Umalusi launched the most recent research report titled “International Benchmarking of the National Senior Certificate (NSC)” at the CSIR International Convention Centre in Pretoria on the 23rd September 2022. In total the event was attended by almost 120 delegates.
This number was made up of delegates from 23 out of the 26 South African universities, officials from private higher education institutions, the three bodies that are responsible for assessing the NSC: Independent Examinations Board (IEB), South African Comprehensive Assessment Institute (SACAI) and the Department of Basic Education (DBE), which is both the provider and assessor of the NSC. The other category of attendees was representatives of Umalusi’s sister quality councils (SAQA, CHE, QCTO) and other key stakeholders: Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC) and South African Council for Educators (SACE) as well as Umalusi staff.
In his opening remarks, the Chairperson of Umalusi Council, Professor Yunus Ballim, said “attendance of this workshop by officials from universities, private higher education institutions, and other key education stakeholders reinforces Umalusi’s position that continuous improvement of education standards is everyone’s business. The launch of the research report coincides with the 20th Anniversary of Umalusi this year. Thus, the report is Umalusi’s special birthday present. It makes the point about what the meaning of the NSC is.”
The CEO of Umalusi, Dr Mafu Rakometsi, provided a historical context to the current study by sharing with the audience the benchmarking studies conducted by Umalusi since 2006. His presentation emphasised three important points. Firstly, Dr Rakometsi said the previous studies highlighted debates and complexities about what is meant by standards, what standards should be in the education system relative to other systems, and how they should be measured. Secondly, he said that the studies provided a nuanced understanding of the differences and similarities between the substance of South African qualifications and underpinning curricula and those of other jurisdictions. Finally, Dr Rakometsi argued that international comparisons by any nature should not be read to be implying that there is a single best curriculum, or that there is only one way in education.
Umalusi commissioned out the study to Ecctis, formerly known as the UK NARIC. Ecctis is an internationally trusted and respected reference point for qualifications and skills standards. For that reason, the research was conducted by “a gold- standard provider of solutions and services in international education, training, and skills, and in the development and recognition of globally portable qualifications”.
In the study Umalusi benchmarked the NSC against five qualifications and/or programmes: (a) the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB DP),
(b) the Kenyan Certificate of Secondary Education, (c) the New South Wales (NSW) Higher School Certificate (HSC), (d) the Zimbabwean Forms 5-6 advanced level, and (e) the Cambridge Assessment International Education AS & A Levels. The benchmarking took into account curriculum design, assessment frameworks and approaches, content, learning outcomes, knowledge and skills.
The findings and recommendations were presented by Dr Thomas Colville and Ms Abigail Jones, both of whom are senior officials from Ecctis. The overarching findings are that the NSC has demonstrable lines of comparability with upper secondary qualifications in each of the benchmark systems.
The NSC is an effectively designed upper-secondary education qualification which aims to develop higher-order thinking skills and desirable and future-focussed outcomes for students, which should prepare them for higher/further education and the world of work. Overall, the report makes the argument that the NSC provides its holders with an internationally comparable level of education.
In response to the findings, Mr Biki Lepota, Umalusi’s Senior Manager for Statistical Information and Research, emphasised that the study was about establishing the comparability, not equivalence, of the NSC with the comparator qualifications. He said that it was pleasing that the study found a greater degree of alignment between the NSC and the other qualifications in terms of design, intended curriculum and assessment methods. In his view, the report makes the overall conclusion that the NSC provides its holders with an internationally comparable level of education. The full report is available on Umalusi website (www.umalusi.org.za).
Enquiries:
Biki Lepota
E-mail: Biki.Lepota@umalusi.org.za
Cell: 076 920 6184
