INCA Education around the world
South Africa : Assessment arrangements
6.2. Second phase (compulsory primary education ages, 5/6-12)
6.2.1 Control
6.2.2 Purpose(s)
6.2.3 Participation
6.2.4 Nature
6.2.5 Administration
6.2.6 Grading process
6.2.7 Consequences
6.2.8 Use of results
6.2.9 Output statistics
6.2 Second phase (compulsory primary education, ages 5/6-12)
[See 3.2.2]
6.2.1 Control
The National Policy on Assessment and Qualifications for Schools in the GET Band standardises the recording and reporting of learner assessment for schools (Grade R - Grade 12, ages 5-18) within the framework of the National Curriculum Statements for Grades R - 9 and Grades 10 - 12. The Protocol also provides a regulatory framework for the management of school assessment records and basic requirements for learner profiles, teacher and learner portfolios, report cards and schedules.26
The National Policy on Assessment and Qualifications for Schools in the GET Band also regulates assessment for Grades R to 9, and provides the requirements for progression for Grades R to 8 and for meeting the standards for promotion for Grade 9. 32
The National Policy on Assessment and Qualifications for Schools in the GET Band further provides requirements and exemplars for the design of portfolios, report cards, record sheets, schedules, and learner profiles. The Department of Education (DOE), the provincial Departments of Education and schools are responsible for developing a recording and reporting system that is aligned with the requirements specified. 26 32
Schools are expected to develop learning programme/learning area/ subject record sheets and report cards using the specified criteria. In the case of learner profiles, the provincial Departments of Education are responsible for providing schools with pre-printed files or folders. However, the security of learner profiles and the updating of required information rest with the school management. The national Department of Education is responsible for developing forms or record sheets for the schedules, and the provincial Departments of Education provide these to schools either electronically or in hard copy. 26
Teachers are expected to keep a portfolio with all documents related to assessment. It may a be a file, folder, box or any other suitable storage system. It should contain the tasks for assessment as well as the planning which informs the development of these tasks and the records of assessment of the formal tasks. 32
6.2.2 Purpose(s)
Each learning area statement (see section 5.2) includes a detailed section on assessment. Assessment aims to provide indications of learner achievement in the most effective and efficient manner, and to ensure that learners integrate and apply knowledge and skills. Assessment also aims to help students make judgements about their own performance, set goals for progress and provoke further learning. 20
All learning and teaching from Grade R to Grade 9 should contribute to developing the type of learner envisaged by the National Curriculum Statement (NCS). Assessment of this learning takes place on a continuous basis throughout the ten years of Grade R to Grade 9 education. Assessment and certification of the cumulative learning from these ten years takes place at the end of Grade 9, when learners who meet the specified requirements are awarded a General Education and Training Certificate (GETC).20
Progression and promotion of learners to the next Grade is based on evidence recorded during the assessment process. See section 6.2.8 for further information on how assessment results may be used. 26
Systemic evaluation
Systemic evaluation is an integral part of ensuring that all learners derive maximum benefit from the education system. It includes the periodic evaluation of all aspects of the school system and learning programmes, and takes place in Grades 3, 6 and 9. Systemic evaluation is conducted on a nationally representative sample of learners and learning sites.32
The main objective of systemic evaluation is to assess the effectiveness of the entire system and the extent to which the vision and goals of the education transformation process are being achieved by it.32
Systemic evaluation is a means of monitoring standards and effectiveness and determining the strengths and weaknesses of the learning system on a periodic basis and provides feedback to all the role-players so that appropriate action can be taken to improve the performance of the learning sites and learning system.32
After each systemic evaluation, the Minister of Education, after consultation with the Council of Education Ministers, releases a national report card on the system. 32
6.2.3 Participation
All students are subject to the National Policy on Assessment and Qualifications for Schools in the GET Band. 32
6.2.4 Nature
Assessment is intended to provide an indication of learner achievement in the most effective and efficient manner, by ensuring that adequate evidence of achievement is collected using various forms of assessment. These include formal and informal classroom assessment. 26
Informal assessment is the daily monitoring of learners' progress. This is done through observations, discussions, learner-teacher conferences, informal classroom interactions, etc. Informal assessment may be as simple as stopping during the lesson to observe learners or to discuss with students how learning is progressing. Informal assessment should be used to provide feedback to the learners. 26
Formal assessment provides teachers with a systematic way of evaluating how well learners are progressing in a particular Grade and in a particular learning programme/learning area/subject. Examples of formal assessment include projects, oral presentations, demonstrations, performances, tests, exams, practical demonstrations, etc.26
At the beginning of the school year, teachers submit the annual formal programme of assessment to the learning programme/learning area /subject head and school management team (SMT). These are then used to draw up a school assessment plan for each Grade. This school assessment plan should be provided to learners and their parents in the first week of the first term. 26
Formal assessment tasks should be appropriate to the age and the developmental level of the learners in the particular phase, and should be carefully designed and weighted to cover the learning outcomes and assessment standards of the learning programme. Task design should also ensure that a variety of skills are assessed, and assessment tasks should give learners opportunities to explore the learning programme in exciting and varied ways. The most appropriate forms of assessment for each learning programme are set out in the Learning Programme Assessment Guidelines. 26
Assessment of learner performance in Grade R focuses on the learning outcomes and assessment standards defined in the languages, mathematics, and life orientation areas. The learner's level of competence in the other learning areas (natural sciences, technology, social sciences, economics and management sciences, arts and cultural learning) should be planned for, taught and assessed in an integrated manner with the three learning programmes offered in this phase. 39
In cases where more than one language is offered this should be recorded and reported on separately.
Assessment results are recorded in a 'learner portfolio'. A learner's portfolio is a collection of evidence which exhibits to the learner, parent, teachers and others, the progress, growth and achievements of the learner in relation to expected outcomes in each learning programme/learning area. See section 6.2.8 for further information.10
A learner profile is compiled for every learner from Grade R to Grade 12. The information kept in the profile is confidential and would include how the learners have progressed and what aspects, if any, have impacted on a learner's performance. This would include aspects that may impact on learners like the learner's health, whether the learner has experienced any learning problems, the home situation, whether the learners has received any social or psychological support, and so on. 32
6.2.5 Administration
Schools develop learning programme/learning area/subject record sheets and report cards using criteria specified by the national and provincial Departments of Education. In the case of learner profiles, provincial Departments of Education are responsible for providing schools with pre-printed files or folders. However, the security of learner profiles and the updating of the required information rest with the school management. The national Department of Education is responsible for developing forms or record sheets for the schedules and the provincial Departments of Education provide these to schools either electronically or in hard copy. 26
Assessment is administered in schools and also forms part of the whole school evaluation process. The latter is guided by national policies and protocols. 32
6.2.6 Grading process
The codes and/or percentages used for recording and reporting performance in Grade R - Grade 6, that is the foundation phase (Grades R to 3, ages 5-9) and the intermediate phase (Grades 4 - 6, ages 9-12) of primary education are provided in the following table: 26
| Rating code | Percentages | Description of competence |
| 4 | 70 - 100 | Outstanding/excellent achievement |
| 3 | 50 - 69 | Satisfactory achievement |
| 2 | 35 - 49 | Partial achievement |
| 1 | 1 - 34 | Not achieved |
Generally the percentages are not using in Grade R to 3. 32
6.2.7 Consequences
Progression and promotion of learners to the next Grade is based on evidence recorded during the assessment process. See section 6.2.8 for further information on how assessment results may be used. 26
6.2.8 Use of results
Recording of results is a process in which the teacher documents the level of a learner's performance. In South African schools, this should indicate progress towards the achievement of outcomes set out in the National Curriculum Statement (NCS). Records of learner performance provide evidence of the learner's conceptual progression within a Grade and her/his readiness to progress to the next Grade. Records of learner performance also verify the progress made by teachers and learners in the teaching and learning process. They are consequently used to monitor learning and to plan ahead. 26
Reporting of results is the process of communicating learner performance to learners, parents, schools and other stakeholders such as employers or tertiary institutions. Learner performance can be reported in a number of ways. These include report cards, parents' meetings, school visitation days, parent-teacher conferences, phone calls, letters, or class or school newsletters. 26
The language in which recording and reporting takes place should be in accordance with the Language of Learning and Teaching (LOLT), as informed by the National Language Policy. In the case of dual medium (dual language) schools, one of the languages used as the LOLT should be utilised for reporting purposes, while the language of recording should be any of the languages used for learning and teaching. 26
Teachers must report regularly to learners and parents on the progress of learners. Schools are required to provide feedback to parents on the programme of assessment using a formal reporting tool such as a report card. In addition to report cards, other reporting mechanisms such as parents' meetings, school visitation days, parent-teacher conferences, phone calls, letters, class or school newsletters may be used. The school determines the format of these reporting strategies. 26
The National Curriculum Statement (NCS) (for Grade R - Grade 12) states that formal report cards should be sent to parents once a term. These must provide a clear holistic picture of the learner's achievements in the various learning programmes/ learning areas/ subjects. This means that an overall rating of a learner's performance in each learning programme/ learning area/ subject must be included in the formal report card. The achievement rating in a report card should be indicated by a combination of percentages, codes and comments (see section 6.2.6). Report cards should include information in the following essential components:
- Personal details. Name of the learner, Grade and class of the learner, date of birth, and school attendance profile.
- Official school details. Year and term, name of the school, date, signature and comment of parent or guardian, teacher and principal, dates of closing and opening of school, school stamp, explanation of the codes of the national coding system.
- Performance details. A percentage and /or a code indicating the level of performance for each learning programme /learning area / subject and a description of the strengths and developmental needs of the learner.
- Constructive feedback. The feedback should contain comments about the learner's performance in relation to his/her previous performance and in relation to the requirements of the learning programme/ learning area/ subject. 26
A report card may be produced electronically or manually, dependent on school preference, but should contain all the information mentioned above. Schools are expected to ensure that there are no errors, erasures or corrections in report cards issued that will compromise their legal status. The school management team is responsible for ensuring that reports issued to learners do not contain errors.26
Learner Portfolio
Results of assessment are recorded in a 'learner portfolio'. A learner portfolio is a collection of evidence which exhibits to the learner, parent, teachers and others, the progress, growth and achievements of the learner in relation to expected outcomes in each learning programme/ learning area. 26
The learner portfolio is used to:
- Track the progress, growth and achievements of the learner with regard to expected outcomes.
- Create an opportunity for the learner to reflect on his/her growth and development and set goals for self-development.
- Inform teachers' planning as well as intervention strategies. 26
The requirements for formal recorded assessment for Grade R - Grade 3 and Grades 4 - 6 are set out in the tables below. Teachers may add to the number of assessment tasks. All tasks should be integrated into the development of the learning programme, work schedule and lesson plan. The recorded pieces of evidence should reflect three to five different forms of assessment. More information is provided in the individual learning programme/ learning area / subject assessment guidelines. 26
Number of tasks for formal recorded assessment, for Grades R - 3 (age 5 to 9) 26
| LEARNING PROGRAMME | TERM 1 | TERM 2 | TERM 3 | TERM 4 | TOTAL |
| Literacy (Languages ) | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 16 |
| Numeracy (Mathematics) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 12 |
| Life Skills (Life Orientation) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
Number of formal recorded assessment tasks, Grades 4 - 6 (ages 9 to 12) 26
| LEARNING AREA | TERM 1 | TERM 2 | TERM 3 | TERM 4 | TOTAL |
| Language 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 12 |
| Language 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| Language 3 (optional) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Mathematics | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 12 |
| Natural sciences | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| Social sciences | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| Technology | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Economic and management sciences | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Life orientation | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Arts and culture | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
6.2.9 Output statistics
Information being collected.
