The Basic Education Department has announced that it is scrapping the publishing of matric results in newspapers and on digital platforms.

The education authorities said that they recognised the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), which came into effect last year in July. The department said that it respected the right to privacy to protect against unlawful collection, retention, dissemination, and use of personal information.

Department of education stated that only matriculants can receive and share the statements of their results. Students are urged to receive statement of their results from their schools as soon as they are officially released.

Many students had previously committed suicide due to not seeing their names on the published newspapers, with this law now hopefully less students will take their own life.

The 2021 matric results are due to be announced on 20 January.