DA will monitor final stages of matric process
The Democratic Alliance (DA) will closely monitor the matric marking, capturing and standardization process once the last exam paper is written tomorrow. With the hard part completed by the students, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) must now navigate a challenging 5-week certification process before it releases the exam results on 5 January 2012. The DBE will have to deal with considerable risks to which the DA will be particularly attentive.
In all, 620 000 learners wrote a total of 325 question papers and 6.2 million examination scripts have to be marked by 35 000 markers in 127 marking centres spread across the country. The results are captured on a computerized database, standardized and then released early next year. A monumental exercise, there are inevitable risks that need to be properly managed.
Key risk areas are:
Security of the scripts: examination scripts must be safely and securely transported from the 6 540 examination centres to the 127 marking centres.
Integrity of the marking: competent markers must be tightly supervised at the marking centres, especially when there are multiple centres and a history of problems as in, for example, Mpumalanga.
Diligence in capturing marks: capturers of data must have an eye for detail and there must be checks and balances to secure accuracy.
Integrity of the standardization of results: the raw scores are sent to Umalusi for standardization, a normal practice that must, however, follow norms and standards.
Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga needs to give assurance that the risks will be properly managed. The DA has asked every one of its 9 provincial education spokespersons to monitor and scrutinize the extent to which the provincial departments of education manage the risks.
The DA is mindful of the fact that thousands of officials, markers and data capturers hold the fate of hundreds of thousands of learners in trust. We are grateful for the work done during a time when the rest of the nation goes on holiday. We have no doubt that the learners' results will be commensurate with the effort they put into the year's work.
Statement issued by Dr Wilmot James MP, DA Shadow Minister of Basic Education, November 30 2011
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