CAPE TOWN, More than 790,000 South African students have registered to sit for the 2017 matriculation examinations beginning Oct 16, says Priscilla Ogunbanjo, the Director for Examination and Assessment at the Department of Basic Education.

Briefing the Parliamentary Committee on Basic Education in the National Assembly here Tuesday, she said: Looking at the enrolments for 2017, we can see we have 636,814 full-time candidates who have enrolled to write this examination and 161,475 part-time candidates, giving us a total of 798,289 for this year.”

Overall, 37,838 less students have registered to write exams compared with the 828,020 who registered for the 2016 examinations.

Ogunbanjo said that following the leakage of the Mathematics paper last year, an independent auditing company was commissioned to conduct an audit of the processes from the setting to the printing of question papers.

In this regard, she added, a number of weaknesses were identified, particularly at the Government Printing Works, which have since been rectified. More intensive monitoring of the printing and packaging of question papers will be done by the Limpopo Department of Basic Education, as well as the national department.

On the trustworthiness of exam centres, Ogunbanjo said the reduction in group copying was noted across all provincial education districts. However, the practice was not completely eradicated.

Provincial education districts have categorised centres in terms of their risk profile and invigilation is based on the risk profile. She said there was a need for higher monitoring capacity.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK