The DA welcomes the announcement today by Basic Education Minister, Angie Motshekga, that the Annual National Assessments (ANAs) will go ahead this year, between 1st and 4th December.

This is a step in the right direction in ending Sadtu’s take-over of the Department of Basic Education (DBE) and their campaign to block the delivery of quality education to the children of South Africa.

However we need to know the following from the Minister:

• The names, credentials and union affiliations of the task team, set up by the Minister, to consider the future of the ANAs. The Minister must ensure that this task team is not used by Sadtu to push for their own narrow interests;
• Details of how the ANAs will be administered and marked in SADTU-dominated schools and districts (bearing in mind that she has no credibility with respect to statements made about standing up to SADTU, and that she has a history if caving in to SADTU demands);
• How the Minister will implement the competency tests for principals, as announced today, when Sadtu has in the past blocked this critical mechanism for ensuring principals are able to carry out their responsibilities?

It must be remembered that Sadtu leaders are politically elected and are not education expert’s best placed to judge the future of these important assessments.

The ANAs are a crucial tool to assess the levels of literacy and numeracy of our learners. These results also inform the required interventions needed to improve education.

While these assessments are not perfect, currently they are the only tool we have. The DA will submit a proposal to the Minister for her to adopt the Western Cape’s model of systemic testing which should replace the ANA’s as a more credible source of information to better inform necessary interventions.

The delivery of quality education to our children is at stake here. Sadtu quite obviously does not have the best interests of our learners at heart. This is why Sadtu’s grip on the DBE and education must be removed, for the future of our children and this country. The Minister must show the union who is in charge.

 

Issued by DA