Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za

2-minute read
17 January 2024 | 17:30 CAT

Umalusi remains worried about learners cheating in their matric exams in 2023. Image: Gallo Images Source: Getty Images

Poor print quality on some exam papers and alleged cheating by hundreds of pupils marred the 2023 matric examinations.

In Gauteng, 45 pupils were found using crib notes this year, while in KwaZulu-Natal, an imposter was discovered writing a paper on behalf of another pupil. KZN Is the province with the highest level of matric final examination cheating in 2023; with the education watchdog Umalusi, it is estimated over 800 learners were implicated. Out of this total, 763 cases (80.7%) were identified in KwaZulu-Natal, while 164 (17.7%) were in Mpumalanga.

Despite this, the executive council of the quality education assurance body Umalusi said on Monday it could approve the release of the results.

Public and private assessment bodies administered the results of the examinations between October and December 2023.

The DA’s Dr Imran Keeka highlighted concerns about the magnitude of cheating in an interview with Radio Islam International.

Dr Keeka raised the concerns of invigilation and group copying. He said the worry of invigilation of the matric examination was a concern both ways; the district officials expressed they worried that they did not have enough invigilators.

“This has caused a scramble at the eleventh hour in the Uzinyatu District to find people to be invigilators. The reason for this is that the department did not make funding available to form a full cohort of invigilators,” says Dr Keeka.

Meanwhile, Dr Keeka said, “The manner in which the department is being run, quite frankly, is sloppy.”

“There were not enough invigilators, and when the money did become available to the district, it was literally at the eleventh hour. Training requirements and compliance were not ensured,” Dr Keeka added.

Listen to the full interview on The Daily Round Up with Moulana Junaid Kharsany and Dr Imran Keeka, Health Member of the Provincial Legislature representing the Democratic Alliance in KwaZulu Natal.