Over 300 delegates have gathered in Cape Town, South Africa for the 40th Annual Conference of the Association for Education Assessment in Africa (AEAA) hosted by quality assurer UMALUSI.
Hosted under the theme: Reimagining educational assessment in the age of multiple dimensions of learning in a global society the conference aims to engage, exchange and share their experiences and discuss issues relevant to access to, and success in, postgraduate studies.
Addressing the conference, Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube said the theme speaks to the international discourse where teaching and learning are being reviewed to ensure greater relevance, quality, and inclusivity.
“In the South African schooling sector, we are currently embarking on a curriculum strengthening process and curriculum in this context is viewed broadly as the content of what gets taught, the teaching and learning pedagogy, the assessment and the professional support provided to classroom practitioners, Gwarube said.
“At a macro-level, the theme aligns with two of the five key priorities identified for South Africa’s 7th Administration that will inform our decision making in the Basic Education Department. Specifically, the two priorities focus on increasing efforts to improve access to and the quality of inclusive education for learners in our most vulnerable communities and learners with special education needs and improving literacy and numeracy skills across all phases of schooling,” She added.
Speaking on the importance of assessment being aligned to curriculum changes, Gwarube said, “Our curriculum has, to a large degree, been dominated by knowledge acquisition and little focus was given to skills and competencies, attitudes and values and character development. It is for this reason that the current review process will focus on the holistic development of the learner and we are committed to developing ethical citizens, creative thinkers, problem solvers, learners who can communicate effectively and are digitally literate.”
The conference is being attended by a wide range of stakeholders including examination councils, assessment bodies, researchers, policymakers, educators, research institutions and government officials from the African continent, Australia, Europe, the United Kingdom, and United States of America.
Gwarube added that she and the Department of Basic Education looks forward to the outcomes of the conference, as the inputs from all delegates will be valuable to the country.
“The attendance of this conference by over 300 delegates from 30 countries, most of which are based on the African continent, gives us invaluable opportunity to discuss issues of mutual interest and forge strong cooperation and partnerships between our country, South Africa, and countries from the continent, something which will go a long way in the realisation of the ideals of Agenda 2063, the Africa We Want, which is characterised by amongst others, unity, inter-connectedness and interdependence.”
The AEAA conference takes place from 19 – 23 August 2024.