School governing body associations and education experts have welcomed the green light given to the release of the 2020 matric results by exams quality assurer Umalusi.
On Monday, Umalusi’s council chairperson Prof John Volmink said they were satisfied that based on available evidence, there was no systemic irregularity reported that might have compromised the overall credibility and integrity of the November exams administered by the department of basic education (DBE).
In December, Umalusi advised the department to have the maths paper 2 and physical science paper 2 rewritten after they were leaked, but the Pretoria high court subsequently set aside the national rewrite.
Umalusi said after the leaks that the integrity and credibility of the two papers had been “irrevocably compromised”.
Volmink said before Umalusi gave approval, it had to be satisfied there were no systemic irregularities, which he described as “malpractices that compromise the exams on a large scale”.
He revealed that besides those implicated in the leakages of the maths paper 2 and physical science paper 2, some 893 candidates in four provinces were implicated in group copying. A total of 887,441 NSC candidates wrote the National Senior Certificate and 168,088 wrote the amended Senior Certificate exams.
“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”.
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.
He said investigations into the leak 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.”
Reacting to the release of the results, Paul Colditz, CEO of the Federation of Governing Bodies of SA Schools, said they were “happy and relieved” because the majority of pupils, who were not implicated in the leakages, would now receive their results.
“It was the correct decision to block the results of those that need further investigation,” he said.
Matakanye Matakanye, general secretary of the National Association of School Governing Bodies (NASGB), said: “The matrics will be relieved because they were under a lot of stress and were concerned that the results may not be approved.”
Prof Labby Ramrathan, from the education faculty at the University of KZN, said despite the leaks, the exams were free and fair for the majority of the pupils.
“Without Umalusi’s declaration it would have created uneasiness in matrics as well as in higher education and other agencies that are recruiting matriculants. If it wasn’t done, it would have had major implications for the class of 2020.”
Meanwhile, Volmink said in hindsight “I just wish they did rewrite because nothing would have been hanging over the heads of any learner”.
“As far as we are concerned as Umalusi we are happy that based on the available evidence it is [credible], but public opinion is a different matter. I can’t dictate what public opinion should be, and therefore our advice was rather write it.
“If an assessment body tells us the paper has leaked on a social media platform and we still don’t know, we have to err on the side of caution. We can’t be cavalier about it, so our advice was to rather rewrite.”
He said the conclusion reached by the National Investigative Task Team that investigated the leaks was that based on the available evidence “there is no reason why Umalusi should not certify the 2020 National Senior Certificate results”.
Umalusi CEO Mafu Rakometsi said the evidence available to them indicated that the leakage of the maths paper 2 and physical science paper 2 was not systemic or widespread.
He said the investigations by the different bodies had not been completed.
“We will release the results, but upon presentation of further evidence, if we realise that a candidate was actually involved in the irregularities of these leakages, we have got the right to recall that certificate.”
There should be evidence to the effect that it spread to this individual before that individual can be condemned.
He said when they mentioned that the papers had been “irrevocably compromised” in December, they did so on the strength of the report that was submitted to them by the department.
“We made that pronouncement boldly because of what had been presented to us. The department has now come back to us to say we are not able to determine the extent to which the papers have leaked or had spread.
“Hence we are saying we cannot punish learners based on speculation. There should be evidence to the effect that it spread to this individual before that individual can be condemned.”
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 sciences, 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 was “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.
Just more than 12,000 private school candidates wrote the matric exams.
Basic education minister Angie Motshekga will announce the matric results on February 23.
