Teacher unions lashed over ANAs disruption

THE Western Cape Education Department (WCED) has slammed teacher unions for opposing the annual national assessments (ANAs) on the eve of the tests, saying it is an unnecessary disruption.

The Department of Basic Education postponed this year’s ANAs after intense meetings between teacher unions and Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga.

The assessments are now scheduled to take place in February.

The three biggest teacher unions – the SA Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu), the National Professional Teachers Organisation of SA (Naptosa) and the Suid-Afrikaanse Onderwysersunie – called for the assessments to be done in three-year cycles to create time for remedial action.

While Education MEC Debbie Schäfer had also called for the ANAs to be reconsidered after this year, her spokesperson, Jessica Shelver, said yesterday the postponement was an unnecessary disruption.

Sadtu provincial chairperson Jonovan Rustin said the union had consistently made efforts to stop the assessments from going ahead.

Naptosa president Basil Manuel said schools often felt so pressurised to perform in the assessments that they could not focus on the curriculum. A task team comprising teacher unions and department officials has been established to remodel the ANAs. francesca.villette@inl.co.za

@FrancescaJaneV