THE ANNUAL NATIONAL ASSESSMENTS (ANA)
THE QUALITY LEARNING AND TEACHING CAMPAIGN
THE ANNUAL NATIONAL ASSESSMENTS (ANA)
The Department of Basic Education has completed the Annual National Assessments (ANA) of learners in Grades 2 - 10 in February 2011. This involved over six million learners throughout South Africa.
This important intervention is one of the key strategies that the department has put in place to improve learner achievement by 2014. The improvement of the quality and levels of educational outcomes in the schooling system is a top priority of both government and the Department of Ba- sic Education. The extent to which these outcomes are achieved will be monitored through the administration of annual na- tional assessments (ANA).
The department has set a target of improv- ing numeracy and literacy attainment levels of Grades 3 and 6 from the current average attainment levels of between 27% and 38% to at least 60% by 2014. The ANA have been set by the national department in or- der to provide a benchmark for all schools in the basic education sector.
Literacy and numeracy are critical foun- dational skills that are fundamental to all learning. Each learner writes a test in liter- acy and numeracy. The tests will be based on the performance levels of the grade of
TABLE 17: Who will write the ANA IN 2011? Grade in 2010 at which the ANA will be tested
Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 9
the previous year. The ANA timetable can be found on the Department’s website:
http://www.education.gov.za.
ANA is intended to provide regular, well- timed, valid and credible data on learner achievement in the education system. As- sessment of learners’ performance in the GET Band (Grades 1- 9) has previously been done at school level. Unlike examinations that are designed to inform decisions on learner promotion and progression, ANA data is meant to be used for both diagnos- tic purposes at individual learner level and decision-making purposes at systemic level.
At the individual learner level, the ANA results will provide teachers with empirical evidence on what the learner can and/or cannot do at a particular stage or grade and do so at the beginning of the school year. Schools will inform parents of their child’s ANA performance in March 2011.
At systemic level, ANA provides reliable data for policy decisions related to provi-
sion and support required at various levels of the system. The ANA will make it easier for district offices to determine where sup- port is most urgently needed and by al- lowing principals, teachers and parents to plan in a more informed manner how to improve performance.
The ANA will be administered and marked by teachers, moderated by districts. At na- tional level, the DBE will also sample scripts for moderation (limited to Grades 3, 6 and 9) to check if marking was done consistent- ly across districts and provinces.
The Minister is expected to report on the performance of Grade 3, 6 and 9 in ANA by March of every year, beginning in 2011. These grades are the exit point for each phase in the General Education and Train- ing Band.
Grade in 2011 of learners who will be writing Grade 2
Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7
Grade 8 (not writing) Grade 9 (not writing)
In the Foundation Phase, (grades 1-3) learners write the ANA in the language of learning and teaching of the child i.e. in one of the eleven official languages. In the Inter- mediate Phase, (grades 4-6) learners write the tests in one of the languages of learning and teaching (English or Afrikaans). In the Senior Phase only those learners who were in grade 9 in 2010 and who are now in grade 10 write the ANA as a pilot project. 50 schools in each province have been se- lected to participate.
In 2011 Grade 9 tests will be piloted on samples of Grade 10 learners in 50 sample schools in each province.3
3 More information on ANA can be found on the Department’s website at
http://www.educa-
tion.gov.za. Above information sourced on the 04 February 2011.
THE QUALITY LEARNING AND TEACHING CAMPAIGN
“Education must be elevated from being a departmental issue, or even a government issue, to a societal issue – one that occupies the attention and energy for all our people”. A commitment should be made to a “Code for Quality Education”, which describes the responsibilities and discipline required of them – the “non-negotiables”. It must be seen as a revolutionary act for cadres to subscribe to and act within this code.”4
On Friday, 11 August 2008, The African National Congress launched a health and education campaign at Walter Sisulu Square in Kliptown. This campaign arose from the decision of the ANC’s Polokwane Confer- ence that health and education should be at the centre of the Government’s social transformation programme for
the next
five years. The campaign was launched on the very site where the Freedom Charter was adopted in 1955, a document that defines health and education as important elements of a free and democratic society.
Among other things, the Freedom Charter says: “Education shall be free, compulsory, universal and equal for all children; Higher education and technical training shall be opened to all by means of state allowances and scholarships awarded on the basis of merit.”
On the education front, the campaign calls on all individuals and organizations to as- sume responsibility for improving the qual- ity of education. The education elements of the campaign will:
n Inform citizens about the importance of education, and their roles, responsibili- ties and obligations towards education;
The achievement of quality education for all depends on the actions of de- partmental officials, school principals, teachers, students, parents and com- munity members. Each of these are called upon to make a commitment to a ‘Code for Quality Education’, which describes the responsibilities and discipline required of them. If all sections of society work together – government, communities, health care workers, civil society, business, media and other sectors – we can ensure that all learners benefit from quality education.
Campaign coordinating structures are be- ing set up at national, provincial and region- al levels and Government now calls on all South Africans to join us in this campaign, as part of the ongoing effort to achieve a better life for all.
4 Mr Jacob Zuma, ANC President, January 8th Statement 2008. Extract from the Kliptown Pledges
n Mobilize communities to monitor and support schools, teachers and learners;
n Improve the quality of education for all children, especially the poor, and to demonstrate this improved quality through better learner achievements.
102 CHAPTER 5 | TOWARDS QUALITY BASIC EDUCATION
www.ed.org.za
www.ed.org.za
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