ANA assessment week underway

''I urge all parents to take an active interest in these tests and support their children in preparation and writing of the ANA. This is an important exercise that helps identify learning challenges and assists in planning appropriate interventions to improve literacy and numeracy'' says Angie Minister Motshekga, Minister of Basic Education.

The tests are administered in all 11 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 learners who experience various kinds of learning disabilities to ensure that every learner has the opportunity to demonstrate what they can in the assessment.

To annually measure progress in learner achievement

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 is one of the initiatives that form the backbone of the DBE's Action Plan to 2014: Towards the Realisation of Schooling 2025. 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 learners in Grades 1-6. The second was in September 2012 and saw the participation increasing to over 7-million learners, who included Grade 9 learners, 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.

Learner scores in the tests have shown a significant improvement in literacy and numeracy achievement.

A copy of the 2014 ANA timetable as well as exemplars for Grades 1-6 and Grade 9 can be found on the Department's website.