Media Release
Minister of Education Donald Grant
Western Cape

8 February, 2012

2011/12 supplementary examinations to begin tomorrow.

Statement by Minister Donald Grant, Minister of Education, Western Cape

Tomorrow, the 2011/2012 Supplementary examinations will begin in the Western Cape. A total of 6 564 candidates registered for the examinations which will end on the 22 March 2012 with Mechanical Technology.

The 2011/12 examinations will take place at 170 examination centres around the province.

Tomorrow learners who registered to write Computer Applications Technology will sit for this exam.

The largest cohort of candidates registered for the mathematics exam. 2141 candidates registered for this paper. The first mathematics paper will be written on the 24th of February 2012.

I would sincerely like to wish each and every candidate good luck for these exams.

The Western Cape achieved a substantial increase in its pass rate in the 2011 NSC. 33 146 candidates passed their NSC exams (82.9% pass rate) and it would give me great pleasure to add many of the supplementary candidates to this figure once the results are released in May.

Candidates are also reminded that the WCED is offering free tuition to candidates who qualified to write the supplementary exams.

The tuition programme includes broadcasting revision lessons via satellite to 145 schools across the province using the province's Telematics system.

The WCED and Stellenbosch University set up the system originally to provide extra tuition for matric candidates in the Western Cape.

Expert teachers will provide quality lessons via satellite to candidates who have registered to write the supplementary exams.

The revision lessons will cover seven core subjects - namely Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Accounting, Geography, Life Sciences, English FAL and Afrikaans HL.

The tuition programme began yesterday, 7 February 2012 and will end on 8 March 2012.

Candidates can obtain further details on the tuition programme on the WCED website at http://wced.school.za.

We believe that once we have consolidated the 2011 NSC results and the 2011/12 supplementary examinations results, there is every chance we will exceed 34 000 passes.

The additional passes will provide these candidates with the opportunity to enter into higher education institutions or training centres where an NSC pass is required.

For enquiries, contact Bronagh Casey:  072 724 1422 or brcasey@pgwc.gov.za.

Media enquiries:
Bronagh Casey
Spokesperson for the Minister of Education, Donald Grant
Western Cape Education Department
Tel: 072 724 1422
Fax: 021 467 2377