Dept supports Umalusi report
2011-02-24 19:12
Cape Town - The department of basic education said on Thursday it hoped Umalusi's decision to reveal how it adjusted the 2010 matric results put to rest any notion of political interference in the process.
"The department trusts that the matter will now be put to rest and that the suspicions regarding some sort of political interference regarding the increase in the number of candidates who passed the national senior certificate will come to and end," it said in a statement.
It said Umalusi's report confirmed a "rigorous process of moderation and standardisation" and reiterated its support for the members of the Umalusi council.
"Umalusi's report... confirms that the standardisation meeting at which the performance in each subject was analysed statistically and qualitatively did indeed ensure that the performance of the class of 2010 was in keeping with performance in previous years."
The department said it supported Umalusi's decision to go public "even though this has not occurred anywhere else in the world".
Umalusi revealed on Wednesday that it had adjusted upwards marks in nine 2010 matric papers set by the department of basic education.
These were accountancy, consumer studies, English home language, English first additional language, geography, mathematics, Sotho home language, Tswana home language and Venda home language.
Subjects adjusted downwards were: agricultural sciences, civil technology, electrical technology, Ndebele home language, Zulu home language, Xhosa first additional language, life sciences, religion studies, SiSwati home language, and Tsonga home language.
Umalusi chairperson Sizwe Mabizela took the unusual step of explaining when and how matric results were "standardised" after weeks of suspicion over the increase in last year's national matric pass rate and allegations that marks were inflated.
- SAPA
