Tighter security for matric exam centres

THE Department of Basic Education has beefed up security at examination paper storage centres in a bid to curb leakages that led to group cheating in the past.

For starters, the department has replaced junior officials with more senior officials.

Education spokesman Elijah Mhlanga said all storage centres were being audited regularly.

“We have audited our storage facilities to ensure that they comply with security requirements.

“The [previous] leaks had taken place in a storage centre. We have replaced junior officials with senior officials,” Mhlanga said.

He said all the storage facilities found to have had leakages would be classified as high-risk centres and would be given priority, including extra security.

In 2014, the department revealed that a number of schools were being investigated for group cheating after exam papers were leaked from storage centres.

The centres allegedly involved in the cheating were in the Eastern Cape, two in Gauteng and Mpumalanga, and one each in North West, Northern Cape and Western Cape.

Mhlanga said the investigation had since been completed.

Those found to have taken part in group cheating were banned for up to three years from writing exams.

The department has now also declared that storage points not compliant with security requirements would not be allowed to store question papers.

“In addition, all exam centres will be audited by the provincial education department, while centres classified as high risk, along with independent centres, will receive greater priority,” Mhlanga said.

This year’s examinations started officially on Wednesday last week with computer applications technology.

With a total of 677 141 registered full-time and 150 183 part-time candidates, the examinations will see 9 216 additional candidates from the number that sat last year.