Pretoria - With just one day left for the release of the 2010 matric results - Basic Education Minister, Angie Motsekga, is confident the results will reflect stability in the education system.
Motsekga was playing her cards close to her chest at a press conference on Wednesday, deftly side-stepping questions on possible pass rates.
Instead, she noted that results showed there were successes in problematic areas the department had addressed throughout the year.
At the same time, the results also highlighted those areas that the department had identified as weak points.
More than 643 000 candidates, who sat for their final exams in 2010, are anxiously awaiting the release of the results at midnight tonight.
Asked how she felt ahead of the release of the results, the minister responded: "I am very encouraged to be honest. When I joined the department I was quite terrified of how we would begin to deal with the situation. In the past 18 months where we made efforts, there is an indication we were able to steer things."
Motsekga said the results were ready to be released and had been dispatched to Higher Education South Africa and to media houses that will publish them on Thursday morning.
"I am indeed excited to declare that the 2010 Grade 12 results are ready to be released. They are safe in my hands and I am hopeful they will brighten South Africans when they are released," she added.
All regulatory and legislative requirements that gave the minister permission to release the results had been met on time and all institutions that needed the results had received them.
Motsekga noted that the class of 2010 were better prepared by South Africa's developing curriculum for their exams, when compared to their predecessors.
"They were fortunate to gain much from starting Grade 10 in the year that teachers were still receiving training and resources material to teach the new curriculum.
"They also benefited from the extensive assessment support material that was provided to teachers who were then preparing the first cohort of learners for the National Senior Certificate," she said.
The minister urged those who had failed to "fight" to rewrite their exams.
"I want to encourage them to rewrite the exams at the end of the year so that they protect the investment they've made in the past 12 years," Motsekga added.
She also called on pupils who qualified for supplementary exams to take full advantage of them, saying these exams could help improve their marks.
With some stability achieved in the higher levels of the education system, Motsekga said her department could now turn to lower levels and address problems there.
