RELEASE OF MATRIC RESULTS DEADLOCK

Department to fight to ‘protect quality education’

THE Department of Basic Education is taking the fight to hold the matric results of dozens of pupils from one of the schools implicated in a maths paper leak scandal forward.

On Saturday, the Thohoyandou High Court in Limpopo ordered that both the national and provincial departments of education should release the results of pupils from New Era College in Malamulele.

“New Era is an independent school owned by Tinyiko Elphas Khosa, the accused in the matter involving the leaking of maths Paper 2 in Giyani,” department spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said in a statement yesterday.

Mhlanga said pupils at the school took the department and Umalusi to court demanding the release of their results. The court ruled in their favour.

“We are launching an appeal with immediate effect in the interest of protecting quality education and the integrity of our examination system. We are gravely concerned about court decisions which undermine our efforts to provide quality education to learners,” said Mhlanga.

“The public can be assured that we do everything in our power and within the ambit of our constitution and laws to protect quality education and the integrity of our examination system.

“Umalusi instructed the department to withhold the results of learners at New Era College pending an investigation by the Hawks and the department’s own internal processes.

“We are disappointed because there’s evidence indicating there [was] wrongdoing and a person was arrested on the matter.”

He said there was evidence that showed that learners had access to the examinations question paper before it was written.

“This judgment is compromising our examinations and, as a result, we will advice the province and Umalusi to appeal. The judgment has a potential of sending the wrong message that you can cheat the exams and then go to court to force the department to hand over your results even though you might be guilty.

“We appreciate the work done by the Hawks thus far and we are confident that their investigation will help us root out the corruption that has a risk of tarnishing the credibility of the examination,” Mhlanga said.

He said a clear message must be sent to those who cheat.

“The department and its stakeholders will also review the policies and regulations that govern the management of irregularities in order to strengthen the examinations system,” he said.

“Court judgment is compromising our examinations; we will appeal