Question 2324
Ms F I Chohan (ANC) to ask the Minister of Basic Education:
What is her department’s intention with regard to reconsidering the Common Tasks of Assessment (CTAs) for grade 9 in view of concerns that they are ineffective in offering a systemic measure of learning at this level?
Reply:
The Common Tasks for Assessment (CTAs) have been discontinued with effect from 2010 following the Council of Education Ministers’ (CEM) approval of the recommendations of the Curriculum Implementation Review Report. For 2010, the CTA will be replaced by a formal end-of-year assessment and, together with school-based assessment, contribute to the final assessment mark of learners in Grade 9.
Provinces will be responsible for the development, moderation, implementation and postexamination moderation of the external assessment. The development process will be determined provincially with schools.
As a systemic measure of learning at the grade 9 level, the department will conduct national assessments which will be independently verified for quality by credible agents identified by the department. These assessments will be piloted in a small sample of schools in February 2011 and then rolled out to all the schools in 2012.
Source: Department of Basic Education
