National Assessment of Learner Achievement (NALA): the 2009 grade 9 systemic evaluation: report for Limpopo

OUTPUT TYPE: Research report- client
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2011
TITLE AUTHOR(S): G.Frempong, J.Kivilu, G.Diedericks, N.Claassen, M.Makgamatha, G.Haupt, L.Winnaar, A.Kanjee
KEYWORDS: EDUCATION, GRADE 9, LEARNER ASSESSMENT, LIMPOPO PROVINCE, NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING ACHIEVEMENT
DEPARTMENT: Equitable Education and Economies (IED)
Print: HSRC Library: shelf number 6723
HANDLE: 20.500.11910/3895
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11910/3895

If you would like to obtain a copy of this Research Output, please contact Hanlie Baudin at researchoutputs@hsrc.ac.za.

Abstract

These findings highlight the magnitude of the task to provide quality education for all learners in the province. Our analysis shows that only a few learners mostly in the least poor (Quintile_5) schools are successful learning and meeting the expected national standards. The findings support the current policy of providing resources to the poorest schools. However, simply ensuring that schools have access to teaching and learning resources as proposed in the action plan will not be enough, it would require the mobilization of all education stakeholders, probably to the scale of what we did during the 2010 world cup, to galvanize support for our learners both at home and at school to work very hard and develop a 'Hunger for Success'. We hope that such an approach would help the province realise her vision of a schooling systems where all students, irrespective of their background characteristics have the opportunity to succeed. We have also noted the few poor learners in poor schools who are more successful than their counterparts in better schools and call for further research to develop an understanding of the schooling conditions that provide opportunities for these learners to succeed. This understanding is particularly important in developing policies and in-service programs intended to improve quality schooling for all. Through a small grant for the National Research foundation (NRF), the HSRC is currently conducting a study to developed indicators of exemplary schools and classrooms' schools and classrooms where learners irrespective of their background characteristics tend to be successful learning. The three-year study will focus on exemplary schools and classrooms in Limpopo. We hope, working with the province, we would be able to identify the characteristics of learners and schools that allow learners and schools to convert minimum learning opportunities to successful learning.