Umalusi: It only takes one lunatic to steal an exam paper

Nearly 800 000 learners will sit for this year's National Senior Certificate (NSC), which starts later this month.

Umalusi CEO Mafu Rakometsi says while they have not picked up any major issues in the run-up to the exams, a few problems have been identified in some of the provinces. 

"Factors like inadequate staffing, improper appointment of markers who do not meet the requirements according to the personnel administrative measures. And where it was clear that the audit of the district offices and examination offices had not been finalised.

"We expect that these areas of concern would have been dealt with by the time the examinations commence." 

Rakometsi says the provincial departments of education in Gauteng and KZN will be compiling a report, detailing their contingency measures following the destruction of various schools during recent storms.

"We would be able to satisfy ourselves that those plans that they have, are not in any way going to compromise the examinations. It may take some time for them to give us such a response, because as you can see, the situation is still chaotic." 

He says even though security around question papers has been beefed up this year, there is no guarantee that a paper won't be leaked. 

"It takes only one person to spoil it all for us. Just one lunatic who'll come steal a paper and destabilise the whole country in terms of its examination system. 

"So it is unfortunate that we have such people in our country who'll want to undermine the system in that manner."