Pretoria - The first day of the countrywide Annual National Assessment tests was a success with Grades 1, 2, 4 and 5 learners from almost 19 000 schools, sitting for their language paper.
Spokesperson for the Department of Basic Education Panyaza Lesufi told SAnews that out of 19 000 schools, only learners from 10 schools in rural areas could not write the paper due to bad weather.
"Almost all the schools wrote the tests and it went very well. Those learners who couldn't write due to the weather will be given an opportunity to write the paper before Friday," said Lesufi.
Over seven million learners across more than 20 000 schools are this week writing their ANA tests in languages and mathematics.
Today Grades 3, 6 and 9 are sitting for their language test and they will write their mathematics paper on Friday. Grades 1, 2, 4 and 5 wrote their first test yesterday and will write again on Thursday.
In Gauteng, all schools successfully wrote their first test with less than 50 of the 1 625 schools starting no more than an hour late due to minor challenges.
Gauteng Education spokesperson, Charles Phahlane, said: "The causes of some delays were due to schools ordering English home language papers instead of English first additional language papers, but these were resolved and schools were able to write the correct papers."
The ANAs are written annually in all public schools to establish an objective benchmark by which to measure literacy and numeracy achievement in primary schools.
The department administers the ANAs in order to identify and effect appropriate interventions where needed, while learners are still in earlier grades.
The ANAs put the literacy and numeracy skills of the country's young learners to the test as a pivotal mechanism for monitoring and tracking the achievement of the goals set in the department's action plan.
