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Claims of matric exam paper leak, rewrite are 'false' - Education dept

Claims that a matric exam paper was leaked and that the exam would have to be rewritten are fake and should be ignored, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) has said.

On Tuesday morning the department tweeted that the fake news was designed to cause confusion.

"Good morning! Please ignore all the rumours about exam paper rewrite. No paper has leaked, no papers will be rewritten. It’s all fake news designed to cause anxiety and confusion," the tweet read.

READ: Ignore fake letter about maths and stay focused: Message to teachers, matrics

This comes after a notice was distributed among National Senior Certificate (NSC) candidates claiming that the biology exam paper had been stolen from the Western Cape Education Department (WCED).

Western Cape MEC for Education Debbie Schafer dismissed the statement as false and tweeted: "[I have] just been told this is being distributed. It is false."

The DBE told News24 it was disappointed.

"We are not sure of the motives other than to cause confusion and add to the anxiety of learners. It's very disappointing," spokesperson Troy Martens said.

The DBE also confirmed that it was investigating a school in Katlehong, east of Johannesburg, following allegations that the principal assisted pupils with their geography paper.

READ MORE: Matric exam scandal hits Gauteng

"The issue of the principal in Katlehong is true and is being dealt with by the department," she said.

The 2018 matric examinations started last month and were expected to conclude at the end of November.

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