As the 2022 matric class nears the end of its final exams, thousands of marking moderators are gearing up to start the marking process across the country.
The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has evaluated the readiness of over 100 matric marking centres across all nine provinces, where up to 53,926 marking moderators who will be posted across all the centres.
Matric learners are expected to write their last paper on the 9th of December 2022, whereafter the marking session will start on 10 December and conclude on 20 December 2022.
Many have raised concerns on the challenges markers might face and how the current rolling power cuts will impact the marking process.
DBE spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga, explained that marking does not really require electricity, as markers will only need the exam paper and a pen in order to mark scripts, however challenges may arise when marks need to be captured onto the system.
”The biggest problem, is when the capturing has to take place because that’s the most sensitive part of the job that needs to be done so carefully and when all the marks are entered into computers, it’s sent off to the department.”
Mhlanga says that when checking for the readiness of these centres, the department checks that centres can accommodate all the markers and that they are comfortable throughout the duration.
He added that a previously unsolvable mathematics question would be disregarded during the marking process, as the question was found to be faulty.
“In terms of transportation of the papers and the distribution, that is something we have experience in doing, but of course it is something that we check to see that all the scripts are there in the correct numbers.”
The issue of safety is another concern added Mhlanga, and the department is doing its best to ensure that scripts are not tampered with during the marking stage.
The department will monitor marking in various centres throughout the 10-day periods and the 2022 matric results are expected to be released in January 2023.
