Umalusi, the Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further Education and Training has successfully concluded the statistical moderation of the 2014 Senior Certificate results. The Senior Certificate examination (SC) is a special examination that allows candidates/learners who were unable to complete the old Senior Certificate in 2007 to complete the outstanding qualification requirements.
The SC examination, which is based on Report 550, was conducted for the 7th time this year as a special examination and was initially meant to be administered for the last time in 2011. The first National Senior Certificate external examinations were written for the first time in 2008 to replace the Senior Certificate.
However, based on the large number of candidates that had not completed the qualification at the end of 2011, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) extended the administration of the SC.
According to the Chairperson of Umalusi Council, Prof John Volmink, “the quality assurance processes employed by Umalusi as well as the Provincial Departments of Education usually highlight incidents of examination irregularities where they occur.”
However, in the exam conducted in May 2014 “these processes revealed irregularities in KwaZulu-Natal which were of such a nature that Umalusi had no alternative but to withhold the release of exam results in that province until the ongoing investigation has been completed” said Prof Volmink.
In line with its legislative mandate, Umalusi will oversee the investigation currently being conducted by the DBE and the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education. The two Departments will present a formal report to Umalusi upon completion of the investigation.
On the basis of its monitoring and moderation processes, and the evidence before it, Umalusi is satisfied that in the remaining 8 provinces, there were no serious irregularities that could undermine the credibility of the examinations.
The Council is therefore of the opinion that the examinations in the 8 provinces (excluding KZN) were conducted in a credible manner and therefore approves the release of the results for the 2014 Senior Certificate examinations.
Enquiries:
Lucky Ditaunyane
Senior Manager: PR and Communications
Cell: 083 227 6074
Email: lucky@umalusi.org.za
