From September 16-19 over 6, 8 million pupils in Grades One to Six and Grade Nine will be assessed to determine their levels of competency in literacy and numeracy.
“I urge all parents to take an active interest in these tests and support their children in preparation and writing of the Annual National Assessments (ANA). This is an important exercise that helps identify learning challenges and assists in planning appropriate interventions to improve literacy and numeracy,” said Angie Minister Motshekga, Minister of Basic Education.
The tests are administered in all the eleven official languages in the foundation phase and in the two languages of teaching and learning in the Intermediate and Senior Phase.
Necessary adaptations are effected for pupils who experience various kinds of learning disabilities to ensure that every pupil has the opportunity to demonstrate what they can in the assessment.
ANA was put in place by the DBE as a strategy to annually measure progress in learner achievement towards the 2014 target of ensuring that at least 60% of learners achieve acceptable levels in literacy and numeracy.
ANA targets literacy and numeracy because these have been found universally to be the key foundational skills for successful learning in school and beyond.
The first large-scale ANA was conducted in February 2011 and involved around 6 million pupils in Grades One to Six.
The second was in September 2012 and saw the participation increasing to over 7 million pupils, who included Grade Nine pupils, from more than 20 000 mainstream and special schools.
The shift of the ANA administration from the beginning of the year (February in 2011) to the end of the academic year (September in 2012) was informed by challenges that were experienced in 2011.
These included a possible compromise of the effective start of the school year due to the additional demands placed on departmental officials emanating from the large-scale testing logistical processes.
For the third time in 2014, ANA will be conducted in the same month as in 2013 – an important element of stabilising the assessment.
Pupils’ scores in the tests have shown a significant improvement in literacy and numeracy achievement.
