Parents of home-schooled matrics accuse SACAI of irregularities

A storm is brewing between the parents of home-schooled matriculants and private assessment body, the South African Comprehensive Assessment Institute (SACAI).

The irate parents are accusing the body of irregularities within the marking and capturing process of the recent matric results.

YNews has been reliably told that some learners who had been getting 70% in the Math assessment dropped as low as 17% in some cases in their final 2023 grading.

Their parents have submitted a petition to SACAI, which has so far garnered more than 3 000 signatures.

Speaking to YNews, the Head of the NSC Department at SACAI, Chipo Chibaya, says at this stage there are no indications of irregularities. 

Chibaya added that they are, nonetheless, looking into the allegations and investigations will be finalised in the next 20 days.

This comes as almost a thousand matriculants from public schools await the release of their results.

The Department of Basic Education is still finalising investigations into learners who are suspected of cheating.

Last week Monday, exams regulatory body, Umalusi, said 945 candidates were caught cheating during the 2023 matric exams, with the majority of cases emanating from KwaZulu-Natal.

The department’s Elijah Mhlanga has appealed for calm from frustrated parents and learners.

He says the results will be released once the learners have been cleared.

 

However, parents have called for transparency, rejecting the investigations as harmful to the credibility of the exams.

They are also concerned that their children will have difficulty planning their next step.

According to the DBE, 82.9% of matric pupils who sat for their school leaving exam last year passed.