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19 October 2005

In 2004 the Department of Education (DOE) commissioned an Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) led evaluation of grade 6 learners. This report is still awaited by the Department and will be made public once the study is complete.
 
The Department of Education has therefore not released new assessment of grade 6 learners. At the Human Rights Commission hearing on 12 October 2005, Graeme Bloch of the Development Bank of South Africa referred to the Western Cape Education Department assessment for 2003, conducted by the Joint Education Trust (JET).

Journalists are invited to call Mr Bloch at the Development Bank on (011) 313 3272/3162 in order to confirm that the figures quoted in his oral presentation came from the 2003 Western Cape assessment.
 
JET has been in the forefront in the field of assessment. JET’s literacy and numeracy tests at grade 3 and 6 levels were developed in 1999 in order to have standardised instruments to use in the schools participating in school-development programmes.

The tests are used to establish the levels at which children are performing, so that appropriate intervention programmes can be devised and to measure progress in improving learning, as each project evolves over time.
 
The JET tests were developed in parallel to the systemic evaluation initiative of the Department of Education, a programme that tests a national sample of children every 3 years in grades 3 and 6.
 
The two initiatives respectively serve different ends. While the JET tests give detailed diagnostic information down to the school level, the systemic evaluation exercise gives a broad overview of the state of learner performance at the national and provincial levels.

On the strength of its experience in the field of assessment, in 2002 and 2003 JET won the tenders to develop literacy and numeracy tests at grade 3 and 6 levels for use in all primary schools in the Western Cape.
 
“When the results of the WCED grade 6 testing programme were released, there was a furious public debate,” said the Minister of Education. “I remember referring to the results in my first budget speech (2004). I was disturbed by the poor state of learning revealed by the results but I also began to ask questions as to what these results meant in relation to those of the systemic evaluation initiative. My concern is that it is confusing to have different testing programmes in operation at the same time producing results that are difficult to compare usefully.”

As a result, discussions were held between the DOE and JET. The outcome of these meetings is that the two parties are now working together to develop a new set of JET tests, which will incorporate the double diagnostic dimension of the WCED tests and incorporate elements of the DOEs systemic evaluation instruments.
 
These studies provide useful empirical data that the Department will use to strengthen current intervention initiatives and to identify areas for accelerated improvements towards delivery of quality education to all our children. Subsequent three-year cycle evaluations will then be used to track performance.

Enquiries:
Tommy Makhode
Ministerial spokesperson
Tel: (012) 328 7529
Cell: 082 566 0446
E-mail: makhode.t@doe.gov.za

Issued by: Department of Education
19 October 2005