The usefulness of commercially available 'culture fair' tests in the assessment of educational success in Grade 1 Black pupils in South Africa — an explorative study

Abstract

School failure among Grade 1 pupils and the subsequent drop out rate is of major concern in South Africa, especially as far as Black pupils are concerned. The school drop out rate is estimated to be four times higher in Black pupils than White children. The dilemma for the professionals in assessing children, who are experiencing difficulty at school, and who are from disadvantaged, non-English speaking communities, is the paucity of reliable, objective tests to identify children at risk. The purpose of this study was to determine whether commercially available 'culture fair' tests could be used to evaluate Black pupils early in Grade 1 and if they were associated with educational success. A parental questionnaire was used to examine non-academic predictors of educational success, such as birth history, socio-economic status and the medical profile.