School's Report 2012 National Senior Certificate (NSC) Examination

5.10 Limitations of the Survey
Some of the specific limitations that need to be borne in mind relate to making comparisons between
the results of ANA 2011 and 2012. Therefore, the comparisons of assessments reflected in this
report must be viewed with caution. The limitations relate to the following:
• The design and methodologies used in ANA are still at an infancy stage. Generally it takes
time for these to stabilize.
• The different times of testing would have impacted on learner performance. In 2011 the tests
were administered in February, while in 2012 testing was done in September.
• The scope of work tested in 2011 covered a full year’s work, while in 2012 only work covered
in the first three quarters of the year was tested.
Notwithstanding the above, the results of 2012 and the comparisons, where applicable provide critical
and useful information for monitoring the levels and quality of learning outcomes in basic education.
5.11 Conclusion
The key finding regarding the provincial overall performance is that learner achievement in both
Language and Mathematics at the Foundation phase was largely of adequate quality and level.
Pertaining to the intermediate phase in general and in Grade 9 Mathematics in particular, learner
achievement showed a wide-range of deficiencies in basic knowledge and competencies.
The findings of ANA 2012 have presented valuable lessons to inform the sharpening of the strategies
of the education system towards improving the quality of basic education. In spite of a great
improvement on learner performance in 2012, we still have a long way to go towards realizing the
desired 60% threshold of learners mastering the adequate Language and Mathematics competencies
by the end of Grades 3, 6 and 9 in 2014.
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