Matric exam results will no longer be published on public platforms, Basic Education Minister, Angie Motshekga, announced on Tuesday.

The department cited the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), 2013 (Act No. 04 of 2013), which came into effect on 1 July 2021, as the reason.

The Minister said the department recognises that section 14 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, provides that everyone has the right to privacy.

She said this right to privacy includes a right to protection against the unlawful collection, retention, dissemination and use of personal information.

“In order to comply with the provisions of the POPIA, the usual practice of publishing the National Senior Certificate examination results on public platforms (media platforms), will not occur for the 2021 NSC examination results,” she said.

As in previous years, all learners will be required to obtain their Statement of Results from their respective schools.

The Minister said this is to protect every learner’s personal information, with regards to the outcomes of the 2021 NSC exams.

Second Chance Matric Programme

On Monday, Motshekga officially launched the department’s Second Chance Matric Programme in Mpumalanga.

The Minister said the department will continue with this campaign, which is intended to encourage young people to never give up on their dreams.

“The registration for the 2022 Matric rewrite examinations started on 1 October 2021, and will close on 15 February 2022. Therefore, there is about a month to register for the Matric rewrite. The mid-year exams will start on 9 May 2022, and end on 23 June 2022,” the Minister said.

Safety and security in schools

The DBE continues to implement its partnership protocol with the South African Police Service in promoting safety and security in all schools.

The Minister said that this is achieved through ensuring that all schools are linked to their local police stations and that a police officer is linked to every school.

She explained that the partnership protocol contributes to the identification of problematic schools, as well as the implementation of School Safety Programmes.

The basic education sector is leading a collective of Deputy Ministers in the roll-out of the Anti-Bullying Campaign, which was launched in Gauteng during May 2021.

“The campaign pulls together efforts of various government departments that contribute to the eradication and management of bullying incidents in schools, and making communities aware of various available interventions to address the bullying problem,” Motshekga said.

Underage pregnancy

Motshekga has expressed concern over the recent statistics on pregnancy among young girls between the ages of 10 and 19.

As such, the DBE has gazetted the Policy for the Prevention and Management of Learner Pregnancy (EUP) in Schools.

“Through this policy, we are in continuous engagement with other sectors and parents to strengthen the prevention of early and unintended pregnancy,” the Minister said.

She said interventions such as the Let’s Talk EUP, implemented with support from UNESCO, allow for the opening up of safe spaces of intergenerational dialogue on how the country can, as a collective, best deal with the issue of underage and teen pregnancy.

“Our commitment is to strengthen the Comprehensive Sexuality Education offering in Life Orientation to ensure that learners are empowered with knowledge and skills to make informed decisions about their health and sexuality, prevent HIV infection and pregnancy, and focus on their education,” she said.

Source: South African Government News Agency