Grade 6 Systemic Evaluation: Free State province

Systemic evaluation studies offer a powerful lens through which to view the performance and health of the education system. In particular, the Grade 6 Systemic Evaluation study is intended to serve three purposes, first to determine the level of achievement of learners within the system, second, to highlight specific areas/issues within the system that require further attention/investigation, and third, to serve as a baseline for comparison against future systemic evaluation studies. This Free State Provincial Report on Systemic Evaluation at the Intermediate Phase draws on the national report (DoE, 2005) and provides details about the health of the education system in the province. It comprises three main components: (1) design and implementation, (2) contextual factors at home and school and their relationship to learner achievement scores, and (3) learner assessment tasks in three learning areas, Language (LOLT), Mathematics, and Natural Sciences. In addition, this study has investigated the extent to which school and home conditions affect learner achievement in the Free State. The report concludes by making several recommendations, some implying short-term education quality interventions and others with longer-term policy implications.