Parliament, Tuesday, 13 October 2026 – The Portfolio Committee on Basic Education on Tuesday was encouraged by the overall state of readiness for the National Senior Certificate examinations, which began on Tuesday, 13 October.
The committee received briefings from the Department of Basic Education (DBE) and Umalusi on their readiness for the examinations.
The DBE reported that a record number of 962 832 candidates were registered to write the NSC examination at over 7 000 examination centres.
The committee was informed that security was strengthened after seven examination papers and marking guidelines were leaked last year. A total of 55 part-time monitors and 24 School Improvement Support Coordinator (SISCO) monitors have been appointed and a 24-hour hotline for reporting irregularities is among the security improvements.
The committee heard from Umalusi that security arrangements for printing, storing and handling question papers had been strengthened. Umalusi, however, shared concerns about delays in vetting officials who handle confidential examination materials.
While the committee welcomed the strengthened security measures, Members questioned whether they were sufficient to prevent a recurrence of last year’s examination paper leaks and group copying. Members stressed the need for proper security controls for officials with access to question papers and requested more detail on officials still awaiting vetting.
The Chairperson of the committee, Ms Joy Maimela, emphasised that the integrity of the NSC was non-negotiable. She noted that the security breaches last year demonstrated the vulnerability of the examination system despite the safeguards in place. Ms Maimela also stressed the importance of protecting the efforts of honest learners through effective security measures and ensuring accountability for wrongdoing.
The committee further noted the department’s contingency arrangements to safeguard the examinations against disruptions such as community protests and adverse weather. Members also heard that as part of the contingency plans for the local government elections on 4 November, the department sourced alternative examination venues, transport arrangements and coordination with security structures to mitigate disruption.
The committee also noted the various support programmes for Grade 12 learners which included Saturday classes and additional tuition. The Chairperson, however, questioned why so much extra teaching was necessary in the final year of schooling. “We know that learners themselves, through the feedback they provide, acknowledge that these additional classes assist them. However, our conversation with the department suggests that the need for all this additional work shows a gap somewhere in the education system,” she said.
The Chairperson referred to earlier discussions with the department on this, where the need to intensify interventions and provide more support in the Intermediate Phase and the Foundation Phase was recognised. “The department's view was that strengthening support during these earlier phases would contribute immensely to learners' performance in the Further Education and Training (FET) Phase, particularly in Grade 12.”
Ms Maimela expressed concern about the Grade 12 workload. “The allocated time for learning should be adequate for learners to grasp the curriculum content that is offered within that academic year. Even if it is not adequate, the time learners spend in class during their matric year adds to the pressure and anxiety learners experience, including teachers,” she noted. “We therefore have to start unpacking this issue and see how we are going to ensure that we balance the workload placed on learners and teachers at matric level without compromising the results or educational outcomes.” She said the committee would return to the matter at the beginning of the next school year.
The committee remains encouraged by the measures in place to ensure the integrity of the examinations, the Chairperson said, adding that the committee expects an incident-free examination process. “We have faith and confidence in the potential of our learners,” she said. “We are looking forward to seeing them achieve the best possible outcomes.”
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON BASIC EDUCATION, MS JOY MAIMELA
For media enquiries or interviews with the Chairperson, please contact the committee’s Media Officer:
Name: Alicestine October (Ms)
Cell: 083 665 4345
E-mail: aoctober@parliament.gov.za
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