Socioeconomic Implications of Examination Fraud and Assessment Irregularities in South Africa’s Higher Education Sector: A Futuristic View
Abstract
This paper, based on scholarly as well as documentary evidence, intends to highlight the
socioeconomic implications of fraud and assessment irregularities in South Africa’s higher education. Higher
education institutions serve nation building purposes and as such it is expected that what they produce
should be of high standard in order to further this purpose. Lately, owing to the rise in assessment
malpractices across South African institutions of higher learning, calls have been made by business and
society for ways to deal with this. This paper asks a few questions related to what constitutes fraud and
assessment irregularities and the sources of these. The paper also points out what these portend for higher
education in South Africa while at the same suggesting some recommendations. This paper contributes to the
literature on the growing concerns of educators and researchers regarding high levels of examination
malpractice and assessment irregularities within higher education sector globally, but in particular South
Africa.
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