Matric exams off to a good start: Education Department

2-minute read
31 October 2023 | 17:05 CAT

Image Credits : SABC_News_ matric exam

It has been a long road with many ups and downs, but now it is crunching time for the Class of 2023, who wrote their first exam, English paper one, yesterday, as the National Senior Certificate examinations began.

More than 700-thousand matriculants are expected to sit for their final examinations across six-thousand-898 centres from today. Addressing the media on the state of readiness for the exams on Sunday, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshega said that these figures are not merely statistics but embody the aspirations, dreams and relentless efforts of all Grade 12 learners.

Department spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga says they’re still waiting for the final report on how the exam went in all the provinces. Still, so far, there have not been any incidents reported.

The Department is confident that there will be no repeat of the leaking of exams seen in previous years.

Mahlanga says, “After the 2020 incident of a leaked question paper in 2021, we secured all the papers; in 2022, we did the same. But we are not complacent; we have gone on to put more measures to make sure that this time around, it also doesn’t happen. We believe what we have done will help us, and we pray that things go according to plan.

Listen to the full interview on Your World Today with Annisa Essack.

Middle East Report

22 May 2026 | 11:17 CAT 4-minute read Iran holds firm Iran’s most recent map of the Strait of Hormuz, released by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), declares expanded control over more than 22 000 of maritime space, advancing into the territorial waters of...

Ratepayers warn of boycott over proposed eThekwini tariff hikes

21 May 2026 | 12:57 CAT 2-minute read Frustration over proposed tariff increases and ongoing service delivery concerns spilled onto the streets of Durban as ratepayers and civic organisations marched to City Hall in protest against eThekwini Municipality’s draft...

The Asia Pacific Report

21 May 2026 | 11:40 CAT 1-minute read The plight of the Rohingya remains one of the world’s longest-running humanitarian crises, with growing concerns over safety, accountability and the future of millions of displaced people. Speaking on Radio Islam International’s...

The Africa Report

19 May 2026 | 11:46 CAT 4-minute read Digital fraud crisis in Africa Africa is experiencing a rapidly accelerating digital fraud crisis as cybercriminals exploit the continent's booming mobile connectivity. Driven by AI tools, deepfakes, and social engineering, fraud...

Middle East Report

15 May 2026 | 11:45 CAT 3-minute read Strait of Hormuz: a competition of endurance The 2026 conflict in the Strait of Hormuz has devolved into a high-stakes war of attrition between the United States and Iran, marked by a collapsed, fragile ceasefire and persistent...

The Resilience Of President Ramaphosa

Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za 14 May 2026 3-minute read Reigniting the impeachment debate around accountability and constitutional processes in his concord drama, President Cyril Ramaphosa is once again at the centre of political and legal turbulence,...