Issued by: The Office of the Public Protector
REPORT ON PROGRESS AND INTEGRITY OF A SENIOR CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION
The leakage of examination question papers is not a new phenomenon and it has occurred in the previous dispensation. The incidences of leakages are attributable (at least in part) to cases of deliberate theft and breaches of confidentiality.
It is however clear from an investigation just completed by my office on the progress and integrity of the senior certificate examinations in the nine provinces that the integrity of the matriculation examination of the class of '96 has been more than substantial in no less than six provinces. There has been a leakage of one paper in the seventh province which would imply that in almost seven provinces the examination process has not been compromised. The educational authorities who have played a role to bringing about such a success rate need to be commended and congratulated. Needless to say, the examination process is not yet over. There is still marking to be done and examination results to be processed. One can only hope however, that the flows that have been detected have led to increased vigilance on the part of the authorities.
There have been significant problems in two provinces namely, Kwazulu/Natal and Gauteng. It would seem to me however that even in those provinces the authorities have been pro-active and sufficient measures have been taken to redress the problem in the short term and that parents and students in those provinces need not fear or doubt the quality of the certificates issued by authorities in the effected provinces.
My overall impression is accordingly that the integrity of the matric examination in 1996 in my view is therefore substantially intact.
The MEC for Education, Mary Metcalfe has established a commission of enquiry into the Gauteng Matriculation Examination in terms of Section 9 of the Gauteng Schools Act of 1995. The terms of reference are as follows:
1. To inquire into the preparation of examinations with special focus on security arrangements
2. To enquire into the adequacy of the steps taken to protect the integrity of the examinations and
3. To make recommendations regarding the necessary action to ensure that such a situation does not arise again.
The Independent Examinations Board and the Gauteng Provincial Services Commission have agreed to participate in the commission.
This Commission will run concurrently with the investigations conducted by the police and the Department's Investigation Team.
Clearly, mine is not the last word in the matter. I have been assured and I accept, that the National Education Department through the agency of the Inter Provincial Examinations Committee (IPBC) and the Heads of Departments Committee (HEDCOM) will undertake an in-depth analysis of the process and the problems after the marking and release of examination results with the view to highlighting the shortcomings and preventing a recurrence in future.
The full report can obtained from Elsabe de Waal at the Office of the Public Protector in Pretoria, (012) 322 2916.
ISSUED BY THE OFFICE OF THE PUBLIC PROTECTOR
PRETORIA 15 NOVEMBER 1996.