Statement by Brian Schreuder, Deputy Director-General, Curriculum Management, Western Cape Education Department

The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) has completed the task of marking 800 000 scripts written by candidates in the province for the 2009 National Senior Certificate examinations.

Officials are now working around the clock to complete the process of checking, capturing and verifying the marks. They are scheduled to complete the process by the weekend.

The department will load the marks onto the database of the national Department of Basic Education and Training (DoBE).

Umalusi, the national body responsible for certifying the examinations, will study the national results and the examination process further, and is expected to deliver its verdict in early January.

Angie Motshekga, national Minister of Basic Education, is scheduled to announce the national results on Thursday, 7 January 2010. Donald Grant, Minister of Education in the Western Cape, will announce the provincial results at 09h00 on the same day.

Candidates will be able to collect their results from their schools from 12h00 on Thursday, 7 January 2010.

For the first time, the WCED will issue detailed Advice of Results documents at schools, rather than via the post. Candidates must collect these documents from their schools. The reason for the change is that many candidates do not have clear postal addresses.

Candidates away on holiday can collect their Advice of Results from their schools on their return. Umalusi will issue matric certificates during the course of next year and will announce when these certificates are available at schools.

NSC 2009 results will be available on the WCED website ( http://wced.wcape.gov.za ) from 15h00 on Thursday, 7 January 2010, and in the press from 05h00 on Friday, 8 January 2010.