The North West Department of Education has concluded the 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations without any reported incidents. The exams, which began on 21 October, officially ended on Thursday.
According to the department, 45,336 candidates across the province sat for the examinations — comprising 41,813 full-time and 3,523 part-time learners. The exams were administered across all four education districts.
Speaking on YOU FM Newshour, departmental spokesperson Vuyo Mantshule credited the smooth running of the examinations to strong collaboration among education stakeholders.
“We have not received any incident during the administration of the exams. This achievement is because of our good working relationship with stakeholders including School Governing Bodies, the Community Policing Forum, parents, legal guardians, learners themselves and, most importantly, our teachers,” said Mantshule.
He applauded learners for showing resilience, noting that many had studied under challenging circumstances. Mantshule added that the department’s decision to establish incubation centres helped learners improve in problematic subjects.
He also acknowledged teachers and parents who volunteered their time to support learners, citing the “last push” campaign, launched at the beginning of the academic year, as instrumental in ensuring learners were well-prepared.
Warning Against Risky Celebrations
Education MEC Viola Motsumi cautioned learners against participating in unsupervised “pens-down” celebrations, which are often associated with reckless behaviour and alcohol abuse.
“We do not want our learners to be exposed to dangerous situations that could rob them of their lives because of a pens-down celebration. We want all our learners to be present next year when they receive their results,” Motsumi said.
She further urged the Class of 2025 and learners in other grades to return their textbooks to their schools so that incoming learners can benefit from them.
Marking Process Underway
Meanwhile, the national Department of Basic Education confirmed that early marking, which started on 22 November, has concluded successfully. This phase allowed for system verification, training of marking panels and readiness assessments.
Full-scale marking is set to begin next Monday across all designated marking centres in South Africa, with more than 52,000 markers appointed nationally.
