The national training on the Implementation and Management of Accommodations and Concessions took place at the Department of Basic Education from 4 – 6 September 2024. During the first day of the National Training, Mr Jabulani Ngcobo, DBE’s Director for Inclusive Education, underscored the significance of the workshop and the Procedural Manual for the Assessment and Examination of Learners who Experience Barriers to Assessment from Grade R to 12. The Manual, introduced in September 2016, was designed to provide a comprehensive framework for the implementation of appropriate support measures for learners encountering barriers to learning. Nonetheless, challenges and inconsistencies have arisen during its implementation over the years. Some of the encountered challenges include variations in implementation, one-size-fits-all approaches, insufficient collaboration, improper use of assistive devices, and concerns regarding privacy.
The national training workshop was chaired by Chief Education Specialist for Inclusive Education at the DBE, Mrs Millicent Boaduo, who presented on the state of the implementation of accommodations and concessions: “Learners who experience barriers to learning and those with disabilities must use and exercise a range of human rights, such as the right to political participation, right to work, right to live independently and contribute to communities which they come from. Children with learning barriers have a right to quality education, and other benefits such as access to transport, and access to teaching and learning material.” She further indicated that accommodations and concessions is a support mechanism that equalizes that field in the classroom and in assessments/examinations for learners.
Dr Ewald Crause, Senior Psychologist delivered a presentation on the Policy on Screening, Identification, Assessment and Support (SIAS). During the presentation, Dr Crause explained that as a learner's age advances, evaluating their ability becomes increasingly difficult based on the resources available to them. Miss Emily Lentle, Chief Education Specialist for Assessment and Examinations at the Gauteng Department of Education, delivered a presentation on Concessions, emphasizing that Concessions refer to permissions granted to candidates not to offer certain subjects of the curriculum content, ensuring optimal support for learners experiencing barriers to learning without compromising the standard and credibility of assessment. Additionally, Ms Deidree Benjamine, Senior Education Specialist for Remedial Support, provided an extensive presentation on additional time, the use of a prompter, personal assistant, rest breaks, medication, and food intake.
During the second day of the workshop, Senior Psychologists and Chief Educational Specialists had the opportunity to review the presentations from the previous day with a focus on the usage and importance of providing a reader for learners with disabilities during tests and examinations. In addition, there was a presentation on handwriting, spelling and scribes, delivered by Ms Razia Osman. The emphasis of her presentations was to delineate the qualifying criteria that potential readers and scribes must meet, as well as to outline how they should fulfil their roles as accommodation providers to adequately support learners with barriers to learning.
During the concluding day of the workshop, various presentations were delivered covering topics such as Braille and Large Print; the role of South African Sign Language Interpreters; the utilisation of assistive devices such as laptops, tablets and computers in the context of medical technology; and a plan for accommodations and concessions for learners encountering barriers to ensure that no learner is left behind.