Actual results of the national assessment tests needed to fix education: Department already fails this test

The trade union Solidarity has appealed to the Department of Basic Education to announce the full and unaltered results of the national assessment tests to show the true state of education in South Africa. This comes after the 2010 matric results were adjusted upwards. According to the trade union, adjusting the results of the assessment tests will benefit no one. The trade union also stressed that a project to put South Africa's education system in order following the release of the results should include the employees of the Department as well.

The tests will be written by more than six million Gr. 1 to 6 and Gr. 9 pupils as of today and will assess, among other things, their literacy and numeracy. However, Solidarity pointed out that the Department failed the test, as it were.

"The tests to be written by millions of pupils this week abound with spelling, typing and grammatical errors. The logistical arrangements surrounding the tests also leave much to be desired," Ilze Nieuwoudt, Solidarity spokesperson, explained. "The government failed this test. How does the government plan to improve pupils' literacy and numeracy levels by 2014 if its question papers are littered with errors?" she asked.

Several schools did not receive enough question papers or, in the case of certain question papers, did not receive any papers at all. In many cases memorandums were not available, forcing the schools to make additional copies of the question papers at their own expense. Many complaints were also received regarding the timing of the tests. "The tests should have been written last year immediately after the exams. However, due to the Department's poor planning and the drawn-out public service strike last year, they are being written during one of the busiest school terms," according to Nieuwoudt.

The trade union called on the Department to release the full, unaltered results in order to give a true reflection of the state of education in South Africa. "If the actual results are released, the true problem areas can be identified and dealt with, thereby ensuring that improvement can take place in the system," Nieuwoudt said. "However, the Department will have to set an example. The poor standard of question papers is unacceptable and the Department's work ought to be up to standard in future," she added.

Statement issued by Moira-Marie Kloppers, Spokesperson: Solidarity, February 8 2011

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