New assessment to be in place by 2018

THE controversial Annual National Assessments (ANA) have been reviewed and it will no longer be necessary for them to be undertaken on an annual basis, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga has revealed.

Motshekga said the remodelled assessment was now called the National Integrated Assessment Framework, which will be administered only for grades 3, 6 and 9, every three years.

“This will provide the basic education sector, especially those involved in planning and evaluation, with valuable data on the health of the system and trends in learner performance,” she said when she presented her budget in Parliament yesterday.

She said the remodelled assessment would be piloted in October this year and implemented in 2018.

“Consultations with our social partners are set to be concluded by the end of June 2017 on the diagnostic assessment and summative examination,” Motshekga said.

She also said the new model for national assessment would give the department ample time to remediate before the next assessment.

“The assessment overload is obviated by the administration of the national assessment in selected grades – and not on an annual basis,” she said.

Speaking to the media before the budget presentation, Motshekga said a costed project plan for implementation in the next three years was approved last year by director-general Mathanzima Mweli.

Motshekga said the decision to review ANA followed the department’s own issues with the system.

“We were also concerned with frequency,” she said. “For three years you get same results – so it was just an overload.”

She also announced that the department was considering establishing a national examination council (NEC), independent of the national and provincial departments.

“The research will help us understand the best-practice model of countries that have set up an NEC relating to public examinations.”

Motshekga said the study would focus on the cost implications of establishing the examination council and the design model to be pursued.

According to Motshekga, the current exam system was efficient and credible, but a separate and independent body other than Umalusi was needed.

“We feel there is a need, that’s why we are investigating whether to follow international trends.”

She said Umalusi would remain an independent body.