INFORMACIÓN CUANTITATIVA Y CUALITATIVA SOBRE VALORES RAZONABLES

The participating public school makes use of and refers to the Language in Education Policy (LiEP) (DBE, 1997), with the emphasis on developing multilingualism within a framework of additive bi/multilingualism and the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS). The school has both a school policy and goals supporting equitable access to the curriculum and differentiated teaching for all learners. In the interview, the HoD asserted that the school has a formal policy in place regarding language use in the school and a copy was observed in the teacher documents. Despite the fact that teachers had a copy of the school policy and an extract of LiEP in their teacher documents, some of them did not familiarise themselves with the content: as Teacher two mentioned:

Our Principal and HoD read all the policies and tell us a copy is kept in the office and we may request to read it any time, but I never have time.

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Interviews revealed that only one of the three teachers interviewed, Teacher one, had read a small part of the 1997 Language in Education Policy (LiEP) and no other policies pertaining to languages. The other two teachers did not recall seeing the 1997 Language in Education Policy document. Teacher three went on to say:

We are an English-medium school. That is all I need to know concerning the language policy. I do know about CAPS and that policy is more important.

Teachers two and three relied on the HoD to inform them regarding policy. The only policy that all three interviewed teachers appeared to know was the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS). CAPS ensure that there is clear guidance and consistency for teachers when teaching and it was revealed during the interviews that the three Foundation Phase teachers in the study refer to the CAPS document when they sit together and plan for lessons. Teachers and the HoD indicated that the CA played an important role in promoting and implementing CAPS at the school. This was confirmed when the CA mentioned that:

Part of my work is to ensure teachers know what was expected of them in the implementation process of the curriculum policy. I have workshops with them on language and Mathematics strategies.

As mentioned in Chapter three, each subject in CAPS has an inclusive and concise policy document that provides details on what teachers need to teach and assess (DBE, 2012). Assessment emerged as a theme during the interviews, therefore the issue was pursued. One respondent, Teacher one, complained that the number of formal assessments was a hindrance against teaching time. She explained that they struggle to consolidate concepts and language content due to the time limit between formal assessments. Teacher one complained vehemently as follows:

In all my 43 years of teaching I never ‘tested’ the children so many times like I am forced to do now. Valuable teaching time, especially in the Foundation Phase is wasted on assessment tasks.

The HoD explained in the interview that each Foundation Phase teacher at the school administered a Baseline Assessment at the beginning of the year. Teacher three explained that:

The Baseline Assessment allows me to get to know my learners very early in the first term and know their abilities.

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After the Baseline Assessment, revealed by the CA in the interview, teachers should teach and follow the notional time daily per subject as stipulated in CAPS with attention to all the components of each subject before the next formal assessment. The HoD affirmed that:

The assessment is a measuring tool to establish further teaching needs in language or specific components of language, like reading, phonics, writing or language use.

In spite of policy clarity, teachers found the number of assessments a considerable difficulty. Each teacher interviewed, as well as the HoD, had strong views regarding the assessments, but Teacher two reiterated Teacher one’s comment that:

The teaching time I have to set aside for assessments is simply ridiculous! The Foundation Phase learners have far too many formal assessment tasks per term. This is a grave concern as far more time is needed for teaching that is currently used for assessment.

Table 4.3 illustrates assessment tasks expected to be completed at the Foundation Phase level.

Table 4.3: Formal Assessment Timetable

Grade Subject Term 1 Term 2 Term 3 Term 4 Total

1 Home Language 1 2 2 2 7

2 Home Language 1 2 2 2 7

3 Home Language 1 3 3 2 9

According to the CA, Home language formal assessment tasks (FAT) are based on the bench marks of CAPS in listening and speaking, phonics, reading, reading with comprehension, language and writing. Foundation Phase teachers teach these components of English and formally assess learners once towards the end of the first term. Notably, the FATs increase from terms two to four when the three grades are expected to complete more tasks, and the Grade threes are expected to complete the most.

A larger challenge aggravating the situation that Teachers one, two, three and the HoD identified was that learners were often absent during an assessment. The CA explained that assessments should inform the teaching needs of the learners: teachers should not teach the class to prepare all the learners for the tasks. Teachers should focus on developing all aspects of the language.

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According to the teachers, all the learners have to do the same assessment task regardless of their ability level, as revealed in the interview with Teacher two:

I am in trouble because I do not spend enough time on differentiated teaching, but I am ignored if I complain about all my learners having to complete the same formal assessment tasks.

Grade one teachers assessed the proficiency level of the English language learners by assessing oral language skills. The language that all Foundation Phase learners need to succeed in school is quite different from the oral language they use in social contexts. Academic tasks and activities require learners to use language to list, order, compare, predict, explain, discuss, write, comprehend, etc. Learners must perform these CALP activities in listening, speaking, phonics, reading and writing.

Although the Language in Education Policy (DBE, 1997) gives parents the right to exercise a language right on behalf of minor learners, teachers’ face rapidly increasing numbers of linguistic diverse learners in their classes and context-related problems.