Teachers' union SAOU calls for urgent steps to protect matric exam integrity, support pupils' welfare

Teachers' union Suid-Afrikaanse Onderwysersunie (SAOU) or the South African Teachers' Union has raised concerns about incidents affecting matric exam integrity including an incident in KwaZulu-Natal where a teacher allegedly supplied answers to 52 candidates in advance.

The union has also raised concern about the welfare of pupils during exams.

In an opinion piece, Adel Jacobs, head of department for SAOU Professional Services said while the Department of Basic Education said the exams were largely disruption-free, there were incidents that were concerning including an incident in KwaZulu-Natal where a teacher allegedly supplied answers to 52 candidates in advance.

“Educators must uphold integrity at all times,” said Jacobs.

She added that there was an ongoing challenge of principals unlawfully preventing candidates from writing certain subjects due to expected poor performance.

“This practice undermines the integrity of the process and is strongly condemned. It is clear that the relentless focus on district and provincial competition directly fuels this unethical behaviour, including the encouragement of cheating by teachers in certain cases, thereby compromising the principles of fairness and integrity. It is essential that these tendencies be firmly addressed and unequivocally condemned.”

Regarding pupil welfare challenges, Jacobs noted that some pupils were impacted by traumatic events including the murder of a Gauteng principal just before exams, a vehicle accident in KZN that injured four candidates, two reported cases of rape preventing candidates from completing exams, and armed robberies in Limpopo targeting pupils sleeping in school halls. 

Jacobs noted that high levels of stress and anxiety were also being reported among matric pupils.

“Attending exhausting weekend and holiday classes has become the norm in numerous provinces. It is an undermining practice that does not necessarily produce the desired results and only drastically reduces learners' time for necessary rest and recovery. By the time the exam begins, a distressing number of candidates are physically exhausted and emotionally burned out.”

To address these challenges, Jacobs highlighted three critical areas for reform:

• Ethical Accountability and Integrity: There must be an immediate and non-negotiable end to the encouragement of a culture of competition around performance that encourages unethical behaviour, such as the exclusion of candidates and cheating. Stricter, transparent sanctions against principals and educators involved in misconduct are essential to protect the integrity of the exam.
• Holistic Mental Health Programs: The implementation of a comprehensive mental-health programme across all grades to equip learners with the necessary skills to effectively cope with the overwhelming anxiety and stress caused by the system.
• Early Intervention and Development: Strengthening early interventions during the formative years (0–9 years) is critical. This will ensure that academic and developmental delays are eliminated at an early stage, thereby reducing the unreasonable and desperate pressure on Grade 12 candidates to fill gaps at the last minute.

The KZN department of education has yet to respond to the request for comment.

THE MERCURY