NATIONAL NEWS - The Independent Examinations Board (IEB) has reported an overall pass rate of 98.47% in the National Senior Certificate examinations, with 89.37% of learners achieving entry to degree study. This is the highest pass rate achieved in the past five years.
The class of 2024, which began their Grade 8 year in 2020 under the challenging circumstances posed by Covid-19, successfully navigated the rapid technological advancements necessitated by lockdowns and school closures in their early high school years.
Despite all these challenges, the Class of 2024 stands as a testament to resilience and perseverance, says Confidence Dikgole, CEO of the IEB.
“In Grade 8, amidst the severe lockdown, they encountered disruptions to foundational learning, adapted to new modes of education and navigated the psychological impacts of uncertainty and isolation.
“While these challenges may not have directly affected their Grade 12 year, they undoubtedly shaped their academic journey,” Dikgole says.
She commended the pupils’ ability to overcome these obstacles, saying it exhibited their determination and commitment.
Dikgole says the use of technology is something that could not be ignored as research suggested that smartphones have the potential to raise mental health issues as well as impact the concentration of young people – resulting in short attention spans.
“The Class of 2024 marks a generation increasingly shaped by these technological advancements, including the use of Generative AI in learning. While these tools may have supported personalised learning and accessibility to information, they also highlight the growing need for cultivating critical thinking and responsible technology use in education,” she says.
She adds that the IEB will continue to adapt its assessments to ensure that it will measure genuine understanding and skills in a rapidly evolving academic landscape.
All candidates who completed the 2024 examinations had obtained a pass that qualified them for tertiary study at one of three levels and those who received endorsed certificates.
For an entry to a diploma study, the previous 8.31% in 2023 had dropped to 7.56%.
For a Higher Certificate level, 1.53% achieved this compared to 1.57% in 2023.
Only 0.02% achieved an endorsed certificate.
14 990 full-time and 1 314 part-time candidates took the IEB NSC examination in October and November last year, at 275 examination venues. This amount is more than the 13 967 full-time and 1 213 part-time candidates that wrote in 2023’s examinations.
This increase of 1 124 comprises 292 candidates from nine new schools that wrote the IEB NSC examinations for the first time.
The balance of 832 comes from schools that have been writing IEB NSC examinations for years.
Question papers had been adapted for hearing impairments, which included techniques such as bolding, underlining, use of white space and embedded glossary.
This was done for 15 subjects for five pupils. Brailed paper was used for one subject for a candidate with visual impairment and adaptions were made for one candidate with visual impairment in six subjects.
Umalusi, the Quality Assurance Council for General and Further Education and Training, closely monitored and quality-assured the exams. Quality assurance entailed moderation of question papers, monitoring of examination writing, verification of marking, and standardisation of marks.
In a statement, Umalusi indicated that, based on the evidence presented to it by the IEB, it concluded that the examinations were administered largely in accordance with the Regulations Pertaining to the Conduct, Administration, and Management of the National Senior Certificate Examinations. No systemic irregularities were reported that might have compromised the overall credibility and integrity.
Special announcement for the candidates:
The closing date for the application for remarking is 31 January and the results from re-marking will be released on 1 March. The closing date for learners who qualify to enrol for the May/June examination is 14 March.
Read original story on witness.co.za
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