South Africa's public education system is under renewed scrutiny as Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube prepares to receive a preliminary report on the matric exam cheating scandal this week.
The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has been accused by the Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) of failing to protect the integrity of matric exams, and the group has warned that further exam leaks could discourage parents from sending their children to public schools.
The controversy started after it was discovered that 26 matric candidates from seven Pretoria schools had accessed National Senior Certificate examination papers for English Home Language, Mathematics, and Physical Science prior to the scheduled exams.
When multiple candidates gave nearly identical responses to a "novel question" on the English Home Language Paper 2 exam, the breach was discovered.
At least seven exam papers, including Mathematics Paper 2 and Physical Sciences, were eventually compromised, according to Gwarube's later confirmation.
During a briefing on 11 December 2025, she revealed that the leaked papers were circulated via a USB device and traced back to the Department of Basic Education’s examination-setting unit. One official allegedly received the exam material from a colleague, with one of the implicated officials reportedly being the parent of a Grade 12 learner.
Two DBE officials have since been suspended and face criminal charges, while a National Investigative Task Team has been established to determine the full scope of the leak, identify all learners involved, and recommend measures to prevent future breaches.
Gwarube has insisted that those responsible for compromising the integrity of the matric examinations will be held fully accountable.
Meanwhile, Freedom Front Plus MP and chief spokesperson on education Wynand Boshoff said the scandal has deepened concerns about the credibility of public schooling, warning that repeated breaches could erode trust in government-issued matric results.
“The shocking revelation that Department of Education officials are implicated in leaking matric exam papers, and could even have initiated it, erodes confidence in the public education system,” Boshoff said.
He added that interest in independent education is expected to rise next year and in the years ahead as parents seek alternatives they perceive as more secure.
Boshoff pointed out that South Africa has three examination authorities, the DBE, the South African Comprehensive Assessment Institute (SACAI) and the Independent Examinations Board (IEB), noting that the latter two have consistently administered examinations without fraud or controversy.
“When cheating in exams comes to light, the Department’s usual defence is the enormous scale of the examinations it oversees. What makes this year’s breach different, however, is that it reportedly took place at headquarters, not at a remote examination centre where control is more difficult,” he said.
Boshoff added that the VF Plus has long argued that public schools should be allowed to choose which examination board they wish to use.
“If the Department refuses to relinquish its monopoly on managing schools’ final examinations, parents will increasingly look towards independent education,” he warned.
Education activist Hendrick Makaneta also condemned the Pretoria exam scandal, stating that it has sparked widespread outrage and exposed a serious betrayal by those entrusted with safeguarding exam security.
“We are deeply outraged by the Pretoria matric cheating scandal. It should be clear at this point that those entrusted with exam security have betrayed learners and undermined public trust.
“Whilst we welcome suspensions of culprits, real accountability and criminal consequences are necessary. Innocent learners must be protected against acts of misconduct by adults. We also wish to applaud the basic education officials who detected acts of copying during their marking processes,” he said.
The Star