Marking Matric

Colloquium proceedings

Edited By: Vijay Reddy
Published by: HSRC, 2006
Via: HSRC

This collection of papers grapples with issues regarding testing and particularly the matric examination – as well as the issues of standards, reliability, validity, centralisation or decentralisation of examinations and the predictive value of examinations. In the first section, the papers outline the challenges faced by the department of education in organizing examinations, presents a history of examination, and raises methodological questions with regard to standards and standardisation. Four empirically based papers disaggregate the performance data by race and gender to illustrate the inequalities of performance, which in turn is linked to inequalities with regard to human and economic resources. The latter sections offers an analysis of social issues that have an impact on education and educational performance and the transition from school to work and higher education. In addition there is an analysis of the structure of the qualification framework that dictates how the examination in the last year of the schooling system is structured.