The Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further Education and Training, known as Umalusi, has expressed overall satisfaction with the integrity of the 2023 matric examinations.
During a recent media briefing, Dr Mafu Rakometsi, CEO of Umalusi, commended the successful conduct of the exams, emphasizing the absence of paper leakages and major disruptions that could compromise the credibility of results.
However, Rakometsi raised specific concerns, shedding light on challenges such as certificate fraud, printing errors, and translation quality issues in some exam papers.
One notable issue highlighted was group copying involving 945 national senior certificate candidates, with the majority of cases detected in KwaZulu-Natal.
Law enforcement efforts have been instrumental in addressing fraudulent activities related to exam certificates, resulting in the arrest of 11 suspects.
Rakometsi emphasized Umalusi’s commitment to collaborating with law enforcement agencies to ensure that those engaged in fraudulent practices face legal consequences.
To reinforce the credibility of qualifications, Umalusi urges employers to verify the qualifications of their employees through designated agencies.
Rakometsi underscored Umalusi’s primary mandate of issuing authentic certificates to qualifying candidates and emphasized the organization’s dedication to combating fake certificates.
While praising the efforts of assessment bodies in safeguarding the exam process, Rakometsi acknowledged certain challenges, including printing errors and translation issues.
Umalusi took proactive measures to address these concerns, excluding affected questions from the marking process to minimize their impact on candidates’ performance.
Despite a reduction in reported irregularities, Umalusi remains actively involved in resolving outstanding cases, particularly group copying incidents across provinces.
Rakometsi assured the public of Umalusi’s diligence in addressing these challenges to uphold the quality of national examination results.
On a positive note, Rakometsi highlighted the absence of paper leakages, ensuring the integrity and credibility of the 2023 examinations.
As Umalusi reaffirms its commitment to maintaining high standards in the educational system, the organization continues to play a crucial role in quality assurance processes, including monitoring examination centers and standardizing examination marks.
In a separate development, Rakometsi mentioned that the Hawks arrested an employee of the Department of Higher Education and Training in December for fraudulently issuing a diploma certificate for cash.
