Over 400 Learners Caught Cheating During the National Senior Certificate Exams

• The education quality watchdog Umalusi revealed that more than 400 learners cheated in the National Senior Certificate exams for 2024
• CEO Dr Mafu Rakometsi revealed that the number of those who cheated in 2024 decreased from 2023
• Most of those who cheated came from Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal, which concerned Umalusi

Tebogo Mokwena, a dedicated Briefly News current affairs journalist, contributed coverage of international and local social issues like health, corruption, education, unemployment, labour, service delivery protests and immigration in South Africa during his seven years at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News.

JOHANNESBURG — Umalusi revealed that although the number of learners who cheated during the National Senior Certificate exams in 2024 decreased, it is still a concern. KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga had the highest number of learners who cheated.

How many learners cheated?

According to Eyewitness News, over 800,000 matriculants wrote their exams in 2024. Out of these, 407 learners cheated, down from 945 in 2023. Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal had the most learners who cheated during the examinations. The CEO, Dr Mafu Rakometsi, said that 195 learners from KZN and 74 from Mpumalanga cheated.

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"Umalusi remains seriously concerned that KZN and Mpumalanga are once again at the top of the list," he said.

Umalusi also noted specific issues that require the attention of the relevant assessment bodies. These include absenteeism rates and subjects that continue to produce unusually high failure rates.

"These observations raise questions about the levels of support that candidates find in their teaching, learning and examination preparation experiences," Umalusi said.

Matric results updates

• The Information Regulator banned the Department of Basic Education in November 2024 from publishing matric results in newspapers
• The Department, in response, filed an appeal to challenge the ban and announced that the results would be published in local newspapers
• The Regulator fined the Department R5 million for failing to abide by the issued ban

Hawks investigating possible results leak

In a related article, Briefly News reported that the Hawks and the State Security are investigating the possibility of leaked matric results. She announced the matric results during a media briefing.

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A company allegedly offered R100 for results to matriculants, which prompted the Department to launch the probe. Gwarube said that if the leak came from within the Department, consequence management would follow.

Source: Briefly News