Exam blunder means Eastern Cape matrics have to rewrite accounting paper

Matric pupils in the Eastern Cape will have to rewrite the accounting paper that was written on Monday after it was discovered that it was identical to the one set for last year’s final exam.

Eastern Cape education department spokesperson Mali Mtima confirmed on Monday night that the accounting paper 1 will be rewritten on September 22.

The provincial education head of department, Naledi Mbude, told TimesLIVE that an exams official has been suspended for giving the wrong file to the company responsible for the printing of the accounting paper.

The province’s matrics started writing the 2021 National Senior Certificate preparatory exams last Thursday.

Mbude said that the official took the file, which was in a folder, to the printers without confirming which file needed to be printed.

“He was given a warning letter. This was the first time it happened. We are human beings and people make mistakes but it was an expensive mistake,” said Mbude.

She said the rewrite would not compromise in any way the marks.

The DA’s shadow MEC for education in the province, Yusuf Cassim, wrote to education MEC, Fundile Gade, asking for an investigation into the matter.

“With the matrics already finding themselves under immense pressure from Covid-19, the blunder by the department will cause further unnecessary stress and anxiety for learners and educators alike,” he said.

He told Gade that the issue must be fully investigated “so that we can understand how this error occurred and ensure that it is not repeated.

“I also request an apology be issued to learners and educators for the error and the consequences thereof.”

Mtima said Mbude “regrets the error and urged the public to allow the department to take necessary steps to correct the matter”.

“The department would like to apologise for this rare error and the inconvenience that it might have caused to the grade 12 accounting learners, teachers and their parents,” said Mtima.

TimesLIVE