Matric marks: Motshekga’s bullying tactics won’t deter us
24 January 2017
The Chief Whip of the DA has received a letter from Minister Motshekga threatening disciplinary action for “unethical conduct” with regards to our questioning of the standardisation process of the matric marks.
We assume from the weakness of the allegations in the Minister’s letter that it is little more than an attempt to bully us into silence.
These tactics will not work.
It is everybody’s right to know how the matric examination papers were marked, how they were moderated and why the marks were adjusted during the standardisation process.
We have put a number of legitimate questions to the CEO of Umalusi, Dr Mafu Rakometsi, regarding the standardisation process, and he has refused to answer.
Furthermore, Dr Rakometsi has refused to share documents that will help explain why the marks of so many subjects (28 out of 58) were adjusted upwards.
Dr Rakometsi's strange reluctance to share information has created the unfortunate perception that Umalusi has something to hide. Minister Motshekga’s letter only cements that perception.
We will continue to push for full transparency from Umalusi. Indeed, I have today submitted an application in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act to request key documents that will shed further light on the standardisation process. These are:
- Umalusi’s record of standardisation decisions for the past five years (2012-2016);
- Umalusi’s report to the Department of Basic Education on the National Senior Certificate (NSC) for the last five years; and
- External Moderator reports for all NSC subjects for the last five years.
There may very well be good answers to all the questions we have asked regarding standardisation. But we need to hear these explanations, and we need to be persuaded that they are rational.
As responsible citizens, we cannot simply accept things at face value. We need to probe and interrogate to make sure that the public interest is served. Minister Motshekga should be encouraging this, not trying to shut it down.
Issued by Gavin Davis, DA Shadow Minister of Basic Education, 24 January 2017
