Sadtu must not be allowed to dictate policy on marker competency testing

4 March 2015

I have written to the Minister of Basic Education to request that she take back her executive authority and not let the South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) dictate policy on competency tests for matric markers.

In this week's Portfolio Committee on Basic Education, details of the appointment of markers of matric exams in the nine provinces were presented.

The Western Cape obtained a clean report from Umalusi, the Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further Education and Training, with no concerns raised about marker competency.

The Western Cape is the only province that administers competency tests of markers, despite fierce opposition from SADTU when this policy was rolled out.

The reports were concerning, however, for most of the other eight provinces who have not shown the political will to introduce competency tests for markers. 

Problems with marker selection across the country present a case of widespread administrative bungling, including:

Monitoring of markers by Umalusi was resisted;

Grade 10 teachers were appointed to mark matric papers;

Unqualified teachers, with no subject specialisation, were appointed to mark matric papers;

Markers whose classes had achieved averages of less than 30% were appointed to mark physical science tests;

In the Eastern Cape more than 10% of the markers appointed were novices.

In Kwa-Zulu Natal SADTU was found to have bulldozed the process, by opposing any oversight by Umalusi of the moderation of markers

The list of markers declared incompetent during the previous year was also not available for the Portfolio Committee to review, which is a cause for grave concern.

Umalusi has made an annual call for competency tests to be implemented to ensure the selection of capable exam markers.

Last year the plea was not made and we were informed that this was because the outspoken chairman, Professor Mabizela, who had previously called for the competency tests, has since resigned to become Vice-Chancellor of Rhodes University.

Umalusi CEO, Dr Mafu Rakometsi, has this week refused to commit to supporting competency tests because Umalusi has not accredited these tests. He has however endorsed the Department of Basic Education's (DBE) review of the criteria for the selection of markers and requested that Umalusi form part of this development of a national policy that should be followed by all provinces.

Rakometsi's bottom line was that markers who are appointed must be competent, which is clearly not consistently the case.

The Democratic Alliance welcomes the announcement by DBE to review the selection criteria, and Umalusi's support of the process. No child can spend 12 years at school, and then have his/her future prejudiced by an incompetent marker.

The obstacle to the success of the review will be SADTU. The DBE must take back its executive authority, and not bend to SADTU's will which ultimately negatively affects the learners of South Africa. The DA will be exercising vigorous oversight of the progress in this matter closely.

Statement issued by Annette Lovemore MP, DA Shadow Minister of Basic Education, March 4 2015

Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter