Accompanied by the Head of the Department, Moira Marais, and members of the Executive Council in the Northern Cape, the Education MEC, Zolile Monakali, visited examination centres to monitor the start of the matric exams in the province.

The spokesperson of the department, Geoffrey van der Merwe, says a total of 145 examination centres were audited by district and provincial officials. He adds that no irregularities were reported on the first day of the exams.

"We are quite satisfied that our first day went well across the province despite minor incidents with no irregularities. We are also pleased that, due to effective, efficient and timeous intervention by district officials and the affected school, a taxi blockade that took place in Pampierstad in the Frances Baard district did not impact the examination centre concerned. No extra time or special measures were required," adds Van der Merwe. 

He further called on parents, family members, friends and educators to create a conducive environment for learners to study. He also mentioned that education remains a social issue and community members should rally behind matric learners so that they can achieve excellent results to enhance their chances of employability and access to higher education. 

OFM News