COSATU fully behind SADTU’s decision to reject ANA in its current form
The Congress of South African Trade Unions has noted that the 4th ANC National General Council has called on the department of Basic Education to go ahead with the implementation of the Annual National Assessment {ANA} .
This despite the fact that our affiliate SADTU and the entire organised labour in the sector, have made it known, to the department and all stakeholders, that ANA in its current form is not in the best interests of learners and will not help improve the quality of education.
Cosatu is fully behind SADTU in opposing the implementation of ANA in its current form.
Teachers have made it very clear that they are not opposed to the assessments as a matter of principle but they find the current system unworkable and inadequate.
The fact that it fails to be diagnostic but is more focused on testing and ticking the boxes ,gives validity to the argument put forward by teacher unions. There is no use in going ahead with something that will not help the education system achieve its intended goals.
The proposal that the assessments be done after every three years makes logical sense, because there will be enough time to identify systemic and operational glitches and bottlenecks for rectification.
It is regrettable that the ANC NGC missed an opportunity to guide the department, by advising them to work with all stakeholders to develop a modified, complete and analytical tool instead of the ANA in its current form. The federation calls on the department of Education to sit down with SADTU and all other stakeholders, to find an amicable solution to the disagreement over ANA.
There is no government or departmental policy or programme that will succeed without a buy in from the stakeholders. Unilateral decisions that are imposed on the stakeholders create adversarial relations and discourage the workforce. There is no enhanced quality education that can be achieved by a de-motivated and disgruntled workforce.
Teachers are a critical component in the improvement of the education system and they should be properly consulted and listened to, before decisions are taken. We all need to ensure that there is labour peace in the education sector and imposing a programme that is opposed by the teachers will poison the relations and destabilise the sector.
To avoid the fragmentation of the system and to ensure that the system of assessments contribute towards the attainment of quality education for our children and improved teacher development, the department should open dialogue with teacher unions
Issued by Sizwe Pamla, National Spokesperson, COSATU, 13 October 2015
