With the matric results expected to be released next week, parents and matric learners concerned about how the late release would impact their ability to register and gain admission into tertiary institutions.
Department of Basic Education Minister, Angie Motshekga is expected to make the official matric results announcement which will be televised next week Thursday on 19 January 2023.
Matric learners will then be able to collect their results at exam centres on Friday, 20 January 2023.
In previous years, the matric results would be released early in January. The Covid-19 pandemic and its influence on education created further delays, and the release date had to be pushed back to the end of the month.
This has raised several questions and concerns among parents and matric learners wishing to pursue further education.
Universities South Africa (USaf) CEO, Dr Phethiwe Matutu states that the period between when learners finish writing their final exams up until results are released is a very stressful time and the late release certainly does cause further concerns.
“It is certainly a cause of concern and we have discussed it with the Department of Basic Education, and we will continue to work on it with them,” says Matutu
Matutu says that in some instances, the delay may compress selection periods for institutions which could result in learners having a limited time-frame to register at universities or colleges.
Responding to concerns, the Department of Higher Education and Training has stated that the impact of the late release of matric results won’t affect the state of readiness for the 2023 academic year.
The DHET says that first-year entry students are pre-admitted by institutions regardless of their final results, so when final results are released, the registration process will then commence.
Umalusi, the council for quality assurance in general and further education and training, explained that the date for the release of the results had long been agreed upon to accommodate the changes brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.
