Schools urged to register for exams on time

PART-TIME Grade 10 pupils, and full and part-time Grade 12s have been urged to register for this year’s national examinations before the set deadlines.

In a press statement released on Monday, the education ministry’s spokesperson Johanna Absalom said no late registrations will be entertained.

She explained that only JSC Grade 10 part-time candidates are required to register for national examinations, as provided for under the old curriculum.

“The revised curriculum for the Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate Ordinary level (NSSCO), a two-year course, has been implemented for full-time Grade 10 candidates this year, followed by Grade 11 in 2020. As from 2019, Grade 10 will no longer be a junior secondary grade, but a senior secondary grade,” she said.

“It should be noted that the registration for the national examination is a separate exercise from enrolling in school or with a part-time tuition centre registered with the ministry,” Absalom explained.

Full-time candidates are required to register by 29 March (this Friday), while part-time candidates must register before 5 April.

Candidates should fill in the registration form correctly and clearly in soft pencil. Information needed includes the candidate’s surname, name and date of birth as shown on their birth certificates.

“The shading of the registration form’s lozenges (diamond shape) should be done neatly, but dark enough to be picked up by the scanners,” Absalom said.

After registration, pupils will be given the chance to verify their details.

“Over the years, the ministry has observed that most candidates do not verify their details submitted during the registration process. The ministry would like to strongly urge all candidates to verify their details to ensure the correct capturing of information and printing of their certificates,” she stressed.

During the verification period, candidates will also be given the chance to verify subjects they will write as there will be no changes of subject choices after the verification process.

“The candidate, with the help of a teacher or head of centre, checks the registration information for correctness: candidate name, date of birth and subjects,” she said.

The registration verification will be from 29 May to 7 June.

All parents, guardians and pupils should ensure that they register for the national examinations only at tuition centres registered with the ministry.

Sean Moller, the principal of Mount View High School in Okahandja Park, yesterday said they had already registered the 22 pupils set to write examinations this year.

He noted that the pupils are only writing examinations at ordinary level, as the higher and extended level will only be implemented next year.

In order to ensure a better pass rate, pupils are getting extra classes for mathematics.

Moller said they will send teachers to better-performing schools in Windhoek during the second semester to observe how things are done there.

The principal of Academia Secondary School, Herman Rust, told The Namibian yesterday that they had registered 160 pupils who will be sitting for both ordinary and higher level examinations.

They are through with the syllabus, and are now preparing the pupils for examinations by offering them extra classes.

In addition, Rust said the school has invited motivation speakers, including former pupils, to address the new crop as a way of encouraging them.

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