Abstract
M.Ed.
The South African Education System has been in a crisis for a number of years. This
crisis is located in non-functioning schools, mass boycotts, teacher strikes and the lack
of facilities and resources. Examinations haVe been the focus of this crisis. Evaluation to
determine whether pupils are competent for the next standard have often been neglected.
There have been accusations, in the past few years of fraudulent, incompetent and often
corrupt examination practices (King and van den Berg 1992:1).
Evaluation is central to a good educational system. If teachers are to be successful in
their efforts to foster learning in pupils they need ways to determine the effectiveness of
their teaching and to obtain indications of what pupils have learnt (Hopkins and Antes
1989:1).
Is
Evaluation reform and an in depth look at evaluation activities is very important. Teachers
cannot escape the responsibilities of evaluating . their pupils' work. Evaluation practices
should be informed and well thought out. It is particularly important that teachers be aware
of the consequences, varying validity and fairness of different approaches to evaluation.
Evaluation should above all be complex and multi-dimensional ( Independent Examination
Board 1994:2 ).
The teachers input regarding evaluation should be a calculated effort that is relevant and
significant enough to show the skills that pupils have gained. Effective assessment can
only be based on a thorough understanding of our purposes in teaching and our
aspirations for our pupils ( Drummond and Pollard 1993:12 ).
In 1995 a document ( Circular No. Preg. 31:95 ) with new evaluation criteria , for both
primary and secondary schOols, Was released in the .Gauteng Province. This document is
an important one as for the first time in South Africa the same evaluation procedures will
be followed by all state schools in a province. This document has direct implications for
the evaluation responsibilities of teachers as it clarifies the extent of the teachers
responsibilities with regard to evaluation practices, emphasising continuous assessment
as well as remediation.