50 pupils accused of matric exam cheating in Limpopo, turn to court

While the country’s 2025 matric class has received their results this week, 50 learners accused of cheating in the 2024 exams are set to turn to court after their results have been withheld for more than a year.

Section27, who represents the group, said they were wrongfully accused of “group copying”. It has launched a judicial review application in the Limpopo Division, Polokwane of the High Court on behalf of the 50 former matric learners from Baphutheng Senior Secondary School, challenging decisions that found them guilty of “group copying” during their final 2024 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations.

The decisions, taken by the Acting Head of Department and upheld by the MEC for Education in Limpopo, relate to Business Studies Paper 1 and Economics Paper 2.

As a result, the learners’ results have been withheld for more than a year, placing their education, employment prospects, and futures on hold.

The allegation against the learners is based solely on the similarity of their examination answers. The Limpopo Department of Education (LDoE) has not furnished any evidence of cheating or group copying, Section27 said.

Furthermore, no learner was found in possession of notes or unauthorised material, and there was no evidence of communication or coordination observed in the examination venues. The invigilators also confirmed that there were no irregularities at any stage of the examinations.

“What the Limpopo Department of Education has characterised as ‘group copying’ is, in truth, the foreseeable outcome of how teaching and learning occur at this school,” Section27 said. It described the school as under-resourced, lacking access to textbooks, a library, and learning support materials.

In response to these constraints, educators employed creative and practical teaching methods to ensure learners could understand and retain complex content.

These included structured oral learning, group recitation, and subject-based songs to memorise key concepts and essay frameworks, the NGO explained.

Section27 said these methods were used openly and consistently throughout the academic year. Learners practised together in classrooms and on school grounds, reciting and singing content as part of their preparation.

This approach, confirmed by educators and the former principal, was designed to compensate for material shortages and to support comprehension and recall. It also explains why learners produced similar, though not identical, responses during examinations, Section27 said.

According to it, the disciplinary process that followed was fundamentally unfair.

“Learners were subjected to intimidating and coercive questioning, confronted with shifting accusations, and denied a meaningful opportunity to respond".

Section27 said their explanations were not properly interrogated or tested. “Attempts to submit corroborating evidence, including video recordings demonstrating the teaching and learning methods used at the school, were disregarded".

Section27 said the appeal to the MEC failed to address these defects and merely endorsed the original findings without engaging with the substance of the learners’ case. “The consequences have been devastating for the learners. By withholding their results, authorities have excluded them from further study and employment opportunities".

Meanwhile, university application cycles have passed, job prospects have been lost, and the stigma of being labelled “cheaters” has followed them in their communities. For many, the emotional and psychological impact has been profound, Section27 said.

The court will be asked to order the department to release these results.

zelda.venter@inl.co.za