Basic Education on readiness to administer ANA and NSC

Education department ready to administer ANA and NSC

The Department of Basic Education (DBE) is ready to administer both the Annual National Assessment and the grade 12 National Senior Certificate examinations for 2015.

The department today briefed the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education on the state of readiness for both Annual National Assessments (ANA) and National Senior Certificate (NSC). The team from the department was led by the Director-General Mathanzima Mweli. He told Members of Parliament that the department had done a lot to improve its examinations and assessment systems.

National Senior Certificate Examinations commence on 26 October 2015 and will conclude on 27 November 2015. Invigilators who supervise the writing of exams are currently being trained across all Provincial Education Departments (PEDs) and the DBE has conducted standardised training of all officials responsible the for training of invigilators.

A National Procedure Manual on Invigilation has been developed, furthermore to inculcate a sense of commitment to complying with the examination code of conduct; all learners will sign a Pledge, at a Pledge Signing Ceremony. The department will monitor the writing of the examinations with the assistance of PEDs and Umalusi. The DBE has in addition to this appointed 81 independent monitors who will be deployed to the districts.

Scope and size of 2015 National Senior Certificate

To date:

• All 258 question papers for November 2015 and March 2016 examinations have been set and moderated by the DBE and approved by Umalusi.
• Pre-writing of selected subjects (Accounting, Physical Sciences, Mathematical Literacy and Agricultural Sciences).
• Fairness reviews have been conducted on selected question papers.
• The approved question papers have been edited, quality assured and handed over to Provincial Education Departments (PEDs) based on their printing plans.
• Adaptation of the question papers for the blind, partially sighted and deaf candidates is complete.
• Brailing of the adapted papers for the blind is in progress.

Printing and packing are progressing according to plan. For security reasons, question papers will be made available to PEDs only a week before printing commencement. Printing commenced on 24 August 2015 in three PEDs and the others will follow as per their printing plans.

Storage facilities and distribution points across all PEDs are currently being inspected to ensure that the security norms and standards are maintained. Question papers will be distributed to each examination centre on the morning of the examination in every province except in the Nothern Cape where question papers will be stored at schools that are far from districts and in the Western Cape where schools will receive exam papers in consignments using preprogramed locking devicesThe DBE is currently conducting an audit of marker appointments across all PEDs. The 10 subjects with the highest enrolment have been selected for this purpose.

For Annual National Assessment

Administration of ANA 2015 in schools scheduled for 15 -18 September 2015. ANA will be administered in all grades from Grades 1 – 9. To date around 8.6 million learners have been registered on the GET national database. Provincial and school verification is ongoing.

Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape and Western Cape opted to print their tests using their existing facilities. All five provinces are finalising printing and will commence with the distribution of tests towards the end of August 2015 for tests to be in or closest to schools by 11 September 2015.Tests for Free State, Gauteng, North West and Limpopo are being printed. Printing and distribution to Nodal Points must be completed by 4 September 2015.

Tests will be written in all schools from 15 to 18 September 2015. Principals will allocate teachers to invigilate classes that they do not teach. Independent schools that participate in ANA for purposes of being evaluated for subsidies will be invigilated by a district official. PEDs will monitor the test administration process. The DBE will employ independent monitors to reinforce monitoring that will be done by the DBE, PED and District officials.

Enquiries:  
Elijah Mhlanga 
Cell: 083 580 8275

Troy Martens
Cell: 078 899 3070