCED website (http://wced.pgwc.gov.za/home/service/2013-enquiries.html).

Candidates can also register at the Client Service Centre of the Western Cape Education Department on the second floor of the Grand Central Building, Lower Parliament Street, Cape Town.

Candidates can also contact the Exams Helpline at (021) 467 2300 on weekdays from 08h00 to 18h00 on examination-related issues until 31 January 2014.

Statement issued by Donald Grant, Western Cape Minister of Education, January 21 2014

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