SADTU STATEMENT ON THE START OF THE 2023 NATIONAL SENIOR CERTIFICATE EXAMINATIONS
23 October 2023
The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) wishes the candidates who will be writing the 2023 National Senior Certificate (Matric) examinations all the best. The examinations begin on the 30th of October until the 6th of December 2023.
The National Senior Certificate examinations are of outmost importance as they mark the end of basic education schooling and open doors to post schooling education. Further, these examinations serve to benchmark the mettle of the country’s education system.
The twelve-year journey of the 2023 Class has not been smooth. This Class lost months of schooling in 2020 and 2021 while it was in Grade 9 and 10 due to lockdown regulations which were set up to mitigate against the spread of the Covid 19 pandemic. We commend our teachers and learners for putting their shoulder on the wheel to cover the ground lost due to lockdown.
We are looking forward to an examination period that has no hitches. We are fully aware of loadshedding, and we therefore implore Eskom to consider the examination timetable when scheduling loadshedding particularly on the subjects requiring learners to be using electricity.
We urge Provincial Departments of Education and schools to tighten security measures in order prevent leaks of exam papers as this may compromise the credibility of these examinations and complicate the lives of learners. It is critical that the learners must try to resist those who use their examinations for profit making by selling papers to them. They must report such individuals to law enforcement authorities and their principals when approached.
In line with SADTU’s, “I Am a School Fan” campaign which is aimed at rallying all stakeholders in education to support and protect our schools and communities, we call upon communities not to use this examinations period as a pawn when demanding service delivery from local government. Some communities protest outside schools, close them down or barricade roads leading to schools blocking learners and teachers from accessing education which, in the long run, is a game changer for both the learners and their communities. Those who use the education of their children as a tradeoff are definitely serving the apartheid legacy and must stop this defeatist agenda.
To our learners and teachers who spend sleepless nights and sacrifice their weekends and holidays, SADTU wishes you success and has faith in you. SADTU appreciates that you have travelled this 12 years’ journey, and nothing should stop you because the journey is a great milestone in itself.
We call on the parents and guardians to give their children unwavering support during this period.
Good Luck!
ISSUED BY: SADTU SECRETARIAT