Minister Siviwe Gwarube: State of readiness for the 2026 National Senior Certificate examinations

Speech by Minister Siviwe Gwarube at the announcement of the state of readiness for the 2026 National Senior Certificate Examinations

Deputy Minister of Basic Education, Dr Reginah Mhaule,
Director-General of the Department of Basic Education, Mr Hubert Mathanzima Mweli,
MECs for Education, Provincial Heads of Department, the Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of Umalusi, teacher unions and school governing body associations
Educators,
Learners,
Members of the media,
Fellow South Africans,

Molweni.

I have called this media briefing today to inform South Africans about our state of readiness for the 2026 National Senior Certificate examinations.

For nearly 1 million young people this year, these examinations represent an important milestone in their lives. It is the culmination of years of schooling, the sacrifices of their families, the dedication of their teachers and the determination of the candidates themselves who have worked hard towards completing their basic education.

For the DBE, these examinations represent an enormous national undertaking. They require the coordination of thousands of schools serving as examination centres, officials, invigilators, markers and support personnel across all nine provinces.

Our responsibility is to ensure that every eligible candidate has a fair opportunity to write, that examination materials are protected, that the

rules are applied consistently and that every learner’s work is assessed with the care and accuracy it deserves.

Before I get into the details of our preparations, let me address the matter of our collective obsession with the matric pass rate. Over the past years the quality of our basic education system has been reduced to this single figure, this single question; what is the pass rate?

This obsession has had unintended consequences and has incentivised the wrong kinds of behaviour. As provinces, districts and schools competed to have the highest matric pass rate, we saw acts of culling, perceived weaker learners were not being promoted into Grade 12 in order to artificially strengthen the potential matric pass rate, we saw gatekeeping, in which learners who should be progressed as per the rules, are kept back in Grade 11, again in an effort to inflate the matric pass rate.

We have also seen that learners are encouraged to take Maths Literacy over Mathematics, in order to again maximize the number of learners who will pass and increase the matric pass rate.

This obsession with the matric pass rate and its perverse incentives has been to the detriment of this country’s ability to produce skills in STEM professions, in Accounting and Economic Sciences. This must change, if our country is to be economically competitive, it needs deep and meaningful skills in STEM and other gateway subjects.

Going forward, therefore, I have decided that provincial performance will be ranked through a broader basket of quality indicators. This basket of quality indicators will include the number of Bachelor passes, distinctions, the levels of learner retention, as well as the rate of participation and performance in gateway subjects such as Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Accounting and Economics, amongst others.

This approach will allow provinces to benchmark performance more meaningfully and identify areas requiring intervention.

The question will not only be whether learners passed, but whether provinces are improving literacy, numeracy, retention and gateway subject participation.

Ladies and Gentlemen, let me move to the business of the day, I will now outline the preparations undertaken for the Class of 2026, the support provided to learners and the measures put in place to protect the credibility of the examinations.

The Class of 2026 is the largest full-time cohort to sit the National Senior Certificate examinations to date.

We have registered Eight Hundred and Fifteen Thousand and Fifty One (815 051) full-time candidates for the October/November 2026 examinations; this is an increase of Forty Eight Thousand, Five Hundred and Eight (48 508) from last year. A further 147 781 part-time candidates have registered, which includes candidates seeking to improve their previous results; this is an increase of 10 763 from 2025.

This brings the total registration numbers for the 2026 NSC Exams to Nine Hundred and Sixty Two Thousand, Eight Hundred and Thirty Two (962 832) candidates.

The growth in full-time registration is an indication that learners are staying in school, that they are finishing matric in good time, and, as the results of last year show, more and more are being successful in their first attempt at the NSC Matric Exams.

This is a sign of a maturing system, a system on the rise, that is giving near-universal access to education.

The record number of registered candidates also demonstrates the scale of the responsibility now before us. Every candidate must be accounted for, every examination venue must be prepared, and every question paper must reach the correct candidate, in the correct venue and it must reach them securely and on time.

The scale of this undertaking demands discipline, coordination and close oversight from the national department and all provincial education departments.

South Africans, the preparation of the Class of 2026 began long before the start of this academic year.

These learners entered Grade 1 in January 2015. They reached Grade 6 in 2020, that is when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted schooling across the country. Lockdowns, the suspension of contact teaching and rotational timetables interrupted the normal rhythm of learning for these candidates.

The most significant disruption occurred during their transition from the Intermediate Phase to the Senior Phase, that is when learners should be consolidating important literacy and numeracy skills. Although schools subsequently returned to full-time teaching, some of the effects of lost contact time continued into the later grades.

Foundational gaps, socioeconomic disparities and teacher attrition in certain provinces have remained important considerations in preparing this cohort.

We must acknowledge these realities while recognising the work that has gone into supporting learners and recovering lost learning.

The Department’s approach has been to strengthen curriculum coverage, use assessment information to identify weaknesses, support teachers in addressing these weaknesses and provide learners with additional opportunities to revise and practise.

At the centre of this work is our principle of “First Day, First Period, First Lesson.” This means that when learners arrive for the first day of school in January, they have the textbooks, stationery and other materials required to participate in teaching and learning. All provinces delivered stationery before schools reopened in January 2026, and textbook top-up requirements, including for Grade 12, were attended to.

These measures enabled schools to begin the academic year with the materials needed for teaching and learning on the very first day of school.

The DBE also made use of the 2025 NSC Diagnostic Report, compiled from the work of examiners and moderators during the previous examination cycle. The report identified areas in which learners had performed well, areas of persistent difficulty and the reasons certain questions had proved challenging.

Teachers, departmental heads and subject advisers used these findings to guide curriculum management, identify learner support needs and strengthen classroom preparation.

This is an important part of building a system that learns from its own experience. Each examination cycle provides information that can improve teaching, assessment and learner preparation in the following year.

The 2026 Learner Support Programme was implemented across all 75 education districts. 159 180 learners were reached across 1 262 centres where targeted interventions were provided.

The programme provided structured opportunities for additional learning and revision, with attention to learners who needed extra support, progressed learners and schools experiencing performance challenges.

Teacher support formed an important part of this work. Workshops and engagements with school management teams and departmental heads

helped strengthen curriculum planning, teaching approaches and the management of assessment.

Learners were also supported through revision guides, previous question papers, online learning materials, educational websites and digital notes. Mock examinations gave candidates an opportunity to practise under examination conditions, assess their readiness and identify areas requiring further revision.

We have worked to ensure that the final preparation period is informed by the actual needs of learners and the evidence emerging from their assessments.

The final days before the examinations are particularly important. Learners are expected to use this time to work through challenging topics, practise answering questions within the prescribed time and seek clarification from their teachers where they remain uncertain.

Parents and guardians, you also have an important role. At home, please encourage a consistent study routine to ensure that the learner is studying every day and is using the time they would have been at school to study when they are at home. A supportive home environment can make a meaningful contribution to a learner’s confidence and concentration. So, we appeal to parents, not to burden learners with a load of household chores nor expect them to run family errands. Please give them the space and support they need to perform at their very best in these exams.

To the Class of 2026, I want to remind you that this examination period will require discipline and sustained effort. This will be one of the hardest things you will ever do in your life, but it is supposed to be like that. In order to achieve great things, you need to put in great effort. Apply yourself for the next few weeks, make full use of the preparation opportunities available to you. Read each question carefully, manage your time and answer every paper to the best of your ability.

The Second Chance Matric Programme continues to support part-time candidates through after-hours and weekend classes at 41 centres, learning materials distributed to 84 centres, and 15 provincial learner workshops. Candidates also benefit from class monitoring, free online study resources, and educational broadcasts on radio and television. We encourage all part-time candidates to use these resources, attend their examinations and prepare diligently to improve their results and future opportunities.

All candidates have been provided with all the support they would need to perform, and I am happy to declare that learners are ready for the 2026 NSC Exams.

Ladies and gentlemen, the credibility of the National Senior Certificate rests not only on the hard work of our learners but on the absolute readiness and integrity of the systems that administer it. Today, I am here to confirm that our preparations are comprehensive, robust, and ready.

Candidate registration is complete, successfully accommodating all full-time, part-time, and learners requiring special concessions.

The scale of this NSC Exam operations is immense. This year we will have a network of around 7 100 examination centres. To ensure a secure environment, we have audited this entire network and implemented a risk-based monitoring approach, directing our supervision and resources exactly where they are needed most.

I want to assure the public that the setting, moderation, and quality assurance of all examination materials are complete. All question papers and examination instruments have been rigorously reviewed by the DBE and approved by Umalusi.

Crucially, learning from past challenges, we have significantly strengthened our security controls across the entire production and distribution chain. Through the strict vetting of examination officials and close collaboration with national and provincial law enforcement structures, we are safeguarding the examination materials. Every

candidate will encounter a fair, secure, and standardised examination process.

We have established 189 marking centres and successfully recruited 51 104 qualified, experienced educators to mark the scripts.

We will apply a standardised, national approach to marking, underpinned by strict quality-control processes and strengthened moderation of school-based assessments.

Let me be clear: the DBE is taking a proactive, zero-tolerance approach to examination irregularities. We have reinforced the candidate and parent pledge agreements to instil a culture of integrity, and a 24-hour examination hotline is active for the public to report any suspicious activity.

Furthermore, we have robust contingency plans in place to manage any operational challenges, including severe weather or community disruptions. No learner is unfairly disadvantaged! Our position is straightforward: the examinations will be conducted in an environment that protects our candidates and safeguards the credibility of the qualification.

South Africans, the success of the 2026 National Senior Certificate examinations does not rest on the DBE alone; it is a collective responsibility, and every one of us has a part to play.

I appeal to communities not to prejudice the Matric Class of 2026 by disrupting the NSC Exams for service delivery, political nor socio-economic dissatisfaction. The NSC candidates cannot resolve societal problem, it is Minister’s as elected representatives who must account. Please do no go to schools, come to our offices in Pretoria and in parliament.

We call on communities to not disrupt the NSC Matric Exams in any way.

To the parents and guardians, your encouragement and a steady, supportive home environment will give your children the strength to see this through.

To the teachers and principals, your dedication has carried the Class of 2026 to this milestone. Please ensure that the final leg goes off without complications.

To our examination officials, invigilators and markers, the public is placing its trust in you, and I expect nothing less than your utmost professionalism and vigilance.

To the Class of 2026, you must walk into that examination room with confidence and integrity, and do not let fear or pressure rob you of what you know. If you are struggling, reach out to your teachers, because support is there for you.

Remember you are not walking this road alone; the whole nation is behind you.

Having considered the comprehensive preparations reported by all nine Provincial Education Departments, I am proud to announce that the Department of Basic Education and the class of 2026 are Ready for the 2026 National Senior Certificate examinations.

Good Luck to all the candidates, May God bless your examinations journey.

Ndiyabulela!

Ndolivhuwa!

Thank you!

#GovZAUpdates

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