Bad mark for school ANA tests

The Annual National Assessment tests kicked off yesterday amid concerns that they were undermining the education of South African children.

The numeracy and literacy tests, in their third year, are written by all government pupils in grades 1 to 6 and in Grade 9.

"The assessment tests are an important tool that we use to detect challenges in the education system in terms of curriculum implementation," said Education Department spokesman Elijah Mhlanga.

But so severe is the pressure for schools to perform in the assessment tests that some teachers have been training students to excel in them.

The president of teachers' union Naptosa, Basil Manuel, said he was worried about schools spending too much time getting ready for the tests and not enough time on the curriculum.

"Schools are competing now on test results," said Professor Wayne Hugo at the School of Education at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

Also, if a pupil is taught to pass the test well, it interferes with the diagnosis of education levels.

"While there is no direct evidence of officials manipulating results, the huge increases in marks in Grade 3 and Grade 6 year on year, are questionable," he said.

The university's research associate, Edith Demptser, said the department admitted in its 2013 report that the tests were not standardised each year and results could not be compared. "Yet they do just that, compare each year's results."