Education Dept mum on Information Regulator matric result publication ban

JOHANNESBURG - The Education Department says it will not be commenting yet on the Information Regulator’s ban on the publication of matric results in newspapers. 

The regulator found the publication of student's personal details is in violation of the Protection of Personal Information (POPI) Act.   

The department previously replaced names and surnames with student numbers, however, the regulator said that infringes on the Act. 

The regulatror's Advocate Pansy Tlakula said they tabled solutions to the department.  

"They must anonymise, randomise, in fact that's the word we used, randomise those numbers because as they are they are sequential." 

The regulator has given the department up to 31 days to respond to its recommendations. 

Meanwhile, Tlakula reminded pupils of where they could access their results. 

"The results are obtainable at school, the results are also obtainable through an SMS facility. A student registers, they get an OTP, and they get their own results."