The matric “group cheating” scandal in which a number of Eastern Cape schools have been implicated has sent shock waves through the province.
The Eastern Cape education department has sent a stern warning to people found to be involved, saying they would face disciplinary hearings and possible expulsion.
Eastern Cape premier Phumulo Masualle said the matter was of great concern for the province. “Those who have been found responsible for this cheating must face consequences.”
He said the reported cheating “is trying to dampen what others have worked so hard the whole year for”.
Out of the 58 schools identified as being involved following an audit by the education quality assurance council, Umalusi, 19 are said to be located in the Eastern Cape.
The Sunday Times revealed five implicated Eastern Cape schools – Nowawe High School in King William’s Town, Sovuka Sikhanye High in Queenstown, Gxaba Senior Secondary in Libode, Khanya Private School in Mthatha and Mathumbu Senior in Dutywa.
Provincial education department spokesman Loyiso Pulumani said those found guilty would undergo disciplinary procedures normally instituted by the department in such cases.
“For teachers found guilty beyond reasonable doubt, the department will follow the normal disciplinary route as prescribed in the Educators’ Employment Act and in the same vein, implicated learners will be subjected to prescribed disciplinary steps as spelt out in the South African Schools Act.”
The cheating reportedly involved the maths (paper 1 and paper 2), economics and business studies matric papers.
Pulumani said in one of the Eastern Cape examination centres, 20 pupils sitting for maths 1 had been implicated but 15 of them had been cleared.
“Those pupils have been cleared and in paper 2, only 14 of the same 20 pupils have been cleared. The rest are not found complicit as such but further investigations are ongoing. The number can still go down.”
Other centres allegedly involved included two in Gauteng and Mpumalanga and one each in North West, Northern Cape and Western Cape. — bonganif@dispatch.co.za / mphumziz@dispatch.co.za
Call for action against cheats
The Eastern Cape education department has sent a stern warning to people found to be involved, saying they would face disciplinary hearings and possible expulsion.
Eastern Cape premier Phumulo Masualle said the matter was of great concern for the province. “Those who have been found responsible for this cheating must face consequences.”
He said the reported cheating “is trying to dampen what others have worked so hard the whole year for”.
Out of the 58 schools identified as being involved following an audit by the education quality assurance council, Umalusi, 19 are said to be located in the Eastern Cape.
The Sunday Times revealed five implicated Eastern Cape schools – Nowawe High School in King William’s Town, Sovuka Sikhanye High in Queenstown, Gxaba Senior Secondary in Libode, Khanya Private School in Mthatha and Mathumbu Senior in Dutywa.
Provincial education department spokesman Loyiso Pulumani said those found guilty would undergo disciplinary procedures normally instituted by the department in such cases.
“For teachers found guilty beyond reasonable doubt, the department will follow the normal disciplinary route as prescribed in the Educators’ Employment Act and in the same vein, implicated learners will be subjected to prescribed disciplinary steps as spelt out in the South African Schools Act.”
The cheating reportedly involved the maths (paper 1 and paper 2), economics and business studies matric papers.
Pulumani said in one of the Eastern Cape examination centres, 20 pupils sitting for maths 1 had been implicated but 15 of them had been cleared.
“Those pupils have been cleared and in paper 2, only 14 of the same 20 pupils have been cleared. The rest are not found complicit as such but further investigations are ongoing. The number can still go down.”
Other centres allegedly involved included two in Gauteng and Mpumalanga and one each in North West, Northern Cape and Western Cape. — bonganif@dispatch.co.za / mphumziz@dispatch.co.za
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