The Department of Basic Education has confirmed it will continue publishing matric results in newspapers, despite the recent ban from the Information Regulator. Elijah Mhlanga, spokesperson for the department, explained that they had sought consent from the 800,000 Grade 12 learners who sat the 2024 final exams, and the majority agreed to the publication of their results. However, Mhlanga noted concerns about how to present evidence of consent should the matter be required in court.
The controversy stems from a court order that previously allowed the department to release matric results in newspapers. According to Mhlanga, the department is caught between the court’s directive and the Information Regulator’s stance, which challenges the practice. “We are seeking to reconfirm this, as there hasn’t been any new court order, and we feel the need to clarify the legal standing,” Mhlanga said.
A key issue in the debate involves the identification of students based on their exam numbers, which the Information Regulator claims could lead to individuals being identified. However, Mhlanga disagreed, arguing that the numbers are sequential and cannot be used to identify students directly. He emphasized that the court ruling, which was brought to the Pretoria High Court by Afriforum, had not addressed the merits of this issue but still granted the department permission to publish results.
Despite the ongoing legal and regulatory back-and-forth, the Department of Education remains firm in its commitment to publishing matric results in newspapers. Mhlanga said the department is prepared to return to court to resolve any further confusion and ensure that the release of the results continues as per the established practice.
