Durban – THE Department of Basic Education is confident its three-tier investigation into the leaking of the matric maths paper 2 will not only reveal the source of the leaked paper, which was circulated via a WhatsApp chat group, but identify those behind the leak.
Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga said the department was working with the Hawks in its investigations into the leak.
A team of investigators in the first tier of the probe was expected to complete their work by November 30.
They would determine whether a rewrite would be necessary.
Investigators in the second tier of the probe would establish the extent of the leak, and were expected to complete their work by January 30.
The investigators would make recommendations to the minister and director-general of the department, Mathanzima Mweli, regarding the integrity of the exams.
Umalusi, the council for quality assurance in education, would make the final determination on whether the department’s investigation had restored the integrity of the exams.
The third tier of the probe, which could take up to six months, would look at the entire value chain across all nine provinces to locate “the weakest link” to prevent paper leaks from occurring again.
Pupils in the WhatsApp chat group would be interviewed, and the department would ensure that pupils who came forward with information would be protected.
Chief director for National Assessment and Public Examinations, Dr Rufus Poliah, said pupils had informed their principals they had received the paper.
He said the director-general had agreed to give a reward for information.
Poliah said a university student who ran an NGO had received a call and was asked to assist in answering the paper, and had then alerted the department.
The department’s chief director of communications, Elijah Mhlanga, had received an email about the leak and informed other department officials.
“According to a pupil who reported (the leak) it to Gauteng MEC Panyaza Lesufi, he got the leaked paper from the printers.
“Some said they got it in the morning at 7am. Forensic marking will tell us how much the exam was compromised,” said Motshekga.
Daily News