Assessment quality in South African schools

The focus on quality management programs which proposes the improvement of services and processes is an international phenomenon which has influenced transformation in South African education during the last decade. Reform in the education system had to be aligned with the quality notion. The latter implies an education system in which a diversity of learners may achieve their maximum potential, as the quality of any service is determined by its customers. Some of the main aspects of South African education reform have been the development of an integrated approach to education and training, based on a National Qualifications Framework and the introduction of a new curriculum underpinned by outcomes-based education. Transformation in education resulted in the implementation of an outcomes-based curriculum which called for new approaches in teaching methodology and assessment, and in effect redefined the roles of teachers, learners and school managers. This study focuses on the management challenge that emerges with the application of a new approach teaching and assessment in schools.