Key Principles for Over-Arching National Assessment Policy: A South African Perspective

Abstract: The South African system for education, training and development is framed by the National Qualifications Framework (NQF), intended to reform pre-democracy unfair practices. The NQF objectives of access, redress, mobility, progression, quality, and transparency are achieved by
implementing the NQF policy suite, including policies for qualifications, assessment, and recognising learning. The National Policy for Designing and Implementing Assessment, developed by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), frames assessment across diverse NQF contexts. This paper seeks to address the questions: (1) ‘What does the literature say about the features of good assessment policy? (2) ‘What aspects feature in the assessment policies of high-achieving schooling systems, higher education institutions and vocational bodies internationally?’ and (3) What lessons can be drawn from the literature and sourced policies.

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