Protesters disrupt tests at three West Coast schools

Protestors have disrupted systemic tests at three schools on the West Coast, despite a High Court ruling that disrupting the tests is unlawful.

The Western Cape Education Department will investigate all cases of disruption and will not hesitate to charge teachers guilty of any unlawful conduct.

The vast majority of schools have completed the tests willingly, given the value of the tests for improving the quality of education in the province.

Ms Acting Justice McCurdie ruled on Wednesday, 26 October 2016, that disrupting the systemic tests in any way was unlawful.

She ordered SADTU and COSAS to inform their members not to disrupt systemic tests commissioned by the WCED.

She ordered SADTU and COSAS to take all reasonable steps to curb any unlawful conduct by its members.

SADTU members and their supporters disrupted the tests at three schools on the Western Coast today (Friday, 28 October 2016), despite this ruling.

The schools are St Helena Bay Primary in St Helena Bay, Masiphathisane Primary in Vredenburg, and Diazville Primary in Saldanha Bay.

The WCED is testing the skills of learners in Grades 3, 6 and 9 in language and mathematics at 1 474 schools in the province.

Independent service providers conduct the tests to ensure that results are as objective as possible.

The department uses the tests to track progress, set annual targets, to inform teacher training and support, and to evaluate the impact of these interventions.

The WCED completed the original testing programme earlier this week. A total of 146 schools did not write or did not complete the tests due to disruption. The department has drawn up a schedule to complete these tests by Friday, 4 November.

The WCED applied for an urgent interdict to restrain SADTU and COSAS from disrupting tests at these schools during this period.

The department planned to test 23 schools today (Friday, 28 October 2016). Of these five schools wrote, while tests at five were rescheduled for various reasons, including examination schedules.

Eight schools did not write, claiming not to have received notification. Two schools did not write because of unrelated unrest in two separate areas.

Teachers and parents allegedly disrupted tests at three schools on the West Coast.

The department is investigating all cases, and will charge teachers if the investigations show that they were acting illegally and neglected to perform their duties.

The WCED will not hesitate to press charges again SADTU if they fail to comply with the ruling of the High Court.

The union has claimed that learners are “overtested”; that the tests do not add value; and that the department uses them to “blame teachers”.

These claims are false. The learners concerned only write the tests once every three years. Research over many years has shown that interventions based on the results have resulted in significant improvements in the system as a whole.

The aim of the tests is not to “blame teachers”. The tests provide detailed information that the department uses to inform teacher training and support. The objective is fundamentally developmental.

Issued by Paddy Attwell, Director of Communication, Western Cape Education Department, 28 October 2016