The shocking revelation that Department of Education officials are implicated in leaking matric exam papers – and could even have initiated it – erodes confidence in the public education system.
Interest in independent education is expected to increase next year and, in the years, to come.
There are three examination authorities in South Africa: the Department of Basic Education (DBE), the South African Comprehensive Assessment Institute (SACAI) and the Independent Examinations Board (IEB). The latter two consistently manage their examinations without fraud or controversy.
When cheating in exams comes to light, the Department’s usual defence is the enormous scale of the examinations it oversees. However, what makes this year’s breach different is that it reportedly took place at headquarters, not at some remote examination centre where ensuring control is difficult.
The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) has already pointed out that public schools should be afforded the opportunity to choose which examination board they wish to use. If the Department refuses to relinquish its monopoly on managing schools’ final exclamations, though, parents will increasingly start looking into independent education.
Ultimately, the National Senior Certificate – or matric – is the foundation on which young adults build their careers. Ensuring the integrity of that Certificate is critically important.
