As the Class of 2025 heads into its final week of National Senior Certificate examinations, the KwaZulu-Natal Parents Association is appealing to matrics to celebrate responsibly once their papers are complete. More than 170,000 full-time pupils and over 16,000 part-time candidates are writing the year-end exams across the province.
Parents Association spokesperson Vee Gani says many school leavers are eager to mark the end of their schooling careers, but cautioned against reckless behaviour that has marred past celebrations.
“In previous years, we’ve seen parties where children got drunk, drugs were involved, and sadly, incidents where young people lost their lives,” Gani said. “These celebrations aren’t happening at school, where there are control mechanisms. In a controlled environment, with adults and parents present, nothing stops learners from enjoying a safe celebration.”
Meanwhile, as exam marking is set to commence at 32 centres throughout KwaZulu-Natal, Education MEC Sipho Hlomuka has urged markers to uphold professionalism and accuracy.
“Markers are reminded that each script represents a learner,” department spokesperson Muzi Mahlambi said. “Whenever they engage with that script, they must keep that in mind and carry out their work with integrity.”
Marking will get underway in the coming days as the province prepares for the release of the 2025 matric results.