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Good practice Imported

15th SAAEA Conference — Lesotho Convenes Eight Nations to Rethink Assessment for the AI Era

Lesotho · Maseru · See the Lesotho profile · See the Maseru profile

Evidence: Descriptive / self-reported Top 81% 33/100 · Ask Evidence Copilot about this practice

From 15–18 June 2026, Lesotho's Examinations Council hosted the 15th SAAEA conference in Maseru, drawing assessment bodies from eight Southern African countries to debate how generative AI should reshape school examinations and credentialing.

8
Southern African countries represented at the conference (15-18 June 2026)

Details

Promoter
Examinations Council of Lesotho (ECoL); Ministry of Education and Training, Lesotho; Southern African Association for Educational Assessment (SAAEA)
Period
15-18 June 2026
Keywords
assessment & examinations policy, regional cooperation, educational governance

Context

The Examinations Council of Lesotho (ECoL) hosted the 15th Southern African Association for Educational Assessment (SAAEA) conference in Maseru from 15 to 18 June 2026, under the theme 'Advancing Responsive Educational Assessments for Diverse Learners' Needs in the Digital Era', opened by Lesotho's Minister of Education and Training, Professor Ntoi Rapapa.

Objectives

The conference drew delegates from Eswatini, Zambia, Namibia, Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania, Botswana and Zimbabwe, alongside academic partners such as Stellenbosch University's Credentialling unit, to debate how generative AI should reshape school examinations and credentialing.

Activities

ECoL chairperson Dr Letzadzo Kometsi told delegates that assessment must evolve beyond examination administration and become a tool for quality assurance, framing generative AI as a force that would test the transparency, accountability and credibility of regional qualifications, while outgoing SAAEA chairperson Dr Mandla Dlamini stressed that partnerships among assessment bodies strengthen confidence in qualifications across borders.

Conclusions

The conference's own recommendations, greater inclusion of teachers and school leaders as active participants and further regional cooperation, are aspirations rather than implemented reforms, and no exam board has yet published a deployed AI-assessment safeguard or a measured effect on integrity or learning outcomes from this dialogue.

Implementation
Indicative cost
Low (< €50k) — No budget figures published; a four-day hosted conference rather than a funded programme.
Time to results
Short (< 1 year) — Held 15-18 June 2026 in Maseru.
Staffing & skills
Examinations Council of Lesotho (ECoL), Southern African Association for Educational Assessment (SAAEA) leadership, Stellenbosch University Credentialling unit

Conditions for success

  • Ministerial-level opening signalling government backing for regional assessment reform
  • Participation of eight national examination bodies plus an academic credentialling partner

Common failure modes

  • Recommendations (teacher inclusion, regional cooperation) remain aspirations rather than implemented reforms
  • No exam board has yet published a deployed AI-assessment safeguard or measured effect on integrity or learning outcomes

Where it fits

Governance type
regional intergovernmental policy convening among national examination bodies
Scale
8 countries, regional conference
Income level
lower-middle-income

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