“25 000 candidates enrol for supplementary exams”-WCED

By Tina George
6 May 2008

The Western Cape Education Department is pleased that 25 000 candidates have enrolled for the 2008 supplementary exams which started yesterday at 262 examination centres across the Western Cape.

This after the figure for supplementary exams for 2007 was 4 200. This year’s number includes 2 412 full-time candidates, 8558 part-time candidates and 14 512 private candidates.

“More and more young people are starting to realise the value of education as 90% of the total candidates this year were either private or part-time candidates,” says WCED spokesperson, Paddy Atwell.

According to WCED, the exams started yesterday with the English First Language Higher and Standard Grade papers and will continue until Friday 20 June 2008 when candidates will end with Computer studies theory exams.

“We are now in the process of completing a process of introducing a new national curriculum and Grade 12 learners will write the National Senior certificate based on the new curriculum at the end of this year,” says Atwell.

However Atwell adds that Matric candidates have until mid – 2011 to complete the Matric curriculum based on the old curriculum if they registered for and wrote Senior Certificate examinations before 2008.

Meanwhile Atwell states that the WCED examinations’ directorate has mounted similar management as that of a matric final exam.

“We will be having about 700 markers who will each mark 313 papers starting from the end of June until July 5 2008.”

Candidates can contact the WCED’s Exams helpline for further information at (021) 467 2300 or visit the Exams helpdesk at the WCED’s Head Office, 2nd floor, Grand Central Building, Lower Parliament Street, Cape Town.