Sasco: Pandor not to blame over matric-results blunder

Education Minister Naledi Pandor was not to blame for the blunder that saw thousands of matric results withheld, the South African Students’ Congress (Sasco) said on Wednesday.

Addressing the media in Johannesburg, Sasco president Mawethu Rune said education managers at district level were to blame.

“The minister is not the culprit. We therefore call on the Education Department to investigate and to bring all culprits to book.”

The results of 56 300 matriculants were not released on December 30 along with the rest of the matric class due to irregularities.

The affected matriculants will not be able to further their studies if results are not released soon.

Sasco also called on all institutions of higher learning to establish special senate committees to ensure that all disadvantaged students get financial assistance to avoid academic and financial exclusions.

“We also wish to advise students to consider going to public Further Education and Training [FET] colleges as the government has allocated the resources for poor students in the FET sector.”

Sasco also raised concerns that while 107 642 matriculants obtained minimum admission to a Bachelor Degree, many would not meet “ridiculous standards set by universities”.

Rune said the student body had sent members of the Congress of South African Students (Cosas) to monitor the reopening of schools.

Sasco members would also monitor registration at universities and colleges.

“Our guys will inform relevant authorities if there are problems so that they can be solved immediately,” said Rune.—Sapa