EDITORIAL | Is a matric certificate worth the paper it's written on?

In exactly 40 days the Class of 2023 will begin writing the matric exams.

By now, grade 12 pupils are hopefully well into their revision for this milestone event, textbooks scattered across their learning space, burning the midnight oil in their quest for that sought-after certificate that is the first stepping stone to a better, brighter future.

But it is inevitable that among those who will sit the exams from October 30 will be a small number who have devised a way to cheat. As we saw from the 2022 cohort, we should not doubt the initiative of pupils and teachers to circumvent the rules.

The “Road to Varsity” was the name of a WhatsApp group the Sunday Times exposed last year which was used by some teachers and invigilators in Mpumalanga to help pupils copy answers for the maths and physical science exams. It was a brazen scheme in which teachers charged a fee for pupils to join the group. Hundreds signed up.

This year, the department of basic education has put in place several measures to thwart cheaters. The State Security Agency (SSA) is conducting audits of sites where matric exam papers will be printed and teachers will also, for the first time, have to sign a pledge confirming they will not commit irregularities during the exams. 

Previously, the pledge has only been signed by matric candidates to confirm their non-participation in dishonesty during the exams. 

The department’s chief director for public exams and assessments Rufus Poliah told parliament this week the SSA had so far picked up “minor issues” that had been dealt with and the department has “a very good mechanism of picking up any elements of group copying during our marking”.

It is heartening that the department is making an effort to stem cheating.

With schools still struggling to claw back the learning lost during Covid-19 and a tough economy that makes getting a job without a matric certificate impossible, it is unavoidable that some desperate pupils may be tempted to resort to underhanded means to ensure they pass, one way or another.

But for every pupil willing to break the rules, there are hundreds, if not thousands more who have worked their hearts out during the year. Many have had to contend with poor resources and circumstances far from ideal. These include overcrowded classrooms, limited textbooks, broken chairs and desks, too few teachers and transport challenges.

How glorious it would be to assure these youngsters their hard work and dedication will secure them a decent living and that a bright future can be sealed with that precious matric certificate.

But the truth is matric is just the first mountain to climb in the search for a living wage. Opportunities for tertiary studies or jobs — even menial ones — will not be a reality for many matriculants. Instead, they will join the queue with those from the Class of 2022 still struggling to find work.

Labour Force Survey results by Statistics South Africa reveal more than 40% of unemployed people have matric. Between 2016 and 2021, unemployment increased across all education levels, but the largest rise — 8.9% — was among those with matric.

The reality is many matriculants — even those who qualify for university — will never get the chance to study further.

While the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) — a vital state organ that funds matriculants who cannot afford to study — disbursed R42bn in the 2020/2021 financial year to enable eligible students to study at universities and colleges, this is nowhere near what is needed.

And NSFAS has also been mired by a possible “cheating” scandal of its own. In April it was reported a probe by the Special Investigating Unit revealed the scheme paid more than R5bn from 2018 to 2021 to students who did not qualify for bursaries. More recently it has been hit by allegations that certain contracts awarded to companies to pay student allowances were improper.

Add to that a lack of funding for the “missing middle” — those who do not qualify for NSFAS funding but cannot afford to study — and South Africa has a growing number of matriculants going nowhere.

When matric results are released next year, there will be great celebration among those who passed. But when the cameras stop flashing, the fervour subsides and the job hunting gets under way, the reality will set in and many will begin to wonder: Is a matric certificate worth the paper it's written on?