BusinessLive reports that the Department of Basic Education (DBE) says it will defend any attempt in court by the SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) to halt the rewriting of leaked matric exam papers.  

The union said in a sternly worded statement on Saturday that it was considering legal action against the department and Umalusi — the examinations quality assurer — over a decision to have all pupils who wrote the national senior certificate mathematics and physical science papers rewrite them because the question papers were leaked.  According to DBE Minister Angie Motshekga, the mathematics paper two will be written on 15 December and the physical science paper two will be written on 17 December.  “Sadtu will, on Monday, file an urgent court application to interdict the department’s decision,” said the union.  It added:  “Sadtu believes the decision to have all learners doing mathematics and physical science rewrites is unfair and premature because the investigation [into the leaks] has not been concluded.  Based on the initial investigation which has shown that the number of learners who may have seen the paper [is] less than 200 out of the 390,000 who wrote the paper, there is no basis for a national rewrite.”  Mugwena Maluleke, the union’s general secretary, said the decision had left many learners and teachers distraught and frustrated.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Philane Nombembe at BusinessLive

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