Umalusi’s presentation to the Basic Education Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on the

Umalusi’s presentation to the Basic Education Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on the

2008/9 Annual Report

27 October 2009

Dr Mafu S Rakometsi

Purpose / Mandate Summarised External Environment : Impact on Umalusi Organisational Performance per Unit Financial Information Current Issues and Way Forward Conclusion

Overview

While Umalusi has reported against its founding mandate in the 2008 / 2009 annual report it has been mindful of the changes that it would be required to make as it moved towards its role as a Quality Council, the mandate of which became effective on 1 June 2009. Umalusi therefore reports as an organization in transition.

Umalusi’s mandate is determined by two Acts namely, the SAQA Act of 1995 now replaced by the National Qualifications Framework Act of 2008; and the General and Further Education and Training Quality Assurance Act of 2001 amended in 2008.

Purpose / Mandate Summarised

Umalusi is tasked with the following:

Qualifications:

Monitor and report on the adequacy and suitability of qualifications and standards in general and further education and training; now extended to,

Develop and manage a sub-framework of qualifications in collaboration with SAQA and the other two QCs supported by the necessary policies and processes.

Quality Assurance:

Accredit private providers of education and training and assessment;

Promote quality amongst providers and ensure that providers adopt quality management systems;

Quality assure assessments at exit points and certify learner achievement

In the amended mandate these functions have remained the same except that the monitoring of provincial departments of education has been removed.

Monitor provincial departments of education and report to the Minister

Purpose / Mandate Summarised 2


Information

Maintain a database of learner achievements and related matters; and submit such data in a format determined in consultation with the SAQA for recording on the national learners’ records database – this requirement has remained the same

Research

While Umalusi has always grounded its work in research this function was only formalised under the new and extended mandate, which requires Umalusi to commission and publish research on issues of importance to the development and implementation of the sub-framework

Advice and Collaboration

Omitted in the founding mandate but included in the amended mandate is the formalization of relationships which include:

Advice to the relevant Minister on matters relating to its sub-framework

Collaboration with the SAQA and other QCs in terms of the education and training system

Establishment of co-operative relationships with professional bodies

Advocacy of the sub-framework of qualifications


While maintaining the “old” and routine quality assurance work Umalusi has also had to accommodate development of functions to support the “new” and extended mandate and much of what has been reported is associated with the transition. Certain aspects in the macro environment that have affected Umalusi are as follows:

The passing of the NQF Act in 2009; changes in the roles and responsibilities of the various bodies in the quality assurance landscape;

The amendment of the GENFETQA Act in 2008; the extended mandate which has required more capacity and a review of Umalusi’s positions and approaches;

The amendment of the Skills Development Act and the establishment of the QCTO with new approaches that impact on the work of Umalusi;

Amendment of the HE Act with approaches that impact on Umalusi’s work;

External Environment : Impact on Umalusi

The introduction of two new and high profile qualifications during this time namely the National Senior Certificate to replace the old Senior Certificate and the National Certificate: Vocational to replace the old National Technical Certificates;

A change in Chief Executive Officers towards the end of the 2008 / 2009 financial year

Not anticipated in 2008, was the splitting of the Education Ministry which has placed Umalusi in the position of straddling the education and training system in respect of its quality assurance work, reporting lines and funding streams;

External Environment : Impact on Umalusi

Umalusi believes that educational standards and quality are set and maintained through a combination of processes and interventions and designed its rigorous quality assurance regime for 2008 to encompass the following:

Evaluation and benchmarking of existing qualifications and curricula (Intended curriculum) and issuing authentic certificates

Ensuring through external moderation processes and benchmarking that assessments at exit points are of an acceptable standard and that the examinations are conducted in a credible manner through verifying the national and provincial monitoring systems (Examined curriculum)

Ensuring that standardisation processes are reliable, consistent and standardisation decisions upheld

Accrediting private institutions (schools, FET colleges and Adult Centres), and private assessment bodies to offer / assess the qualifications it certifies (Enacted curriculum)

Umalusi’s Quality Assurance Regime 2008

The role of QCC is to ensure and enhance the status and quality of the qualifications Umalusi certifies. Quality assuring the qualifications and their related curricula is QCC’s contribution to the overall quality of the certificate which Umalusi issues. This function also oversees the issuing and verification of certificates.

(Qualifications: SC; NSC; N3; NCV 2 and 3; GETC: adults)

Qualifications, Curriculum & Certification Unit (QCC)

Qualifications, Curriculum & CertificationApril 2008 – March 2009 COMMENTS

Policy development:

Framework of Qualifications in GFET & developed and consulted.

Criteria & guidelines for development and evaluation of qualifications and curricula developed.

Completed as per plan

Curriculum evaluated and benchmarked:

NSC Maintaining Standards project supported

GETC: Adults curriculum evaluated

Foundation phase curriculum evaluation commenced


Certificates issued, excluding subject certificates:

778 445 certificates printed across qualifications

171 858 certificates verified

Issued in line with directives and guidelines

This function entails establishing, maintaining and improving standards and quality in assessment at exit points in General and Further Education and Training. In order to fulfil this function, Umalusi uses five key processes:

external moderation of question papers; verification of monitoring the conduct of examinations; external moderation of marking; external moderation of continuous assessment; and standardisation of assessment results.

(Qualifications: SC; NSC; N3; NCV 2 and 3; GETC: adults)

Quality Assurance of Assessments Unit (QAA)

Quality Assurance of AssessmentApril 2008 – March 2009 COMMENTS

Ext Moderation of Question Papers:

NSC: 338 papers (DoE + IEB + OAER )

ABET : DoE - 23 learning areas (23 X4 sets = 92 papers)

IEB - 6 learning areas (6 X4 sets = 24 papers)

N2-N3: 25 papers

NCV level 2 : 40 papers ; NCV level 3: 28 papers

NCV level 3 ISAT (Integrated Summative Assessment task): 9


Report submitted to the Minister of Education on all 2008 exams

Moderation of marking:

NSC: 26 National (Centralised and On-site)

ABET: 4 learning areas across 9 PDE’s + IEB

N2- N3: 9 subjects

NCV level 2 : 8 subjects + 24 ISATs

NCV level 3 : 13 subjects + 13 ISATs

Completed per plan


Quality Assurance of AssessmentsApril 2008 – March 2009 COMMENTS

CASS:

NSC: 30 subjects across DoE, IEB and OAER

ABET: 2 Fundamental learning areas (LLC: English

and Mathematical Literacy) across 9 PDE’s and IEB

NCV: 21 level 2 and level 3 subjects sampled across

PDE’s

All CASS moderated as per plan


Verifying monitoring conduct of exams:

NSC: 217 sites

ABET: 64

N2 - N3 & NCV: 51 sites

All monitoring conducted as per plan


Quality Assurance of AssessmentsApril 2008 – March 2009 COMMENTS

CTA moderation for schools:

DoE: 18 learning areas

IEB: 10 learning areas


Standardisation:

NSC: DoE- 56 subjects;

IEB -56 subjects incl. non-official languages;

OAER - 27 subjects

N2- N3: 393 subjects (4 exams)

NCV level 2 : 54 subjects NCV level 3 : 55 subjects

ABET: DoE 23 learning areas (2 exams)

IEB 6 learning areas (2 exams)



The evaluation and accreditation function is responsible for the accreditation and monitoring of private institutions offering the qualifications Umalusi certifies. The unit evaluates,

The capacity of education and training providers to implement registered qualifications and approved curriculum they seek accreditation for; and

The capacity of providers and assessment bodies to conduct practical, internal, and external assessment of learner achievement, leading to the issuing of registered qualifications by Umalusi.

Evaluation and Accreditation Unit

(E&A)

Evaluation and Accreditation of Private Providers

Provisional Accreditation and Monitoring

March 2008 – April 2009 COMMENTS

Independent Schools:

450 monitored; 150 new Prov accredited

Completed per plan

Private FET Colleges:

86 monitored; 91 new learning sites Prov accredited

Registration

197 Umalusi providers recommended to DoE

171 SETA providers processed and referred to DoE

Completed per plan

AET Centres:

23 monitored; 7 new centres Prov accredited

Completed per plan

Evaluation and Accreditation of Private Providers

Institutional Site Visits

April 2008 – March 2009 COMMENTS

Independent schools - site visits

229

Completed

Private FET college sites visited

203

Completed

Private AET centres visited

7

Completed

Resubmission of regulatory framework for accreditation

Awaiting regulation

Evaluation and Accreditation of Assessment Bodies

April 2008– March 2009 COMMENTS

4 new applicants supported through development programme

2 AET assessment bodies

2 Vocational assessment bodies

Concluded per plan

Independent Examinations Board (IEB) and Onafhanklike Afrikaanse Eksamensraad (OAER) monitored

Concluded per plan

Evaluation of the assessment system for the National Certificate: Vocational

Project concluded – report published

The mandate of the SIR unit is to conduct research as identified by the needs of the organisation and report on the key indicators of quality and standards in general and further education and training; the establishment and maintenance of databases; to lead statistical research and analysis; and to inform and provide statistical support for the work in other units. The SIR Unit also plays a role in organizational and professional development at Umalusi.

Statistical Information and Research Unit

(SIR)

Statistical Information and Research

April 2008 – March 2009 Comment

Maintaining Standards Report:

- Part 1: Overview; -Part 2: Detailed Curricula Analysis

-Part 3: Detailed Exam Paper Analysis

Findings presented at the 2008 standardization meeting.

Signaling Performance: A report on the correlation between continuous assessment and exam mark

Report published May 2008

The role of IRT in selected examination system: A literature review on the item response theory and how it is used in different countries

Report published September 2008

Foundation Phase comparative curriculum evaluation

Practical Assessment: Best Practice

HESA equivalence setting

Conceptualised and commissioned

Management Support Structures (MSS)

Management Support Structures ensures that: Strategic plans are in place and that the organisation carries out its remit Corporate Governance Advocacy of Umalusi’s work Stakeholders relationships

Management Support StructuresApril 2008 – March 2009 COMMENTS

Strategic and business plans developed, implemented and monitored

New planning cycle developed and organisational reports published as required

Policies developed and implemented after Council approval

Performance evaluated and monitored quarterly

Organisational governance maintained

Council meetings conducted, committees supported and services rendered

PR and communications strategy implemented

Communication strategy implemented per plan

Stakeholder relationships established and managed

Relationships forged and maintained with political structures, DoE, and other statutory and quality assurance bodies

Information Technology SystemsApril 2008 – March 2009 COMMENTS

Hardware procured

3 HP printers

7 personal computers

2 Servers

325 computer components

15 laptops

35 network points

Equipment installed with SLAs implemented and network support

meeting expectations.

Software

7 different applicationsSoftware licensing up to date.

ProgrammingMIS developmentCertification system

MIS project is ongoing improving operational output.

Certification system; NCV Level 4 system developed and NSC System implemented.

Network support

Business continuity

High availability solution in place for crucial servers. Disaster Recovery strategy was developed and agreed upon. The DRP is now in the process of development and will be completed by June 2009.

Finance, HRD & Admin SupportApril 2008 – March 2009 COMMENTS

Finance, SCM and buildings

Unqualified audit (history of organization)

Creditors were paid within 30 days

Building Improvements - R 1,040 m

Upgrading of building to suit organizational requirements continues.

Undercover parking bays converted into additional office space, security was enhanced with CCTV and palisade fencing.

Human resources

Bursaries to staff – R 56 156

In house training – R 89 185

Short courses – R 39 024

All 74 staff benefited

Development of staff a priority with greater budget demands for 2009/10 and beyond

Financial Performance 2008/9

Revenue

Certification, verification and accreditation

Amount

27,019,914

Department of Education Grant 16,044,000

Interest and other income 3,370,454

Total Income R 46,434,368

Expenditure 41,378,379

Surplus R 5,055,989

Financial Position 2008/9

Assets 14,453,789

•Property & equipment 14,290,658

•Intangible assets 163,131

Current Assets 30,170,246

•Trade & other receivables 5,047,446

•Cash & cash equivalents 25,122,800

TOTAL ASSETS R 44,624,035

Equity

Accumulated surplus 39,109,004

Liabilities

•Trade & other payables 5,515,031

TOTAL EQUITY & LIABILITIES R 44 624 035

Total Income 2000/1 ( actual) to 2012/13 ( budget)

YEAR INCOME BUDGET DoE GRANT GRANT %

2000/01 R 6,150,786 0 0

2001/02 R 7,027,948 0 0

2002/03 R 13,757,861 R 1,513,000 11

2003/04 R 18,076,902 R 3,050,000 17

2004/05 R 23,547,626 R 12,869,000 55

2005/06 R 28,603,979 R 7,690,000 27

2006/07 R 32,972,345 R 10,286,000 31

2007/08 R 36,013,566 R 12,652,000 35

2008/09 R 46,434,368 R 16,044,000 35

2009/10 R 53,843,713 R 16,494,000 31

2010/11 R 69,481,474 R 17,350,000 25

2011/12 R 80,656,970 R 18,391,000 23

2012/13 R 92,723,528 R 19,311,000 21

Certification of 2008 learners: Certification was concluded in August 2009 - normally done in May /June - due to a revised look and format required by the Minister of Education

Later release of 2009 Matric results: This was agreed to ensure that Umalusi has the space to assure the resulting process before approval of results – new initiative to strengthen the quality assurance process

Current Issues and the Way Forward

Umalusi’s line of accountability: Split Ministry has placed Umalusi in a straddled position i.r.o its sub-framework of qualifications and quality assurance thereof

Funding model: With the declining grant percentage Umalusi has proposed to NDoE for a move from a certification fee to a Quality Assurance Levy

Current Issues and the Way Forward

The NQF review finalization is welcomed - consultative processes have begun with the Departments of Basic and Higher Education, DOL(QCTO), and related stakeholders.

Thanks to the Portfolio Committee Chairperson, Ms F I Chohan and her members for their support.

Conclusion

Umalusi’s presentation to the Basic Education Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on the

Documents

Transcript of Umalusi’s presentation to the Basic Education Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on the