There is abundant evidence from research and reports from the Department of Education that the quality of education in South Africa remains very poor. In an attempt to improve the quality of education, the South African government introduced the Annual National Assessment as a strategy to monitor the level and quality of basic education and to ensure that every child receives high quality education. This article seeks to explore experiences of Foundation Phase teachers in order to determine successes and hindrances in the effectiveness of Annual National Assessment as a strategy. This is a case study of three primary schools which adopted qualitative approach. Data were collected through focus group discussion. Content analysis was used to analyse data thematically. Ten teachers participated in the study. The findings highlighted that although teachers supported the implementation of Annual National Assessment as an assessment strategy, there were gaps and concerns raised by teachers, namely: lack of benefits to the learners, time consuming and waste of money. The article recommends that teachers must be consulted before the Department of basic Education takes such a decision; Annual National Assessment survey must not be a continuous process, but must be conducted every three years. Teachers must undergo professional development programmes in order to improve the quality and functionality of education.

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