Strict measures for matric question papers

Question papers for Mpumalanga's matric exams won't be stored in the province this year.

Instead, the province, which has been plagued by a series of irregularities, will receive papers just before its candidates write their exams, the Department of Basic Education said yesterday.

Last year the department took over administration of matric exams from the province after two maths papers, two science papers and an accounting paper had to be reset because of leaks in 2009.

In 2008, results were withheld because of numerous administrative failures in the province.

Rufus Poliah, chief director for national assessment and public exams, said in Pretoria yesterday that the department has worked closely with the provincial education department in Mpumalanga to ensure their security systems are in place so that there isn't "a repeat of 2009".

"All staff in the Mpumalanga department has been vetted and only those that satisfy the vetting criteria will remain in the exams," he said, adding the Mpumalanga possibly has the "best security in the country" in place at points for storing the papers just before pupils sit for exams.

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga said her department is ready to administer "credible" exams and said it had conducted an "intensive audit" in all provinces.

"During state of readiness visits, storage facilities for question papers [and] security of distribution points . were audited to reduce risks [such as] leaked papers."

Motshekga said despite the problems facing the Eastern Cape, the province had the "capacity to run credible exams".

Scripts are to be sealed in tamper-proof envelopes in the presence of two senior officials when they leave exam centres to guarantee that there is a "minimum misplacement of scripts".

The exams start on October 24 and end on December 1.

A total of 620266 candidates - 512029 full-time and 108237 part-time - will sit for the exams at 6540 exam centres.