Leaked matric exam papers shake confidence in South Africa's education system

As thousands of matriculants across the country anxiously await their 2025 results, the Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) has warned that confidence in South Africa’s public education system has been severely shaken by revelations that leaked matric examination papers originated from within the Department of Basic Education (DBE).

VF Plus MP and chief spokesperson on education Dr Wynand Boshoff said reports implicating DBE officials in leaking – and possibly initiating – the breach were “shocking” and risked undermining trust in the integrity of the National Senior Certificate.

“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 warned that interest in independent education was likely to grow in the coming years as parents seek alternatives they believe offer stronger safeguards.

South Africa has three examination authorities: the DBE, the South African Comprehensive Assessment Institute (SACAI) and the Independent Examinations Board (IEB). Boshoff argued that the latter two have consistently managed their examinations without fraud or controversy, while the latest breach has once again placed the state system under scrutiny.

“When cheating in exams comes to light, the Department’s usual defence is the enormous scale of the examinations it oversees,” Boshoff said. “What makes this year’s breach different is that it reportedly took place at headquarters, not at some remote examination centre where ensuring control is difficult.”

His comments follow confirmation by Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube that leaked 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) papers originated inside the DBE and reached learners at seven schools in Pretoria.

Twenty-six matric candidates have admitted to having had access to English Home Language Paper 2 and its marking guide. The breach later expanded to include Mathematics and Physical Sciences, although the department has indicated that the scope appears limited. Two DBE employees have since been suspended.

Gwarube said the irregularity was detected when Gauteng markers noticed an “unusual similarity” between a candidate’s answers and the official marking guideline. “Our systems worked exactly as they were designed to do: to detect, isolate, investigate and address any manipulation of the NSC exams,” she said, adding that no results had been finalised and no certification processes had begun.

A National Investigative Task Team has been established, comprising representatives from Umalusi, Universities South Africa, teacher unions, SAQA, DBE officials, an independent chairperson and a private forensic investigator.

Boshoff said the incident reinforced the VF Plus’s long-standing call for public schools to be allowed to choose which examination board they use. “If the Department refuses to relinquish its monopoly on managing schools’ final examinations, parents will increasingly start looking into independent education,” he said.

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