Update
GEORGE NEWS - Concerns surrounding the 2026 National Senior Certificate examination timetable remain under discussion, although at least one education stakeholder says the latest draft shows improvement compared with previous years.
The debate around the matric exam roster first came under the spotlight earlier this month after several schools and education bodies had raised their concerns about the pressure some subject combinations in short periods of time place on learners.
According to Johann Guldenpfennig of the South African Teachers’ Union (SAOU), the union had received the provisional timetable on Saturday 6 December 2025 and circulated it to the schools and union members for comment two days later. Deadline for initial feedback was 15 December - that is exactly one week. The schools closed on 8 December.
“A number of responses were received from schools and members. The inputs were processed and submitted to the Department of Basic Education on 15 December, as requested,” Guldenpfennig said.
Satu then held a meeting to discuss the timetable on 17 December. “During the discussions, it was requested that the non-official language papers be scheduled earlier in order to achieve a better spread of subjects,” he explained.
According to Guldenpfennig, amendments based on those discussions were presented the following day. However, he said the Department of Basic Education does not provide direct feedback on submissions made by stakeholders. “There is a calendar committee that considers all proposals and makes adjustments where possible, while taking the relevant criteria into account.”
Revised version
Hoërskool Outeniqua principal Christo Vorster confirmed that the schools had first received the provisional roster towards the end of the fourth term in 2025, followed by a revised version in March this year. “After that, I sent a letter to the minister.”
Vorster previously expressed his concern that certain subject combinations could leave learners facing several major papers within only a few days, increasing pressure during an already demanding examination period.
More manageable
However, some schools believe the latest version of the timetable is more manageable than previous years.
Gerrit Liebenberg, head of agriculture at Hoër Landbouskool Oakdale, said this year’s roster compares far more favourably with last year’s.
“Last year, mathematics and agricultural sciences were written on the same day. Requests were directed to the department, but the timetable remained unchanged. We also had learners who wrote five papers in three days.”
He said the 2026 timetable is “far more acceptable” in comparison.
The Department of Basic Education has not yet responded to any media enquiries.
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