Department still trying to find source of leaked matric maths exam paper

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga. File picture: Itumeleng English/African News Agency (ANA)

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga. File picture: Itumeleng English/African News Agency (ANA)

Published Nov 18, 2020

Share

Cape Town: The Department of Basic Education says it is still trying to establish the source of the leaked maths 2 exam paper on Monday, but has stressed that the leak will not compromise the National Senior Certificate exams.

This was revealed in a briefing by Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga and Dr Rufus Poliah, chief director for National Assessment and Public Examinations.

Poliah said that a team, comprising the director-general of Basic Education, Hubert Mweli, Umalusi and Universities South Africa, was now in charge of the investigation and would have to complete the first phase of the investigation by November 30 and the second phase by January 30, with the third phase of the investigation to be completed at a later date to be confirmed.

Motshekga said 2020 would go down as the most challenging, complex and unpredictable academic year in recent time because of the Covid-19 pandemic which disrupted the schooling calendar.

“Amongst other things I was really hoping is that we are going to continue with the trend of no leaks which we had maintained for the past two or three in which we’ve never had a leak.

“I’m sadly disappointed that the paper that was leaked on Monday is the real paper whereas in previous years it was hoax papers, each time we investigated we found that it’s not the real paper. But the Monday one, we can confirm without any doubt that the paper was leaked,” said Motshekga.

She said they wanted to be as transparent as they possibly could about the issue in order to allay the fears and anxieties of learners around the leaked paper.

Motshekga added that the improvement in technology, with WhatsApp groups and other digital platforms in which soft copies of exam material could be circulated, it was ever more difficult for the department to monitor issues around leaks unlike in the past where people had to get a hard copy.

“We are very disappointed that when we are only a third away (from the end of the exams), a paper has been leaked.

’’The penalty for offences relating to examinations are very serious and it really hurts me when adults put children in those situations because our children are not in the system but half the time they are the ones who suffer the most,” said Motshekga.

She warned examination candidates the penalties for cheating were harsh but the department could not ease the penalties because the department had to protect the integrity of the exams and those learners who had been honest in writing their examinations.

“As a learner you can be banned from writing exams for three years and three is a long time for a young person.

’’By the time three years passes they’re completely disorientated, they’ve gone off the tracks and it’s very serious if you’ve been caught.“ | Political Bureau

Related Topics:

Matrics