The 2024 Matric Results will be published in newspapers. This was confirmed by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) earlier this week.
While learners' results are set to be published in newspapers, learners' names will not be present. The DBE was granted permission to publish exam numbers of learners.
How We Got Here
Last Month, South Africa’s Information Regulator (IR) issued an enforcement notice against the DBE. This enforcement notice claimed that should the DBE publish the matric results in newspapers, they would violate the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPI Act).
The POPI Act aims to protect personal information and requires organizations to obtain consent before processing personal data. Non-compliance with the Act can result in penalties.
The IR argued that the DBE would not have obtained proper consent from learners and their guardians to publish matric results.
The DBE then applied to set aside the IR’s enforcement notice at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Friday, 13 December 2024.
In the application, the DBE argued that the POPI Act allows for enforcement notices only in response to past violations, not to prevent future actions. Therefore, the Regulator's notice, which aims to prevent the future publication of results, is invalid.
They further argued that publishing exam numbers does not reveal any identifiable information about learners and further stated that if the publication is considered "processing" personal information, it falls within permissible exceptions outlined in the POPI Act, such as fulfilling a contract or complying with legal obligations.
The Court decided to suspend the enforcement notice, which allows the Department to proceed with publishing results in newspapers.
New Matric Exams Results Release Date
Minister Siviwe Gwarube confirmed that the final results will be announced on 13 January 2025, with provincial education departments releasing results to candidates on 14 January 2025.
Initially, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) stated that matric exam results would be released on Thursday, 15 January, with candidates receiving their results on 16 January. However, the results will now be released a few days earlier.
While the DBE has not yet provided a reason for the change in the release date of matric exam results, the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) explained that the adjustment is to accommodate the first day of the 2025 school year.
Important Links For Matric Results
- How To Check For Matric Results Online
- NSC School Performance Report For 2024 Shows Matric Results Per School
- Where Can I Get My Matric Results
- Can I Get Matric Results Online?
- Important Dates Before Matric Results Are Released
- What Date Will The Matric Results Be Released?
- Here's When Education Minister Will Announce The Matric Results For 2024
- Here's When And Where To Collect Your Matric Results For The 2024 Matric Exams
- School Performance Report Shows Results For All SA Schools
- How To Check Your IEB Matric Results
- Guide To Check Your Matric Results With ID Number
- Will Matric Results Be In The Newspaper
- How To Check Your IEB Matric Results
- IEB Confirms 2024 Matric Results Release Date
