Umalusi issues stern warning against cheating

Umalusi has issued a stern warning against cheating in the 2022 end-of-year national exams and discouraged communities from using this time as leverage for their protest actions.

Umalusi, the Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further Education and Training, confirmed on Friday that all assessment bodies including the Department of Basic Education (DBE), Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), Independent Examinations Board (IEB), and South African Comprehensive Assessment Institute (SACAI), successfully completed registration of candidates.

According to Umalusi, the DBE’s candidature increased to 923 460 in 2022 from 897 786 in 2021. The candidates will sit the exams at 6 885 examination centres across the country and marking will be conducted at 186 (193 in 2021) centres by 53 926 (41 596 in 2021) markers.

The IEB has 13 875 (12 857 in 2021) candidates who will write exams at 232 examination centres for full-time candidates and six centres for part-time candidates. These numbers include 15 new IEB schools.

Umalusi’s assessment on readiness of the DBE found that there was inadequate staffing at both the national and district offices in key examinations and assessment chief directorates and there was continued non-compliance with the criterion on the storage and nodal points. Umalusi said this continues to be observed in the Free State, Limpopo, North West and Western Cape.

The audit further revealed the disruptions caused by load shedding and the lack of sustainable back-up systems at examination centres during the writing of papers, especially in subjects with a practical component, such as computer applications technology (CAT), information technology and South African Sign Language Home Language (SASL HL).

Umalusi said that based on the audit, reports and evaluation of the supporting evidence submitted independently by the IEB and SACAI, Umalusi was satisfied that each of these assessment bodies was ready to conduct, administer and manage the November 2022 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations.

“The identified shortcomings are not of such a magnitude that they have the potential to put the credibility of the exams at risk. Umalusi appreciates the effort made by all assessment bodies in putting systems in place to ensure that the integrity of the 2022 national exams is not compromised,” Umalusi said.

The council said in light of load-shedding, Umalusi called on the assessment bodies to make alternative arrangements for the supply of power during the exams to mitigate the risk of load-shedding.

In regard to cheating, Umalusi chief executive Dr Mafu Rakometsi issued a stern warning to all stakeholders.

“Once again, as we have done in the past, we would like to issue a stern warning to all learners and teachers to refrain from all forms of cheating, including group copying where teachers are sometimes implicated. We berate and condemn this criminal practice with the contempt it deserves. Cheating compromises the integrity of our national examination system, which we are mandated to jealously protect as a quality council.”

Rakometsi further discouraged communities from using national exams as leverage for their protest actions.

“This is unacceptable as it jeopardises the future of our children. The education of our children is something that each and every South African should protect jealousy,” he said.

@Chulu_M