The aim of the training, held on Friday, 15 February 2013 in the IT Laboratory, was to familiarise the markers with the test papers and optical scanning marking sheets they will be using during the marking project. The project entails the marking and data analysis of the impact study, which comprises more than 3 920 literacy and numeracy scripts from 131 participating schools. It also involves the marking and data analysis of a further 9 336 literacy and numeracy tests from a further 138 participating schools, making a grand total of about 26 515 tests. These tests are written in English, Afrikaans, Setswana, Southern Sotho and isiXhosa

The CEA undertook the project of marking and data analysing the North West Department of Education Grade 3 Baseline Assessment last year. The assessment was written by learners in the province in October 2010.This assessment required the CEA to mark and analyse the results of the 9995 literacy and numeracy tests written by the learners, after which reports were compiled for the North West Provincial Department of Education at provincial and area office levels. An abbreviated report for each of the 193 schools which took part was also delivered.

During the training, Mr Daniel was assisted by the members of his project team, Ms Sibongile Sibonyoni, the project’s logistics manager, Mr Mishack Tshele, the data analyst and Mr Chokotcha Selamani-Mbewe, a visiting Research Fellow from Malawi who will be assisting mainly with the marking of the English Language Literacy and Numeracy tests and writing the reports later in the year.