Pretoria: The Department of Basic Education has reaffirmed the integrity and governance of the state national senior certificate examination system. This comes as the department addressed concerns over unfounded statements regarding a limited examination breach during the 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations.
According to South African Government News Agency, the department unequivocally condemns any breach of examination integrity, refuting claims that the integrity of the NSC is fundamentally compromised or that independent examination bodies are inherently more secure. This response follows the Freedom Front Plus's criticism of departmental officials implicated in leaking matric exam papers, which they claim undermines confidence in the public education system.
The Department of Basic Education stated that any compromise of examination integrity is unacceptable, and it has taken decisive actions to address the breach. These actions include publicly acknowledging the breach, forming a National Investigation Task Team, suspending the implicated officials, and initiating criminal and disciplinary processes, reflecting the department's commitment to accountability and resilience.
The detection of the irregularities highlighted the robustness of the department's quality assurance and monitoring systems. The breach was identified through internal controls during the marking process and was swiftly traced and isolated. The department emphasized that credible examination systems are measured by the strength of their detection, response, and remediation frameworks, maintaining that South Africa's NSC meets national and international benchmarks.
The department also noted that examination irregularities are not unique to the public examination system, with international experience showing that no examination authority is entirely free from human misconduct. In South Africa, the DBE collaborates with the Independent Examinations Board (IEB) and the South African Comprehensive Assessment Institute (SACAI) to ensure coherence and quality assurance, thereby strengthening the credibility of the national examination ecosystem.
The NSC examination, administered by the DBE, is crucial for access to higher education, skills development, and employment and continues to be trusted by universities and employers. Director-General Mathanzima Mweli rejected claims that the integrity of the National Senior Certificate is in decline, dismissing such assertions as unsupported and politically motivated.