Chairperson’s Report 2

CEO’s Message 4

Organisational Report 6

Corporate Governance 14

Finances 16

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Assessment is a funny business. It sits at theend of courses or processes which have, atkey milestone points, particular objectives oroutcomes in mind. These courses or processesmay be highly structured or lightly specifiedwith objectives or outcomes that are similarlyeither precisely or vaguely spelt out. The wayit works, and this is often based on experience,is to allow for a process to move along to a

particular point and then to pause it and then, based on what it was all about, to put thepeople or the structures that were involved in it through an evaluation of their performancein relation to the targets embedded in the objectives or the outcomes that were specified.This is what makes assessment, in any context, inherently challenging. Imagine then, ineducational settings, which involve the classification, ranking and ordering of achievement,how challenging this could and actually does become. It is for this reason that we describeassessment in education as being ‘high stakes’. Just think of a place like India where tothis day the question of the examination and its outcomes is of such a ‘high stakes’ naturethat students have protested over the right to copy. Remember the 1980s in South Africawhen the cry went out, ‘pass one, pass all’.

But can we do without assessment? As the Chinese discovered thousands of years agoalready, no. Examinations of a structured nature provided them with the only fair way toassess merit. It was the only way to work out how to select the most appropriate peopleto enter the civil service. It prevented nepotism, corruption, favouritism and all kinds ofarbitrary ways in which the powerful could advance their interests over the most deserving.To get there, and this is one of the extraordinary civilizational contributions the Chinesegive to the world, you have to think of issues of evaluation design – what kind of examinationis most appropriate for the course or process experience. You have to start specifyingstandards – how high or how difficult should these standards be; and you have to elaboratecriteria for the standards – what should be looked for, what is important and not soimportant, what constitutes excellence, what is failure, where should a norm for a groupbe located. If there is agreement in a society that these methodologies and approachesare fair, you have institutions that are trusted. But if there is suspicion about your classification,ranking and ordering, design assessment approaches, your institutions are viewed withsuspicion. How you build trust then is a challenge.

We in South Africa are all involved in the great task of building trust in our institutions. Wehave put in place the structures to assure the quality of our assessment procedures. Childrenand their parents want to know that they can trust the outcomes of the assessment exercisesthey subject themselves to. We have come a long way. Annually, at the end of the year,our children reach various milestones where we assess their progress. None is of higherstakes than the National Senior Certificate examination. Coming out of the apartheid erawhere our people treated with scepticism the outcomes of our assessments, we are winningthe trust of learners and parents through our capacity to subject the whole assessmentprocess to a great deal of scrutiny. Moderation exercises take place, standardisationprocesses based on intense reviews follow, and high-level sign-off by experts take placein which interference is watched for. Do mistakes happen? Yes they do. But the processis intently monitored and, as a consequence, as has happened regularly over the last fewyears, where problems have arisen in the system, they have been systematically dealt with.There was a problem in Mpumalanga some years ago with security. That has been fixed.At its inception, the NSC experienced a number of administrative difficulties; these havebeen fixed. South African NSC “graduates” are readily accepted into local and internationalhigher education institutions of learning and succeed.

And yet, there remains doubt. There is doubt about the exam itself and doubt about whatits outcomes represent in relation to the country. With respect to the first, it is importantto make clear to the doubters that our examination and assessment is of the highest quality.The National Senior Certificate has been benchmarked not only by Umalusi, our local qualityassurance institution, but also by UK NARIC (National Recognition Information Centre inthe United Kingdom) and pronounced fit and equivalent with the best of what is happeningelsewhere in the world at this level. South African standards have not fallen.

With respect to the second, and especially with respect to people who complain about theassessment favouring the elite in the country, our response must be that the examinationitself has only the discernment of merit and nothing else inside its design. The IEB was bornin response to an apartheid system that wished to use assessment to rank and order inracial terms. This constitutive impulse remains with it to this day – twenty-three years afterthe founding of the new democracy. The discernment of merit.

That this merit continues to reflect the social legacy of apartheid is a reality we are deeplyaware of. But it is not a function of the assessment approaches we apply and use. It is thedirect result of factors that arise in the broader society itself. It is outside the examination.Can the examination itself change society? Not really. But it can influence it. Examinationshave backwash effects. This is how they affect educational systems and societies. Sometimesthese are negative. But we are committed to stimulating good backwash effects. We in theIEB will continue to developing approaches and frameworks which are inclusive of

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all of the people of our country, designing standards and criteria whichare fair and which recognise the diverse kinds of ability which existamongst our children and operating our assessment tools inunquestionably rigorous ways.

We deliberately seek to position ourselves as an agency working inthat difficult space of building trust in our institutions. Even as weclassify, rank and order, even as we do that unbearably difficult job ofsaying ‘you have done really well’, ‘you could do better’, we commitourselves to doing so only in the spirit of discerning merit. And so wehave to keep trying. We have to build trust in our assessment. At theindividual level, we must produce for children and their parents theanalysis of the individual child’s performance which he or she can useand which gives him or her a sense of what he or she accomplishedin relation to the outcomes defined for the course. The children andtheir parents need to know, at the end, that it was just the performanceon the test that determined their place in the classification, ranking andordering framework. Nothing else. It is this trust that must be built.Everyone must walk away saying, ‘I was fairly assessed’. It is this thatwe are trying to achieve in the IEB.

I thank all in the immediate and wider IEB family for making us thisalways questioning organisation, this organisation which has set foritself the goal of working in the interests of the country and its people.I thank the staff and their indomitable leader Anne Oberholzer. A fearlessvisionary. I thank the Board. Tireless. Insightful. People who are ableto smoke out an issue, take it apart and reassemble it. Putting it in abetter place than it had been. I thank, finally our friends. They areeverywhere.

Professor Crain Soudien, Chairman of the Board, June 2017

recognised beyond the IEB schooling community, even finding their way into assessmentprocesses in adult education and training; they have been adopted by other institutionsin the country, as well as by institutions outside the South African system.

Our modern world expects a range of competencies from our learners – these challengethe effectiveness of conventional ways of teaching and learning. The digital age hasintroduced technologies with the potential to phenomenally transform educational practices. It challenges us to think differently about how we conduct examinations and about how,when and where learning takes place. It compels us to explore how we can meaningfullyaccommodate learning outside the traditional learning space of a formal classroom andhow we can credibly recognise this learning through qualifications. It asks us to reconsiderwhat constitutes meaningful education; what skills, knowledge and attitudes are essentialfor young learners in our modern society. It challenges us to “open up” our minds andsystems to encourage and recognise new ways of learning and teaching rather than to“shut down” through bureaucratic and purposeless regulation, acknowledgement ofachievement outside the boundaries of familiar contexts.

It is no longer enough to just “know” something; we need to probe for deeper understanding.Learners must be able to pose opinions, offer possible solutions and defend the meritsof their proposals, using the knowledge and skills they have gleaned from engagementwith the curriculum. Indeed they also need to understand the importance of asking theright questions to encourage constructive debate and deep discussion of differentperspectives. Our places of learning ought to provide opportunities for learners to exerciseethical considerations, build their courage and confidence to argue the merits of theirown thoughts and attitudes with dignity, and understanding and respect for other waysof seeing and being.

A key affective skill for the modern learner is to understand the very positive role of “notknowing”; to not be fearful of “getting it wrong”, to regard failure as an opportunity tolearn, to understand that deep learning and conceptual understanding come from therealisation that nobody knows everything; to be willing to reflect honestly on failure, andto take personal responsibility to develop practical strategies in order to improve.

To this end, the IEB has developed a range of assessments that confront learners withreal-world contexts outside the boundaries of the curriculum. The intention in theseassessments is to place the learner in the unfamiliar place of not being able “to learn forthe test” but rather exercise the skill of applying learning gained during curriculum-basedteaching to engage with current societal issues, problems and scenarios that require theiractive participation. The purpose of the alternate assessments is not so much to assessknowledge and skills taught within subject disciplines but to focus on how learners integrate

The changes in the demands placed on youngpeople by the world we live in, as well asadvances in our understanding of how learninghappens, challenge the very essence of whatit is that we should learn and how to engagelearners meaningfully in this learning. Theseshifts, accompanied by advances in technology,stimulate innovation; they provide excitingopportunities to experiment and explore more

effective ways of teaching, learning and assessing. This is not the time to hinder innovationby creating a stifling environment that favours conformity and bureaucracy.

Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation in England, has statedthat an effective qualification system must enable innovative approaches to be introducedsafely to examinations and assessments, reflecting the needs of the future. A fundamentalstrength of the South African qualifications system is that it accommodates differentassessment bodies, thereby not only accommodating different ways of seeing but alsoenabling the existence of separate environments in which innovation and action researchcan find a home.

Over the past 27 years of its existence, the IEB has been able to explore a range ofsystems and processes to improve effectiveness and efficiency in the conduct ofexaminations. It has also enabled the IEB to introduce assessments that challenge thenotion of traditional subject-based assessments as the only meaningful assessment,particularly in grades below Grade 12. This, in turn, has created a space for teachers,learners and parents to consider a variety of assessment options that encourage a debateabout the actual purpose of educational assessment. The IEB’s exploration of what ispossible in assessment for adults and workers in industry has enabled a substantial numberof people to gain certification and recognition for their learning, thereby improving thequality of their lives as well as their employment and promotion opportunities.

Its relatively small size and the diverse contexts within which it operates, has enabled theIEB to successfully experiment with ideas that question current systems and assessmentapproaches, with the sole intention of making a positive contribution to our broader SouthAfrican system. In some cases, the usefulness of these IEB “experiments” has been

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knowledge across traditional subject divides in the curriculumand apply what they have learnt in unfamiliar contexts.These assessments also provide learners who do notnecessarily excel in traditional subject-based assessmentsan alternate opportunity to display their specific skills andknowledge.

Our national and global citizenship demand curious,motivated, ethical individuals who aspire to live in a betterworld. The speed with which our modern world moves andthe vast diversity of demands that our young people faceare factors we, who work in education, cannot ignore. Itis our calling as professionals to engage with what it meansto be “educated” in the African context. We are obligedto give our learners the best we have to offer to enablethem to be significant leaders of the future. Without thevibrancy of innovation, the dynamism of education dies.

I am privileged to work in an exciting world that poseseducational challenges of an academic, a social, an ethicaland a political nature; I am privileged to work in a vibrantorganisation with such competent and committed people,led by a Board of respected professionals under the wiseleadership of our Chairman, Professor Crain Soudien. Weat the IEB appreciate the support from our teachinginstitutions in schooling and adult education and theconfidence they have shown in selecting the IEB as theirassessment body of choice.

Anne Oberholzer - CEO

The IEB is cognisant that assessment is essential in developing learners who are responsibleSouth African citizens, able to negotiate the challenges of a global world. Through ourassessments, we are motivated to develop learners who are:

- critical users of information- ethical reasoners- problem solvers- creative and reflective thinkers- lifelong learners- society members who are respectful of diversity, particularly in the Southern

African context- active citizens who are committed to upholding the principles of the South African

Constitution and the wellbeing of all people.

The IEB supports the position that actively promoting quality education for every SouthAfrican citizen is fundamental in establishing a just, open society based on democraticvalues, social justice and fundamental human rights, in which cultural diversity is appreciatedand embraced.

The IEB’s vision of advancing quality teaching and learning through an assessment processof integrity, innovation and international comparability means our work cannot ignoreexploration of the key pillars of assessment, namely validity, reliability and fairness.

Compulsory education is aimed primarily at the development of cognitive, practical andaffective skills that are valuable for further learning and meaningful participation in society.The IEB continues to look for and pursue the most effective ways of acquiring andassessing these skills. To this end several innovations in which learners apply their learningin real-life contexts have been introduced into the Grade 12 assessment package.

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The National Senior CertificateThe curriculum for Consumer Studies includes the study of entrepreneurship, and in orderto emphasise its importance, the evidence requirements for the subject include a PracticalAssessment Task (PAT). The PAT has been revised so that learners are obliged to applytheir theoretical knowledge to a practical entrepreneurial process within one of the subjectapplications. These applications include the world of food and food production, clothingand soft furnishings. Learners are required to simulate a real-life process in relation to aconsumer product of their choice. Not only do they demonstrate the range of practicalcompetencies required to develop a marketable product - market research and productionskills - they also demonstrate the abilities needed to be successful in their project - critical,creative and reflective thinking, effective communication, problem solving, time management,ethical behaviour, resilience, and initiative.

The IEB is firmly of the belief of the importance of exposing younger learners to the processof research, whether through a small project-type process or through the One ResearchTask Option, whereby learners have the opportunity to carry out an in-depth academicresearch process in a subject of their choice. There are many anecdotal reports from pastlearners of the value of this innovation to them in their tertiary studies; not only honing thenecessary life skills but also establishing the basis for life-long learning.

This option within the school-based assessment component provides a vehicle forindependent learning in which learners generate their own topic of research, conduct asimple literature review, pursue an individual investigation, and communicate their findingsin a formal written form. Learners are able to research topics that are current and pertinentto the world in which they live. As with the Consumer Studies PAT, this task buildsimportant thinking and processing skills, communication skills, and personal managementskills.

These tasks provide alternate opportunities that cater for a range of learner interests andabilities. They empower learners to make their own choices at many levels throughoutthe process, building self-confidence and enabling all learners to be fully engaged.

In a number of the Grade 12 assessments, Life Sciences and the Common AssessmentTask (CAT) in Life Orientation, to name just two, learners are asked to engage with casestudies relating to topical and/or controversial issues in the sciences and society. Theyare expected to express an informed and substantiated opinion; showing ethical reasoning,while understanding that there are different ways of seeing. These assessments promoteunderstanding of current local and global issues which confront our learners; preparingthem for active participation in their communities.

Advanced Programme (AP) subjectsThe IEB recognises the constraints of the Department of Basic Education (DBE) in thatit has an obligation to address the education deficits that have resulted from an extended

validity

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period of unequal attention and funding for the vast majority of learners in South Africa.This backlog means that the limited resources at its disposal must be spent on buildinga functional and properly resourced system for all learners.

The IEB, in its contribution to the national education project, has used the opportunityto ensure that high performing learners across the system have access to a globallycompetitive assessment in key areas. It is for this reason that the IEB developed itsAdvanced Programme courses, a Proudly South African assessment.

Our Advanced Programme courses in Mathematics and English are benchmarked at A-level and are available for any learner who wishes to participate, whether writing their NSCthrough the IEB or the State. These courses are designed to challenge the talentedlearner, to stimulate the interested learner, and to prepare learners for studies in highereducation.

Learner entries for AP Mathematics in 2016 totalled 3956 with 46% of the learners comingfrom schools writing their NSC through the State while AP English learners totalled 572with 12% of the learners coming from schools writing the State NSC. The number oflearners offering AP Afrikaans continues to grow slowly.

Subject specific assessment at other gradesThe concept of benchmarking arises from the fact that test scores mean very little in andof themselves without a basis of comparison. One cannot look at numbers in isolation;rather, they need to be compared to, or benchmarked against, an independent standard.

Benchmarking is one of the most effective processes for a school to undertake as itenables them to determine areas of strength, and areas that could benefit from a changein approach to yield better results. By benchmarking performance on a consistent andongoing basis, schools can gauge how effective their improvement efforts are over time.

Benchmarking also helps with the identification of an individual learner’s weaknesses andstrengths. It is a tool to the track a learner’s performance, after appropriate interventions,over time. This is equally beneficial to the individual’s progress.

Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) InternationalBenchmarking Tests (IBTs)The IEB continues to offer the IBTs in partnership with ACER. The tests cover the learningareas of Mathematics and English from Grades 3 to 10 and Sciences from Grades 3 to8. The tests are available in English and Afrikaans. A number of schools see the benefitof participation in these benchmarking tests with just under 36000 entries from IEB schoolsin South Africa in 2016.

The key benefit of these tests for the South African education system is that when learners

are taught according to the precepts of the South African national curriculum they areable to perform at levels comparable with children across the globe. In other words, onedoes not need any curriculum other than the national curriculum, any unusual methodology,or expensive resource material – just good teaching practice of a sound curriculum, usinglocal resources.

The percentage of schools in the IEB sample that achieved a scaled score average thatis above the international scaled score average in English from Grades 3-10 was 82%,with Grade 6 having the highest percentage of schools above the international averageon 91.2%. This may not be surprising given that a number of these schools not only haveEnglish as the Language of learning and teaching at the school but also many of thelearners are English Home Language speakers. A number of the schools however havean extensive language programme where reading and writing form the basis of most ofthe work they do, even in non-language subjects.

The percentage of schools in the IEB sample that achieved a scaled score average thatis above the international scaled score average in Mathematics from Grades 3-10 was58%, with Grade 3 having the highest percentage of schools above the internationalaverage on 75.5%.

It is evident from this data that the teaching at the lower grades is of a high standard andlearners are performing very well. It is positive and affirming that there is a significantnumber of South African schools that perform at a globally competitive level. Moreimpressive is that there are individual learners in South Africa who perform at the veryhighest levels.

The number of schools participating in the IBTs in Science is significantly less than thosewho participate in Mathematics and English and hence comparisons are less meaningful. One thing is clear however, namely that the IBT results of IEB schools at the Foundationand Intermediate levels are impressive.

Grade 11 IeBT tests: Mathematics and Physical SciencesThe IEB continues to offer IeBTs in Physical Sciences and Mathematics at Grade 11. Atotal of 1958 learners wrote the Physical Sciences IeBTs with 3956 learners writingMathematics.

The purpose of the IeBTs in Mathematics is to assess the performance of Grade 11learners in the Grade 11 Mathematics curriculum. The results serve as a benchmark incompetence for the Grade 11 Mathematics syllabus. In addition, through detailed feedback,teachers are able to easily identify areas of concern for individual learners as well as theclass as a whole. This in turn gives schools enough time to introduce meaningful teachinginterventions to assist learners before the Grade 12 NSC examinations.

The same holds true for the IeBTs in Physical Sciences. In the past learners writing their

final IEB NSC Physical Sciences examinations had no means by which to benchmarktheir performance against that of the rest of the IEB cohort until their final NSC resultswere released. The IeBT in Physical Sciences attempts to address this as well as applyinterventions to address any areas of concern.

The IeBTs use the multiple choice methodology. Multiple choice assessments are anintegral and well established part of examining worldwide and especially at the tertiaryeducation level. It is not only important for learners to have an opportunity to experiencemultiple choice assessment but it is also a key professional development area for teachers– both in assisting learners to understand how to work with this methodology and inhoning their own skills in setting such questions. Using the IEB’s reports, teachers areable to focus attention on what learners have learnt and effect changes in what it is thatmay be hindering their advancement.

Grade 9 Subject Specific TestsThe IEB offers Grade 9 Subject Specific Tests in the fundamental learning areas of HomeLanguage (English and Afrikaans) and Mathematics. These tests are designed to provideteachers and learners with an insight into the kinds of skills and thinking that will bedeveloped through the FET phase. While they do provide a benchmark opportunity, theyare not designed specifically as an assessment for progression purposes.

Alternate assessmentWhile subject-based assessment has its own criteria for validity, the IEB believes thatengagement with the extended expectations of a good education is critical. Hence theIEB has invested in the development of a range of alternate assessments that focus onthinking skills and the integration of knowledge to solve contextualised real-life problems.Our intention is to stimulate professional discussions about what education means forlearners in today’s world.

Grade 10/11 IEB Thinking Skills testsThe intention of the NSC curriculum is to test the critical thinking skills of learners: theseare contextualised within a specific subject or discipline.

In contrast, the primary objective of the Thinking Skills assessment is to assist schoolsto develop a measure of how they are helping learners to develop the skills of problem-solving and critical thinking beyond these discipline domains, as an independent discipline,to cope with the cognitive demands of society and the world and in the future with tertiarystudies. Fundamental to success in this area is getting learners to think for themselvesand feel confident in their own abilities to solve unfamiliar problems.

Research presented at the 2016 IAEA Conference, using a correlational study, alsodemonstrated that the Thinking Skills assessment was a good predictor of a learner’sEnglish Home Language and Mathematics performance in the Grade 12 NSC.

The IEB Thinking Skills assessment continues to enjoy popularity with some 2821 Grade10 learners and 669 Grade 11 learners writing the assessment in 2016.

Grade 9 and Grade 6 Core Skills TestsThe true aim of the Core Skills Test is to ascertain to what extent the teaching and learningprogrammes at the school are effective in developing essential cross-discipline learningskills. As such, the schools and their learning programmes and not the individual learnersare the focus of the assessment – while the Core Skills Test tangentially measures individuallearner performance, the strength of the assessment is the information it provides to theschool about the extent cross-discipline learning skills are being developed among learners.

The benefit of these types of assessment is that schools are provided with a report of thegroup performance as a means to ascertain in which areas the teaching and learningprogrammes might require modification, and in which areas they are effective as a whole.While the individual learner is still being assessed, the questions are not awarded marksin the traditional sense.

Thus individual success is not necessarily being measured, rather the efficacy of classroompractice in promoting deep understanding and critical engagement. Schools benefit fromCSTs because they facilitate reflection on key educational practices which should be partof a school’s self-evaluation processes. It is for this reason that the IEB made changesto its Grade 9 Core Skills Test in 2016.

In preparing learners for the future, the IEB has provided optional activities to determinehow competently learners can, for example, collaborate or present. The IEB thereforeanalyses learner responses to determine to what extent the skills in question have beenmastered. In time the IEB may add questions or tasks that engage with technologicalproficiency which is becoming more and more essential to learning.

Grade 7 MATCH (Measuring abilities and thinking competencies for the highschool)This assessment combines traditional assessment of language and mathematical skillstogether with identified 21st century skills such as creativity, critical thinking, problemsolving and ethical reasoning skills. The Grade 7 MATCH assessment is focused on theassessment of the individual as well as promoting and strengthening the teaching of theseessential skills.

Schools are encouraged to analyse the feedback from all assessments in order to makemeaningful interventions in their teaching programmes and hence enhance the educationalexperience of learners. To encourage this element of best practice, the IEB offers schoolsa customised workshop that deals specifically with the analysis of data from assessmentsa school may have participated in.

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A key value in educational assessment is the reliability of results and hence the integrityof the systems and processes of conducting examinations. This places an emphasis onthe need for security in the conduct of the examinations process.

SecurityIn 2013 the IEB conceptualised an Electronic Locking System and, working in partnershipwith a local South African electronics firm, Smart Locking Logic (Pty) LTD, developed andimplemented the system in a pilot in 2014 with the first year of full implementation in 2015.Through the Electronic Locking System, the security of IEB examination material in all IEBschools and all subjects is monitored and controlled.

This system allows the IEB to• control the time at which examination papers are opened at an examination

venue and also the time by which the answer scripts must be packed away inthe examination bag for return to the IEB; and

• ensure that examination papers are not opened prematurely and that answerscripts are secured timeously after the examination, thereby preventing anyinterference with answer scripts before they are returned to the IEB.

The IEB has introduced this system to protect our examination venues from any accusationof possible impropriety.

Since the IEB’s pioneering of the Electronic Locking System, it has now been adoptedby the Western Cape Education Department and is being considered by a number ofneighbouring African countries. There has also been an expression of interest from aninternational assessment organisation which is looking to pilot the system in some countriesin Asia. The IEB is proud to have been the originator of a security system that protectsthe integrity of its examinations process.

In 2016 the IEB experimented with an extension of the system to include an electronicvisual and audio monitoring system, whereby the IEB is able to “look in” to an examinationvenue and, in real time, monitor the activities within the venue. This system once fullyoperational will enable the IEB to remotely monitor the writing of examinations, therebyreducing costs of monitoring and hence the actual cost of the examination as a whole.It also provides evidence should it ever be necessary to investigate an incident, therebyprotecting an examination venue from suspicion of improper administration.

These developments protect the integrity of an examination venue because it is a sourceof evidence if the conduct of examination is called into question.

The IEB has also introduced a combination lock system for AET and Advanced Programme

examinations. The IEB is therefore able to also protect the security of these examinationsby controlling the time when the code to unlock the bags is released to examinationcentres.

MarkingThe following table shows changes to quality of pass after the re-mark process from2010 to 2016:

reliability

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2016 98.67 98.75 0.08 1.23 1.24 (2) 9.82 9.82 87.61 87.69 (10)

2015 98.30 98.49 0.19 1.37 1.37 11.66 11.69 (3) 85.26 85.43 (17)

2014 98.38 98.72 0.34 1.37 1.39 (2) 11.56 11.57 (1) 85.45 85.76 (31)

2013 98.57 98.79 0.22 1.48 1.49 (1) 12.01 12.04 (2) 85.07 85.26 (18)

2012 98.20 98.49 0.29 1.64 1.64 12.96 12.98 (2) 83.60 83.87 (24)

2011 98.15 98.6 0.45 2.11 2.14 (2) 14.37 14.38 (1) 81.67 82.08 (34)

2010 98.38 98.79 0.41 2.40 2.45 (4) 14.45 14.50 (4) 81.53 81.84 (25)

Overall Pass Rate % % Entry to HigherCertificate study

% Entry toDiploma study

% Entry to BachelorDegree study

Year AfterRe-marks

%Pass

%Change

BeforeRe-marks

AfterRe-marks

BeforeRe-marks

AfterRe-marks

BeforeRe-marks

AfterRe-marks

** Numbers in brackets indicate the actual number of learners whose marks changed during the remarkprocess.

The change in the overall pass rate is consistently below 0.5%. Similarly the changes tothe IEB pass rates at each separate category of pass, after re-marks, are also all below0.5%. While we strive for 100% accuracy, the level of change in the re-mark process isillustrative of the quality of the initial marking process. The IEB is committed to providinglearners with accurate results, the first time round.

Training of InvigilatorsChief invigilators are key to the smooth running of examinations and are the bedrock ofmaintaining the integrity of our examinations process. Each year the IEB trains up newchief invigilators at all of its schools in the conduct of the examinations process. The IEBalso runs a number of provincial invigilation workshops in Gauteng, Western Cape,KwaZulu-Natal, and Limpopo for adult examination centres.

The aim of the workshops is to ensure that all examination centres have properly trainedinvigilators who understand the importance of invigilation within the examination process.

Fair assessment is assessment that allows all test takers to equally demonstrate theirknowledge and skills and not be disadvantaged by personal attributes irrelevant to thetest’s construct. These may include a test taker’s race, gender, social background orlanguage group. At the IEB, the characteristics of all test takers are considered in design,development, administration and test scoring.

The IEB strives to ensure fairness in all assessments through the implementation of thefollowing strategies:

• varied assessment methodologies to cater for all intelligences and learning styles.Hence the IEB has performance assessments, practical assessments and oralassessments as appropriate in a range of the NSC subjects it offers;

• all assessments have clear and transparent assessment requirements with examplesto illustrate the explanations;

• a carefully considered selection of texts and inserts to represent the diversity of testtakers;

• a variety of question types in assessments to prevent bias of one particular question-type e.g. multiple-choice, essay-type questions, closed questions, open-response.

Particular focus has been placed on the use of simplified language when the aim of theassessment is assessing a test taker’s knowledge or skills, and not mastery of the language.

Accommodations: A commentary of system vs processThe IEB has paid particular attention to learners who experience barriers to learning. Theawarding of accommodations needs to be managed appropriately to ensure that a learnerwho does not have a barrier to learning is unfairly advantaged by having additional time,for example. To this end the IEB works with a panel of highly qualified and ethical educationalpsychologists and special education support teachers to oversee decisions about theaward of accommodations. This ensures the implementation of a process of integrityand, above all, fairness, by the IEB.

current thinking around matters such as effective assessment, developing and measuringresearch skills, and the importance of reading and writing across all areas of the curriculum.These workshops provide safe spaces for teachers to challenge existing norms, leadingto a shifting of previously taken for granted assumptions which in turn results in atransformation of practice.

The Primary School Initiative’s interpretation of the mathematics and language curriculais also helping shift the understanding of the teaching, learning and assessment process.These were developed in 2016 and have been distributed to schools for implementationand feedback in respect of suitability and helpfulness. This collaboration of the psicommunity with the IEB is an attempt to deepen and extend the learning spaces andprofessional discussions within schools.

The IEB is committed to providing our psi schools with opportunities to be part of innovativepractices that assists them to grow the next generation of thinkers, artists, leaders andinnovators who will shape our world.

Adult assessment is an important component of the IEB’s work and addresses theeducational inequalities of the past by giving adult learners the opportunity for recognitionof their academic skills in the workplace. Through the examinations at AET levels 1 to 3and NQF level 1, a worker has access to opportunities for advancement in the workplaceand further learning opportunities to improve their quality of life and that of their families.

The IEB offers examinations in Communications and Mathematical Literacy eleven monthsof the year at AET levels 1 to 3 which enables learners to write as and when they areready to sit the examination. The core and elective learning areas are offered in the Juneand November examination sessions. Umalusi policy dictates that the IEB may only offerNQF level 1 examinations on a quarterly basis.

The current GETC qualification has been criticised for its inappropriateness for adultlearners, particularly those in the workplace. New developments in Adult Education andTraining are the General Education and Training Certificate for Adults (GETCA) and NASCA(National Senior Certificate for Adults). The GETCA has been registered at NQF Level 1as a sister qualification to the NASCA (National Senior Certificate for Adults) which isregistered at NQF level 4.

The IEB has collaborated with the Department of Higher Education and Training to developnew curricula for the envisaged GETCA. The IEB envisions both qualifications making ameaningful contribution to adult learning and looks forward to their introduction.

As an Assessment Quality Partner of the QCTO, the IEB offers the Foundational LearningCompetence which forms part of the occupational training qualifications framework. The

fairness

As an extension of its investment in Schooling, the IEB has established the Primary SchoolInitiative. Since its inception three years ago, the Primary School Initiative (psi) has beenplaying a role in helping shift the educational landscape of the primary school.

Working with its network of 134 independent primary schools across Southern Africa, psiprovides them with a variety of avenues to explore change and create a culture of possibilityand curiosity. As part of this shift, psi offers a range of workshops designed to challenge

primary school initiative

adult assessment

10

FLC is a part qualification consisting of two learning areas: Communicationsand Mathematical Literacy. It prescribes the minimum competence neededin these two key areas that is required by people to function optimally inthe world of work. A total of 7095 learners registered for the FLC in 2016.

The IEB supports the national commitment to transformation in educationand training in order to deliver a skilled workforce. Because the IEB believesin the transformative power of assessment, it brings a single, clear focusto its training: the promotion of good assessment practices. To this end,it is dedicated to the holistic development of assessors who are able topositively influence the teaching and learning process; assessors who ensurethat learners are not only academically competent but also have thenecessary affective skills to contribute meaningfully to society.

The IEB offers workshops and accredited training courses through IEBASSET.

IEB ASSET runs accredited courses and workshops for state and independentschools (pre- primary through to grade 12 educators), UNISA and NGOs.There was great demand, in particular for our latest workshops on ‘ReadingMatters’, ‘Research Matters’ and ‘Writing Matters’.

Feedback from our schools, in particular psi schools, has been extremelypositive,

“It’s the best course we’ve ever been on”“I’ve been empowered”“Excellent content”“An eye opener, one of the most valuable workshops I’ve been on”“I feel that we have all been inspired to introduce better ways of educatingand encouraging learners”

At the IEB we believe in our schools and the passionate commitment ofour educators. This synergy inspires the IEB build a stronger communityof practice between itself and its schools that is committed to excellencein education and assessment.

assessment education and training:the IEB’s training arm

11

A key consideration in the IEB’s operations is its cooperation locally and within the Africancontinent.

The IEB maintains a very good working relationship with its colleagues at the nationaland provincial level with the Department of Basic Education (DBE). The IEB has a jointproject with the DBE, namely the assessment of the Non-Official Languages and subjectssuch as Equine Studies, Maritime Economics, Nautical Science, and Sport and ExerciseScience.

The IEB has a long working relationship with Umalusi, as the accreditation body for theNSC and NQF level 1 examinations.

A similarly cooperative relationship exists with the Quality Council for Trades andOccupations (QCTO) where the IEB works with the QCTO on the Foundational LearningCompetence (FLC) part-qualification.

The IEB works with Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) as appropriate.The IEB has long-established working relationships with MQA, the Agri-Seta and theETDP-SETA.

The IEB has also developed a working relationship with the Department of HigherEducation and Training. The IEB also works closely with the South African QualificationsAuthority (SAQA), serving as a Board member, as it implements the National QualificationsFramework.

cooperation

International conferencesTo ensure that the IEB staff are kept up to date with local and international developmentsin assessment, the Assessment Specialists attend conferences hosted by three keyassessment organisations, namely the International Association for Educational Assessment(IAEA), the Association for Educational Assessment Africa (AEAA), and the SouthernAfrican Association for Educational Assessment (SAAEA). Ms Oberholzer serves as theExecutive Secretary for IAEA.

In 2016 the Assessment Specialists and CEO attended the 42nd International Associationfor Educational Assessment (IAEA) in Cape Town hosted by Umalusi. The IEB was wellrepresented with Anne Oberholzer and the Assessment Specialists all presenting papers,

• The problem of parity: Investigating uneven performance levels in First AdditionalLanguages (Peter Ruddock)

• Establishing and maintaining standards in SBA (Estelle Nel)• Predicting NSC performance with the IEB Grade 10 Thinking Skills Test (Helen

Sidiropoulos)• MATCH: Using assessment to open conversations around learning, teaching and

curriculum development (Michele Botha)• The challenge of reliable results in Life Orientation (Robyn Mowatt)• “You can’t always get what you want” - South African education and training: a

system in conflict with its intentions (Anne Oberholzer)• IEB project of shell questions (Claire de Muelenaere)

User Group ConferencesThe IEB was the first examination board to introduce User Group Conferences. Theconferences, along with the network of clusters, serve as fundamental cornerstones ofthe IEB’s professional development strategy. These professional learning communitiesexpose teachers to new developments within their subjects. Feedback from the pastexamination session and discussions about areas of the curriculum that pose challengesfor teachers and learners take place, and changes to the IEB Subject AssessmentGuidelines are discussed. These fora also provide an opportunity for debate and to providefeedback on new initiatives.

The IEB arranged national User Group Conferences in 35 subjects attended by 2912teachers from IEB schools across the country. The IEB also hosted regional conferencesin seven subjects in four of the nine provinces that were attended by 1943 teachers fromIEB schools.

Adult User ForumThe IEB held its annual User Forum on 24th February 2017. Lynette Nkomo from theQCTO was the guest speaker. Her topic was “Where does the QCTO fit in?” Staffdiscussed the developments in the adult sector as a whole and then went into the specificsof IEB processes. The IEB also launched the new SBAs as well as held a professionaldevelopment session on how assessment could be used for teaching and learning.

keeping the IEB community at the forefrontof advances in teaching, learning andassessment locally and internationally

12

13

1. IEB - FinanceCleo Ntozakhe, Zelifa Lunga, Ilana Nell, Emily Monyamane, Phindile Khoza

2. IEB - Materials HandlingVuyo Ndibela, Sbusiso Ngubo, Mazwi Malisa, Noma Themba, Joseph Darare

3. IEB - EventsGontse Rapoo, Neo Mashike, Nompumelelo Maseko, Agnes Mkandla

4. IEB - Materials ProductionFront: Lisa Ferreira, Dikeledi Thukwana, Evidence ThekisoMiddle: Antionette de Kock, Leane Rokebrand, Stephanie Brough, Philisiwe NkosiBack: Elaine Wolmarans, Marita Botha, Thabisile Ntsizwane

1 2 3

5 6 7

4

5. IEB - Entry and ResultingFront: Zodwa Nsibande, Sharona Nundkumar, Jabu NgcoboMiddle: Inida Nofotyela, Candice Minnegen, Pinkie Moiketsi, Kgomotso TauBack: Sifiso Dladla, Tebogo Mahatlane, Godfrey Mushasha, Sandile Buthelezi

6. IEB - Design & DevelopmentFront: Estelle Nel, Claire de MuelenaereBack: Robyn Mowatt, Dumisani Dlamini, Peter Ruddock, Anne Oberholzer, Helen Sidiropoulos

7. IEB - Support Services ManagementAgnes Mkandla, Joseph Darare, Margie Luckay, Sharona Nundkumar, Dikeledi Thukwana

8. IEB - Office ManagementJane Mofokeng, Virginia Tau, Jineen de Bruyn, Nathi Zwane

8

The IEB is fully committed to best practice in corporate governance. Board meetings areheld quarterly and the Board retains full control of the company’s business. It managesthe executive management through a structured approach to reporting and accountability.

The IEB works across the schooling and adult education sectors.

In the schooling sector our learners range from the traditional independent full-timeschooling model to distance education centres that provide online distance education forthe full IEB NSC to part-time candidates who offer one or two subjects. IEB assessmentsare designed to develop learners who are responsible South African citizens and who areable to meet the challenges of an ever changing world. IEB assessments are also thereto challenge normal teaching conventions and how information is processed.

In adult education, the IEB provides assessments to a very diverse adult population, fromlearners in rural areas to a person who works in a technologically advanced environment.These learners range from those who need to learn Communications and MathematicalLiteracy to obtain a certificate at AET levels 1 to 3 or NQF level 1 qualification. The goalis to provide them with better work opportunities or, as with the FLC, to provide a part-qualification towards a trade qualification.

IEB ASSET, our training arm, supports teachers in the process of professional developmentby offering ETDP-SETA accredited assessor and moderator training. IEB ASSET alsooffers training workshops tailored to meet specific needs of our clients.

board of directorsProfessor Crain Soudien (Chairperson)Professor John AitchisonMs Confidence DikgoleMr Mandla HigaMrs Pauline JacksonMr Nathan Johnstone (Deputy Chairperson)Mr Klaus König

Mrs Annelien Maré (Treasurer)Ms Anne OberholzerMs Meg PahadDr Joy PapierMr Kevin RousselMr David WyldeDr Nan Yeld

range of operation

The IEB is accredited by Umalusi to offer the National Senior Certificate and for theassessment of the GETC in adult education. Umalusi carries out the quality assurancefor the Advanced Programme subjects.

The Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) has appointed the IEB as itsAssessment Quality Partner (AQP) to assess the Foundational Learning Competence(FLC). The FLC, an assessment of Communications and Mathematical Literacy registeredat NQF level 2, is a requirement for all learners who wish to qualify for an occupationalqualification at NQF levels 3 and 4.

IEB ASSET is a private company operating within the IEB, offering training coursesaccredited by the ETDP SETA. The IEB is a SACE recognised provider.

the IEB’s accreditationIEB - Board of DirectorsSeated: Anne Oberholzer, Crain Soudien, Nathan JohnstoneStanding: Kevin Roussel, Meg Pahad, Mandla Higa, Confidence Dikgole, David Wylde,Pauline Jackson, Annelien MaréAbsent: John Aitchison, Klaus König, Nan Yeld, Joy Papier (resigned January 2017)

14

corporategovernance

The IEB is approved by the South African Revenue Service (SARS) as a Public BenefitOrganisation with tax exemption under sections 30 and 10(1)(cN) of the Income Tax Act.

The IEB operates as a non-profit organisation recovering its costs from services offered toclients. In addition, Directors are not paid for their services on the Board.

public benefit organisation

The Co-ordinator for Training is on contract and works on a part-time basis. There isalso a Project Manager in the Materials Production unit that is on contract for this year.The IEB driver also works on a contract.

Staff DevelopmentAs part of the IEB’s commitment to service excellence, the IEB encourages, and makesprovision for, its staff to attend courses that are directly related to their work function.

Position Black Male White Male Black Female White Female Total

Senior Management 1 2 3

Middle Management 2 3 1 6

Technical Specialists 1 1 1 8 11

Administration 8 20 2 30

Total 11 1 25 13 50

non-profit organisation

human resourcesEquity ProfileThe equity profile of the 50 permanent members of staff at the IEB is as follows:

During the past year staff have attended the following courses:• All staff : Corporate Etiquette• Health and Safety committee – First aid and fire – fighting, with exams that all passed.• Electronic records management• Advanced examination Security• Online strategy for NPO’s• Office cleaning and tea assistant• The Professional Receptionist

A study grant was awarded for further studies in:• Diploma in General Management

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financesSTATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

REVENUE

OTHER INCOME

OPERATING EXPENSES

OPERATING DEFICIT

INVESTMENT REVENUE

LAND AND BUILDINGS VALUATION SURPLUS

FINANCE COSTS

SURPLUS FOR THE YEAR

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION

ASSETS

NON CURRENT ASSETS

CURRENT ASSETS

TOTAL ASSETS

EQUITY AND LIABILITIES

EQUITY

CURRENT LIABILITIES

TOTAL EQUITY AND LIABILITIES

NOTESThe Statement of Comprehensive Income and Financial position are extracted from the auditedfinancial statements of the IEB and the IEB Assessment Education and Training (Pty) Ltd at28 February 2017. Figures are combined for presentation purposes only.

2016

74 568 678

764 165

-75 375 541

-42 698

912 171

1 962

867 511

2016

27 871 769

16 788 808

44 660 577

31 061 083

13 599 494

44 660 577

INCOME PERCENTAGES

2017 Income % perBusiness Segment

SURPLUS CONTRIBUTION

Adult 9%Schools 82%Projects 6%Training 1%Other 2% 100%

2017 Surplus % per Business Segment

200%160%120%80%40%0%

-40%-80%

-120%-160%-200%-240%

Adult SchoolsNSC

SchoolsOther

Projects Training Other

% C

ontri

butio

n

2017

81 723 388

638 797

-82 485 215

-123 030

1 466 931

7 291 171

5 921

8 629 151

2017

34 548 375

18 635 850

53 184 225

39 690 233

13 493 992

53 184 225

2016 Income % perBusiness Segment

Adult 12%Schools 79%Projects 6%Training 1%Other 2% 100%

2016 Surplus % per Business Segment

200%160%120%80%40%0%

-40%-80%

-120%-160%-200%-240%

Adult SchoolsNSC

SchoolsOther

Projects Training Other

% C

ontri

butio

n

Other - includes a valuation surplus of R7 291 171

16

VISION - The vision of the IEB is to advance quality teaching and learning in South Africathrough an assessment process of integrity, innovation and international comparability.

The IEB is cognisant that assessment is essential in developing learners who are responsibleSouth African citizens, able to negotiate the challenges of a global world. Through ourassessments, we are motivated to develop learners who are:- critical users of information- ethical reasoners- problem solvers- creative and reflective thinkers- lifelong learners- society members respectful of diversity, particularly in the Southern African context- active citizens who are committed to upholding the principles of the South African

Constitution and the wellbeing of all people.

The IEB supports the position that actively promoting quality education for every SouthAfrican citizen is fundamental in establishing a just, open society based on democraticvalues, social justice and fundamental human rights, in which cultural diversity is appreciatedand embraced.

MISSION - The IEB’s mission is to make a significant, on-going contribution to humanresource development through the design, delivery and promotion of a wide range of highquality, affordable assessment products and services to all sectors.

VALUES - The work of the IEB is underpinned by a commitment to the following values:Integrity, respect, commitment and service, professionalism, communication, quality,teamwork.