Basic tests on EC pupils

‘Focus on foundation phase’

FIFTY Eastern Cape schools took part in an Annual National Assessment (ANA) pilot, which had hundreds of Grade 7 and 8 pupils being tested on their basic literacy and numeracy skills.

Provincial education department spokesman Malibongwe Mtima said the schools had been chosen by the Department of Basic Education, who provided the provincial department with a list.

It is not clear how the schools were chosen.

Mtima said the exams were much the same as ANA exams written by Grades 1 to 6 and Grade 9. A total of 1.3 million Eastern Cape pupils sat for the exams, which ran from September 16 to 19.

The plan is to introduce the exams to Grades 7 and 8 in the future.

“Everything went well here in the province. Schools were ready and papers were delivered on time,” Mtima said.

“The only small issue we had was a teacher shortage in Port Elizabeth.

“But a departmental task team went out there and the issue was quickly sorted out.”

ANA is an initiative to measure progress in pupil achievement in literacy and numeracy in line with this year’s target of ensuring that at least 60% of pupils nationally achieve acceptable levels in these learning areas.

Beauty Magadla, principal of Kokolo Senior Primary School in Butterworth, said everything had gone according to plan.

“The kids are doing well and it’s encouraging. So far we’ve done okay since the exams were introduced in 2011.”

Principal of Weza Junior School in Dutywa, Siphiwo Mhaga, said while the exams ran smoothly every year, their results were always worrying.

“We don’t do so well because we have critical teacher shortages which obviously affect the performance levels of our kids.”

ANA results have come under fire the last three years, with education experts saying they painted a bleak picture of the literacy levels of pupils.

Education expert Graeme Bloch said the education department needed to place more focus on the foundation phase if they hoped to improve the results.

“Otherwise nothing will change. We all have to work to make this happen or these results will look as bleak as they look now year after year,” Bloch said. — zisandan@dispatch.