KZN and Mpumalanga top the list for matric exam cheating cases

KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga have once again ranked highest in matric examination cheating cases, according to Umalusi, the council for quality assurance in education.

The announcement was made during a media briefing on Monday, revealing a concerning trend despite an overall decline in cases.

Dr Mafu Rakometsi, CEO of Umalusi, reported a significant drop in cheating incidents, from 945 in 2023 to 407 in 2024. However, KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga continue to lead the list with 195 and 74 cases, respectively.

“Umalusi remains concerned that KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga are again at the top of the list,” Dr Rakometsi said.

The briefing highlighted broader challenges, including 365 cases of cheating among N2 and N3 candidates in private colleges. There were also reports of malpractice by teachers and principals who allegedly barred students from registering for certain subjects to manipulate school results.

“This practice is unlawful and driven by the desire to improve results. Parents and students must report such incidents,” urged Dr Rakometsi.

In another alarming case, an independent school was found to have allowed 30 Grade 11 failures to register for Grade 12 exams. The school’s registration, along with that of its candidates, has since been revoked.

Further scrutiny is being applied to 128 private colleges under investigation by the Department of Higher Education and Training for administering N2 and N3 exams without Umalusi accreditation.

Umalusi also noted challenges related to staffing and concessions. A shortage of markers for History, English Home Language Paper 3, and Afrikaans First Additional Language was successfully addressed by the Department of Basic Education, according to Dr Rakometsi.

An increase in requests for marking concessions, from 17 subjects in 2023 to 19 in 2024, raised concerns about the potential impact on examination standards. Dr Rakometsi called on examination bodies to investigate this trend.

On a positive note, Umalusi confirmed that the 2024 matric exams faced no paper leaks or irregularities compromising their credibility. Load shedding, adverse weather, and protests did not materially impact the exams either.

Out of 880 209 registered candidates, 810 900 successfully wrote the National Senior Certificate exams, while 69 309 were absent.