Premier Sefora Ntombela leads pledge signing ceremony in Bloemfontein, 12 Oct

With less than a week to go to the start of the 2018 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations, the Premier of the Free State, Sefora ‘Sisi’ Ntombela and the MEC for Education, Tate Makgoe, will witness the signing of pledge by 2018 Matric examinations candidates, under the theme: ‘90/40 –Put your hands up for Grade 12 Class of 2018!’.

1600 grade 12 learners from the across the province will attend the ceremony.

In total, around 30 000 full-time grade 12 examinations candidates from all five districts of the province, will sign the pledge from their respective schools, confirming their commitment to work hard and to uphold the principles of honesty and integrity in the examinations.

The milestone ceremony, to be attended by Members of the Executive Council, Mayors and senior government officials, and ambassadors, will also create a platform for around 800 graduates (bursary holders) from the Free State to engage with the 2018 matric class, and motivate them for the examinations.

The rationale for the pledge signing is to assist with curbing and control of examination irregularities. It is also an attempt to adopt a more proactive rather than a reactive approach to the reduction of examination misdemeanors.
The event will coincide with the orientation session that all grade 12 learners are normally subjected to as part of the briefing on examination regulations and procedures.

The Free State Department of Education, under the leadership of MEC Makgoe, has provided all candidates registered to write the 2018 NSC examinations, copies of the pledge and guidelines for the administration of the pledge signing ceremony.

This will enable them to participate in the nationwide initiative which will serve to announce the commencement of the 2018 grade 12 examinations.
The pledge signing ceremony is scheduled to take place at all public schools participating in the 2018 NSC examination. Independent schools writing the State NSC examinations are also encouraged to participate in the pledge signing ceremony.
The department 2018 target in the NSC results is 90% pass rate and 40% bachelor passes.

“We appeal to parents and community members to encourage all candidates to participate in the ceremony. Let’s put our hands up for the Grade 12 Class of 2018”, said Premier Ntombela.

Details of the main provincial Pledge Signing Ceremony are arranged as follows:
Date: Friday, 12 October 2018
Venue: Mangaung Indoor Sports Centre, Bloemfontein
Time: 8h00

For enquiries, please contact:
Howard Ndaba 
Cell: 079 503 5485