Evaluation responsibilities of teachers

M.Ed.The South African Education System has been in a crisis for a number of years. This crisis is located in non-functioning schools, mass boycotts, teacher strikes and the lack of facilities and resources. Examinations haVe been the focus of this crisis. Evaluation to determine whether pupils are competent for the next standard have often been neglected. There have been accusations, in the past few years of fraudulent, incompetent and often corrupt examination practices (King and van den Berg 1992:1). Evaluation is central to a good educational system. If teachers are to be successful in their efforts to foster learning in pupils they need ways to determine the effectiveness of their teaching and to obtain indications of what pupils have learnt (Hopkins and Antes 1989:1). Is Evaluation reform and an in depth look at evaluation activities is very important. Teachers cannot escape the responsibilities of evaluating . their pupils' work. Evaluation practices should be informed and well thought out. It is particularly important that teachers be aware of the consequences, varying validity and fairness of different approaches to evaluation. Evaluation should above all be complex and multi-dimensional ( Independent Examination Board 1994:2 ). The teachers input regarding evaluation should be a calculated effort that is relevant and significant enough to show the skills that pupils have gained. Effective assessment can only be based on a thorough understanding of our purposes in teaching and our aspirations for our pupils ( Drummond and Pollard 1993:12 ). In 1995 a document ( Circular No. Preg. 31:95 ) with new evaluation criteria , for both primary and secondary schOols, Was released in the .Gauteng Province. This document is an important one as for the first time in South Africa the same evaluation procedures will be followed by all state schools in a province. This document has direct implications for the evaluation responsibilities of teachers as it clarifies the extent of the teachers responsibilities with regard to evaluation practices, emphasising continuous assessment as well as remediation