The Pretoria High Court has dismissed an application by the Information Regulator (IR) to prevent the Department of Basic Education (DBE) from publishing the 2024 Matric Results in newspapers.
The Regulator had issued an enforcement notice to the DBE in November, arguing that the department may have violated the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPI Act) by publishing student results without proper consent.
The notice ordered the DBE not to publish the matric results in newspapers and to use alternative, POPI-compliant methods, such as direct school distribution or secure SMS services.
The DBE appealed the notice, but the late submission resulted in an infringement notice and a R5 million fine. The Regulator subsequently sought an urgent court interdict to halt newspaper publication.
The court, however, ruled in favor of the DBE, allowing the publishing of matric exam results in newspapers to continue. It's important to note that learners' names will not appear in newspapers, but rather their exam numbers.
A total of 732,448 full-time and 136,195 part-time candidates registered for the 2024 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations. The exams concluded in late November 2024, with results released on 14 January 2025.
Education Minister Welcomes Matric Results Publication Ruling
Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube welcomed the High Court's ruling and thanked the IR for raising the matter with the courts so it could be clarified.
I thank the IR for raising their concerns and the courts for clarifying the matter
The Minister expressed her intention to work with the IR to address any concerns they may have in the interest of advancing education.
I will continue to work with the IR to address any further concerns in the interest of advancing education and supporting the IR
The DBE will publish the 2024 Matric results at 06:00 AM on 14 January 2025.
