Thesis (MEd) -- Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In December 1998 the Assessment Policy in the General Education and Training Band, grades R to 9 and ABET was introduced by the Department of Education. According tot the principles of Outcomes Based Education (OBE) the previous system of mainly test-based summative evaluations was replaced by a number of cumulative assessments. The principle of automatic promotion, which stipulates that a learner should ideally progress with his or her age cohort, is endorsed by this policy. Despite various other promotion and progression policies which have been implemented since then, this principle of automatic promotion still stands. In this study I explore some of the implications of the present promotion policy, the National Policy on Assessment and Qualifications for Schools in the GET Band for epistemological access to quality education. In my literature study I put the development of the promotion policy in historical perspective. Making use of the interpretive framework, I conduct a qualitative study and I interview three educators in an attempt to get an understanding of their experience of the implications of the policy. I also study the promotion schedules of one school in order to estimate the number of learners who have been automatically promoted and to investigate the degree in which they answer to the demands of the curriculum. I will argue that the National Policy on Assessment and Qualifications for Schools in the GET Band does not necessarily contribute to the vision of the Education Department of “equal access to lifelong education and training opportunities which will contribute towards improving the quality of life and build a peaceful, prosperous and democratic society” as stated in the South African Schools Act of 1996. The principles of equity, access and redress are not necessarily supported by the promotion policy. I reach the conclusion that, despite the advantages it holds for formal access to education, the National Policy on Assessment and Qualifications for Schools experiences some difficulty in delivering quality education in the GET phase. It is often contradictory to the strive for quality education due to the lack of epistemological access it provides, not only for learners who repeat or who were automatically promoted, but also for the more advanced learner. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In Desember 1998 is die Assessment Policy in the General Education and Training Band, grades R to 9 and ABET, deur die Departement van Onderwys bekend gestel. In lyn met die beginsels van Uitkomsgebaseerde Onderwys (UGO) is „n stelsel van deurlopende assessering ingestel wat die plek moes inneem van hoofsaaklik summatiewe toetsgebaseerde assessering. Die beginsel van outomatiese bevordering waarvolgens leerders hoofsaaklik volgens hul ouderdomskohort moet vorder, is ook hierin vervat. Sedertdien is hierdie bevorderingsbeleid vervang deur verskeie ander, maar die beginsel van outomatiese bevordering tot en met graad 8 bly „n kernelement van al hierdie bevorderingsbeleide. In hierdie studie ondersoek ek enkele implikasies wat die huidige bevorderingsbeleid, die Nasionale Beleid op Assesserings en Kwalifikasies vir Skole in die Algemene Onderwys- en Opleidingsband (NBAK) inhou vir epistemologiese toegang tot kwaliteit onderrig. In my literatuurstudie plaas ek die ontwikkeling van die bevorderingsbeleid in historiese perspektief. Binne die interpretiewe raamwerk doen ek „n kwalitatiewe ondersoek en voer onderhoude met drie onderwysers om hul ervaring van die implikasies van die beleid te verstaan. Ek ondersoek ook die bevorderingskedules van een skool om sodoende „n idee van die omvang van leerders wat outomaties bevorder word, asook die mate waartoe hulle bybly by die eise van die kurrikulum, te bepaal. Ek argumenteer dat die NBAK nie noodwendig bydra tot die onderwysdepartement se visie van “equal access to lifelong education and training opportunities which will contribute towards improving the quality of life and build a peaceful, prosperous and democratic society” soos vervat in die Suid-Afrikaanse Skolewet van 1996 nie. Die beginsels van geregtigheid (equity), toegang (access) en herstel (redress) word nie noodwendig deur die NBAK ondersteun nie en ek kom tot die gevolgtrekking dat, ten spyte van die voordele wat die NBAK vir formele toegang tot onderwys inhou, die NBAK probleme het met die lewering van kwaliteit onderrig in die AOO-band. Inteendeel, dit is dikwels teenstrydig met die strewe na die lewering van kwaliteit onderrig as gevolg van die gebrekkige epistemologiese toegang wat dit voorsien, nie net vir herhalers en vir leerders wat outomaties bevorder is nie, maar ook vir die skrander leerders.

Att göra en meritvärdering är svårt, särskilt när det gäller faktorn personlig lämplighet – en bedömningsgrund som är relativt svårmätt och som både Diskrimineringsombudsmannen och Arbetsdomstolen ser risker med. Det huvudsakliga syftet med uppsatsen är att utreda vilket utrymme den svenska lagstiftningen ger arbetsgivare i Sverige att i en rekryteringssituation ta hänsyn till arbetssökandes personliga lämplighet utan att göra sig skyldig till direkt diskriminering. Även frågan huruvida det finns en risk för att arbetsgivares möjlighet att lägga vikt vid personlig lämplighet i större utsträckning drabbar kvinnor i arbetsledande befattningar negativt än män i arbetsledande befattningar ämnas analyseras. Uppsatsen anlägger ett analytiskt perspektiv, med grund i rättsdogmatisk metod men med användning av teori om ledarskap och kön. Bland annat används lagförarbeten, lagtext och rättspraxis. Arbetsgivare i Sverige har en bibehållen fri anställningsrätt, men med de begränsningar som diskrimineringsförbudet medför. De anses alltid ha ett befogat intresse avatt den person som rekryteras ska vara lämplig för den sökta tjänsten och har rätt att ta hänsyn till att arbetet ska utföras på ett så effektivt och bra sätt som möjligt. Personliga egenskaper ska dock tillmätas betydelse bara då det verkligen spelar roll för tjänstens utövande, och detställs bland annat krav på att meritvärderingen ska göras på ett objektivt och ur diskrimineringslagstiftningens perspektiv godtagbart sätt. Det normala sättet att inhämta uppgifter om arbetssökandes personliga lämplighet anses vara att kontakta referenser som har relevant personlig vetskap om den arbetssökande. Arbetsgivaren ska dessutom värdera uppgifterna på ett sakligt och objektivt sätt. Arbetsgivare har likväl rätt att tillmäta de iakttagelser som denne själv gör vid en eventuell anställningsintervju stor betydelse, under förutsättning att den gått korrekt till. Det finns dock gränser för vad arbetsgivare får lägga vikt vid i sin bedömning av arbetssökandes personliga lämplighet vad gäller bland annat arbetssökandes tidigare beteende. Många har stereotypa uppfattningar om manligt och kvinnligt beteende. Kvinnliga ledare bedöms vara mindre effektiva än sina manliga kollegor trots att båda agerar exakt lika och samma egenskap kan uppfattas som negativ hos en kvinna men positiv hos en man. Arbetsgivares möjlighet att lägga vikt vid personlig lämplighet riskerar följaktligen att i större utsträckning drabba kvinnor i arbetsledande befattningar negativt än män med samma position, eftersom arbetsgivare då också får möjlighet att tillämpa stereotypa uppfattningar vid meritvärderingen – vilket missgynnar kvinnor. / It is a difficult thing to do an assessment of qualifications, particularly when it comes to the factor “suitability as a person” - a criterion that isn’t easily measured and which according to both the Swedish Equality Ombudsman and the Labour Court causes some concerns. The general purpose of this paper is to map out which space Swedish law gives employers in Sweden, in a recruitment situation, to take into account the job applicants’ suitability as a person for employment, without risking being guilty of direct discrimination. Whether there is a legitimate concern that employers' opportunity to consider the job applicants’ suitability as a person for the position can negatively impact women in leadership positions to a larger extent than men in the same positions, will also be analyzed. An analytical perspective, with a legal dogmatic method and use of theory of leadership and sex, is being applied. Among other things, legislative work, law and case law is being used. Employers in Sweden have a maintained right to freely employ, but the prohibition to discriminate sets some limits. They always have a legitimate interest that the person being recruited will be suitable for the advertised employment, and are entitled to take in account that the work should be performed in the most effective and the best way possible. However, personal qualities are allowed importance in the assessment of qualifications only when they really have an impact in the performance of the duties associated with the position. Also, the assessment of qualifications should be done in an objective and according to discrimination law acceptable way. The normal procedure of obtaining information on a job applicant's suitability as a person is to contact references who have relevant personal knowledge of the job applicant. The employer must also evaluate the information in an objective way. Employers are nevertheless entitled to give the observations being done in the event of a job interview great importance, if the interview was correctly performed. However, there are limitations to what employers may include in the evaluation of the job applicant's suitability as a person, for example when it comes to his or her former behavior. A lot of people have stereotype opinions about male and female behavior. Female leaders are believed to be less effective than their male colleagues, notwithstanding both are acting exactly the same way. Also, the same quality is being described as negative if being held by a woman but positive if a man has it. Employers' ability to give personal suitability importance in the assessment of qualifications therefore causes a concern that women in leadership positions will be more widely negatively affected than men with the same position, since employers then are being given an opportunity to apply stereotype opinions to the assessment of qualifications – which disfavors women.