KwaZulu-Natal communities urged to support Grade 12 learners during trial exams
Communities urged to support grade 12 pupils in KwaZulu-Natal as they begin preliminary trial examinations.
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As the Grade 12 learners in KwaZulu-Natal begin their Preliminary National Senior Certificate (NSC) Examinations or trial exams on Monday (September 8), the National Association of School Governing Bodies (NASGB) has called on aggrieved communities not to disrupt this important period.
In a statement, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education announced that the Matric Class of 2025 will commence their trial exams on Monday. The final exams will commence on October 21.
Matakanya Matakanye of the NASGB called on parents, the department, and communities to work together to ensure that the examinations are not disrupted.
There have been many instances where communities have used the period of the examinations to air their service delivery grievances, by holding protests disrupting the examination process.
“We first want to congratulate the children for handling themselves in a proper manner to finally get to this point where they are writing preliminary exams. In a month's time, they will be writing their final exams, and we want to congratulate them.
“We call on parents to make sure that these children have ample opportunities to focus on the preliminary exams as well as the final exams. We urge communities not to use this opportunity to air their grievances; this is not the time for that.
“We call on the government to work together and ensure that there are no disruptions or service interruptions during this time, even by municipalities. We know that in some schools, services are being cut for non-payment,” he added.
He emphasised that this is a very important period for the learners. “Let's make this period very conducive; we do not want the pupils to have excuses if they do not perform well. We want them to be able to take responsibility for their performance.”
The KwaZulu-Natal Education Department echoed these sentiments.
“These examinations play a crucial role in preparing learners for the Final NSC Examinations, which are scheduled to officially commence on Tuesday, 21 October 2025, starting with Computer Applications Technology in the morning session and Eastern Languages in the afternoon session.”
The final examinations will conclude on November 26, with the Music Paper in the afternoon session.
KZN Education MEC Sipho Hlomuka said: “As a Department, we motivate, inspire, and encourage our Grade 12 learners to manage their time wisely and to use the preliminary exams as a rehearsal for the finals. We urge learners to revise past papers, maintain balance, and study in focused sessions.”
The department extends its best wishes to all Grade 12 learners as they embark on this important journey towards academic success.