Umalusi gives green light for release of matric exam results

But 893 candidates in four provinces implicated in ‘group copying’

15 February 2021 - 13:10 By prega govender
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Matric exam papers have been marked and basic education minister Angie Motshekga will announce the 2020 results on February 23. File photo.
Matric exam papers have been marked and basic education minister Angie Motshekga will announce the 2020 results on February 23. File photo.
Image: Khaya Ngwenya

Exams quality assurer Umalusi has given the green light for the release of the 2020 matric results.

The chairperson of Umalusi's council, Prof John Volmink, said they were satisfied that based on available evidence, there was no systemic irregularity reported which might have compromised the overall credibility and integrity of the November exams administered by the department of basic education (DBE).

He said before Umalusi gives approval, it has to be satisfied there were no systemic irregularities, which he described as “malpractices that compromise the exams on a large scale”.

Volmink revealed that besides those implicated in the leakages of the maths paper 2 and physical science paper 2, 893 candidates in four provinces were implicated in group copying.  

“The department is required to block the results of candidates implicated in general irregularities, including the candidates involved in group copying pending the outcome of further DBE investigations and Umalusi verification.”

Volmink said the executive committee also resolved that where there had been unauthorised access to the maths paper 2 and physical science paper 2 “and where there is evidence beyond being a passive recipient of the papers, the results of the implicated candidates should be blocked pending further investigations”.   

He said investigations into the leaking of the two papers were not yet complete.

“Umalusi can still nullify the certificates of candidates who were found guilty of having benefitted from the leakage of the two question papers even after the results are released.”

Umalusi's assessment standards committee left the marks unchanged in 48 of the 65 subjects presented by the department for standardisation.

Subjects where the marks were left unchanged included physical science, maths, maths literacy, geography, history and economics.

An upward adjustment to marks was made in nine subjects and marks were adjusted downwards in eight subjects.

Volmink said the standardisation of marks is “aimed to achieve equivalence of the standard of exams across years, subjects and assessment bodies and to deliver a relatively constant product to the market”.

“The whole process of standardisation is the basis for Umalusi to declare exams fair, valid and credible so we build public trust and confidence in the qualification.”

The Independent Examinations Board, which administers exams on behalf of private school pupils, presented 66 subjects for standardisation.

Marks were left the same in 46 subjects, while there were upward mark adjustments in eight subjects and downward adjustments in 12.

Just over 12,000 private school candidates wrote the matric exams.

Basic education minister Angie Motshekga will announce the matric results on February 23.

TimesLIVE


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