Northern areas schools plan to boycott ANAs

PRINCIPALS, parents and school governing bodies, who are fed up with the inaction of the Department of Education in addressing the plight of schools in the northern areas, have resolved that children in grades 1 to 9 will not write Annual National Assessment (ANA) examinations next week.

The ANAs, from Tuesday to Thursday, are standardised national assessments for languages and mathematics.

The question papers and marking memoranda are supplied by the Department of Basic Education and schools manage the tests as well as the marking and internal moderation.

The Northern Areas Education Forum (NAEF) said its members had taken the decision at a meeting held on Tuesday that children at impacted schools would not write the ANAs.

The NAEF represents 56 schools affected by various issues, such as a shortage of teachers, the non-payment of teachers, over-crowded classrooms, the lack of maintenance at schools and the moratorium placed on all non-teaching staff at schools.

NAEF chairman and West End Primary principal Ronald Matthys said while some vacancies had been filled, there were still 102 at the schools.

“We have basically been negotiating with the department for the last year and since then only one issue has been partially addressed,” he said.

“We felt that the ANA was a good place to address our frustrations because it is meant to determine where weaknesses lie. But how can these weaknesses be determined when we have so many other problems that are not being addressed?” he said.

“It must be stressed that the forum has decided that the children’s education will not be disrupted and that the schools will remain open for the four days. Normal teaching will take place.” the forum said.

Bethvale Primary governing body head Richard Draai said pupils would still write September examinations.

Provincial education spokesman Malibongwe Mtima said some schools had received additional teachers.

“We are still working on the issue of non-teaching staff and the department is working . . . with the district office to address this,” he said.

“While we are sorting out these issues we hope that these schools will change their decision and that they will write these exams.”