Matric exams go smoothly in Gauteng - barring one 'irregularity'

27 November 2018 - 16:18 By Naledi Shange
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A 'major irregularity' occurred when a school principal allegedly gave pupils the answers to a geography paper. The pupils will have to rewrite the exam.
A 'major irregularity' occurred when a school principal allegedly gave pupils the answers to a geography paper. The pupils will have to rewrite the exam.
Image: File photo by Shelley Christians

Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi said on the eve of the last matric exams in the province that the exams so far had gone smoothly - barring one "major irregularity".

"For the first time in many years, the department experienced one major irregularity, wherein the principal of Mpontsheng Secondary School in Katlehong walked into a matric exam centre and allegedly gave pupils the answers to the Geography paper one.

"The incident was reported to Umalusi and the principal was immediately removed as invigilator and subsequently placed on precautionary transfer to the district office," said Lesufi.

"The principal is facing a disciplinary process, the outcome of which will be communicated in due course."

 The affected pupils were scheduled to write another paper on Thursday.

The last official exams for the year are agricultural management practices and design which are due to be written on Wednesday. 

Marking would commence on December 1 and be concluded by December 15. The results would be published on January 4, Lesufi said.  

He said 107,258 full-time learners and 43,061 part-time learners from the province sat for the exams.

"This is a slight increase of 229 candidates as compared to 2017," he said.


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