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Sadtu to file court papers against exam rewrites by Tuesday afternoon
The teachers' union has opted to take the Basic Education Department, and the country's education quality assurance agency Umalusi, to court in an urgent application to interdict their decision.
This year’s matric class could find it hard going, having missed out on much of Grade 11. Picture: Nigel Sibanda
The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) is standing firm in its belief that the Department of Basic Education erred in its decision to have matriculants rewrite leaked papers.
The mathematics paper two and physical science paper two were leaked in the past two weeks.
Maths will now be rewritten on 15 December, and physical science on 17 December, the Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga said last month.
ALSO READ: Legal battle not good for matric learners, rewrite ‘only fair decision’, says PEU
This decision did not sit well with Sadtu, with the union calling on the department to first provide more evidence that the credibility of the papers had been compromised, and how widely spread the leaked papers were.
Based on the initial investigation which has shown that the number of learners who may have seen the papers are less that 200 out of the 390 000 who wrote the paper, there is no basis for a national rewrite
— SADTU National. (@SadtuNational) December 6, 2020
Sadtu general secretary Mugwena Maluleke said on Monday that the department should at least limit the rewrites to areas where the leak took place.
As such, Sadtu has opted to take the department, and the country’s education quality assurance agency Umalusi, to court in an urgent application to interdict their decision.
Sadtu media officer Nomusa Cembi confirmed on Tuesday that Sadtu had not yet submitted its court papers, but that it expected to do so by the end of the day.
Cembi said lawyers were still busy drafting the papers, especially since Sadtu had decided to include affidavits from outraged parents and learners.
“We got a lot of learners and parents coming to say they support us. So affidavits will be part of the application, but these take time to do.”
As of Tuesday afternoon, the Department of Basic Education had not changed its stance on the rewrites, Sadtu added.
“There have been no updates.”
Compiled by Nica Richards
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