Pretoria: The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has rejected a story written by the Daily News and Independent Online (IOL) on the 2015 Annual National Assessments (ANA).

The department on Thursday said the report – which is titled “ANA Scrapped for this Year” — is misleading and inaccurate.

“The Daily News reporters seem confused on the process currently underway and the article published on Thursday is repudiated by the DBE.

“It is outrageous that a media outlet can report on something as fact when the matter is still currently under mediation and no decision on the matter has been taken,” said the department.

The department said the motive appears to be to undermine a very sensitive negotiation process, which is still currently underway.

“The five teacher trade unions in the education sector are in the throngs of a mediation process [today], with the aim to resolve the impasse between teacher unions and the department on the writing of the 2015 ANA,” said the department.

The department said it remains resolute that ANA is an important diagnostic tool used to identify and remediate challenges in the education sector.

“We have agreed with teacher unions that there is a need to reform the current model of the assessments, and have invited teacher unions to work with the department to make recommendations based on their experiences in this regard,” said the department.

SOURCE: SOUTH AFRICAN OFFICAL NEWS