Did you know?

During the June examination, 2133 papers in the High School and 422 papers in the Primary School for Jan Kriel learners are transcribed. For each of these papers, this means that one transcriber and one learner must be accommodated in a separate room for the duration of that paper: 2555 times in the 4-week examination period. WELL DONE!

What is Alternative Assessment? Some of Jan Kriel's learners qualify for transcription or reading accommodations because, compared to other learners their age, they are unable to complete their exams fairly without them, despite having adequate intellectual abilities and sufficient opportunities. It is important to understand that such techniques are only in place to put the learner on an equal footing with one who is taking his/her exam in the hall. Learners, both with the help of accommodations and those without, are assessed impartially so that neither is favoured or disadvantaged. The techniques, used with great success at Jan Kriel, are in line with departmental policy documents and are officially recognized by the Department of Education and are part of education policy even at tertiary level. It is due to the great support of donors that Jan Kriel is able to support so many learners. The Department of Education has only borne the salary of one staff member throughout all these years. The rest of the staff are funded by donors. Also the establishment of SAALO and later LOGO, would never have been possible without donor support.

What does a reader/transcriber do? The reader may only read the question paper as it is printed. He/she may not give any explanation, answer any questions, or influence the learner's mood. Any contribution other than reading is unfair to learners who are taking the exam on their own.

Who qualifies for a reader? NB: A reader is only considered when the learner's reading difficulties cannot be overcome with the use of Text-to-Speech technology.

• Learners with a diagnosed specific learning disability or other learning barrier whose reading skills (reading speed, accuracy and comprehension) are significantly lower than expected for their chronological age as evidenced by scholastic tests.

  
  

• Learners with a diagnosed specific learning disability with limited ability in written expression, spelling and punctuation despite adequate intellectual abilities and sufficient opportunity to learn to write.

• Learners with illegible handwriting.

• Learners with insufficient hand or upper limb function, e.g. a physical disability, who cannot write themselves or maintain a functional writing speed.