Bay adult matrics must write again
Exam scam forces all Bay adult matriculants to rewrite next year.
A SCAM that wreaked havoc during the adult matric exams across KwaZulu-Natal in May, has been detrimental for all the candidates who chose the Richards Bay Secondary School, registered as the Richards Bay Library, as their exam venue.
The local facility was one of the 153 centres found in 12 KZN education districts where ‘ghostwriting’ was uncovered by exam quality watchdog Umalusi.
As a result, the Department of Education recently issued a letter informing Zululand’s ‘old matrics’ that they will be required to rewrite the exam based on the old syllabus next year.
‘After a month-long investigation into the mass copying of the examination, Umalusi took a decision not to approve the results of exams written at the Richards Bay Library because of gross irregularities which were discovered during the audit,’ the Department said.
‘In view thereof, the results of the candidates of Richards Bay Library will not be released.
‘The centre has been de-registered and a sanction period of one year is imposed on candidates that will be found guilty (sic).’
However, one applicant (who asked to remain anonymous) feels the decision is ‘grossly unfair’.
‘I have never heard of such injustice.
‘The Department clearly has no sympathy for the honest people who went and wrote the exams and the stress and desperation they feel to get good jobs, but can’t secure without showing their matric certificates.
‘In a country where the government is preaching that illiteracy has to be addressed, this action of the Education Department makes no sense.
‘There were also many disadvantaged people who wrote this matric exam in difficult circumstances.’
The adult matric results of the other eight provinces were released in August.
In northern KZN, cheating was discovered in Richards Bay, Ulundi and Jozini.
Investigators reportedly found two sets of answer scripts for the same subject and exam number, but completed in different handwriting.
The KZN Education Department said it will de-register all fraudulent adult matric exam centres and replace temporary invigilators with district and school officials.
