Statement by Brian Schreuder, Deputy Director-General: Education Planning and Development, Western Cape Education Department

The MEC for Education in the Western Cape, Cameron Dugmore, will release the 2004 Senior Certificate results on Wednesday, 29 December, at 09h30.

The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) has informed school principals that they may collect the results for their particular schools at the WCED’s local district offices, known as Education Management and Development Centres (EMDCs), at 08h00 on 29 December.

Principals may then make the results available to candidates at their schools from 12h00. They may not make results available to candidates or the media before this time.

Premier Ebrahim Rasool will host a special function at Leeuwenhof, his official residence, to formally announce the Western Cape’s overall results at 09h30 on 29 December.

Naledi Pandor, the national Minister of Education, will announce the national results on 29 December, at 12:00.

The WCED will publish all results on the department’s web site at 06h00 on Thursday, 30 December. The results will also appear in the press at this time.

The web site address is http://wced.wcape.gov.za.  Candidates will have to type in their examination and identity numbers to access their individual results.

The site will also provide overall results for schools and top achievers for particular subjects in each school and the province as a whole, as well as top achievers overall.

In addition, candidates can telephone the WCED for their results, at (021) 467-2300.

The WCED’s EMDCs will post results to schools on Wednesday, 5 January 2005, where principals have not already collected the results.

The WCED will make the following information available to the media:

• Names and examination numbers of candidates who passed, per school per district. The following symbols will be used: E - Endorsement; M - Endorsement (Merit); D - Endorsement (Distinction); S - Senior Certificate; N - Senior Certificate (Merit); and P - Senior Certificate (Distinction). The results will also indicate the subjects in which candidates obtained distinctions (A symbols).
• The names of candidates who have excelled in the examination by obtaining a pass with Distinction (aggregate of 1680 or more) or a pass with Merit (aggregate between 1260 and 1679).
• The name of each school's top candidate.
• The names of the top three candidates (with a minimum of 80%) in each Higher Grade and Standard Grade subject.

The WCED is working with schools to ensure that they can offer support and counseling for candidates who have not passed the examinations.

Candidates can receive counseling at schools when they receive their results, or at the nearest EMDC, if applicable. The department has asked principals to give the contact details of the EMDC to the candidates where necessary, and to provide the candidate’s details to the EMDC.

The WCED has reminded principals that those who need counseling the most often do not seek counseling, and that they must be alert to the feelings of candidates whose expectations have not been realised.