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HomeMedico-LegalPsychologist struck off over testing is reinstated

Psychologist struck off over testing is reinstated

An psychologist, who was struck off the roll for allowing unqualified people to administer psychometric tests to thousands of children, has been reinstated following a Health Professionals Council of SA appeal.

Dr Anton Dreyer, according to a report in The Times, worked for Human Progress Management – a company that teaches children how to learn and sponsors school psychometric evaluations – was struck off after he had allowed unqualified people to conduct psychometric testing on high school pupils.

Dreyer was found guilty of allowing Adele du Plessis, who was not registered with the council, to score school psychological test answer sheets and the tests he knew had been provided by unregistered people. He collaborated “in a clearly flawed psychological process, the validity and reliability of which was questioned”, the newspaper reported.

Following this week’s successful appeal, Times Select reports that Phillip Prinsloo, who blew the whistle on Dreyer, said he was “furious”- claiming the HPCSA had botched the appeal. And HPCSA psychometrics committee member Dr Nanette Tredoux, who as a psychologist at the time of the complaint against Dreyer recommended a hearing be conducted into his actions, said she was “dumbfounded” by the finding. “It does not make any sense, given the reams of documents that were presented as evidence during the hearing.”

In his complaint to the HPCSA, Prinsloo had told the hearing that he had observed the professional conduct of du Plessis over nine years, during which time he had picked up stark differences in how she conducted the tests in comparison with other psychologists. Prinsloo submitted video clips of du Plessis conducting the tests, reported the Pretoria News.

According to Prinsloo, du Plessis saw no fewer than 10,000 Grade 10 pupils a year, and her role was to test their subject choices. The case was part-heard by the board last November, and was postponed for the gathering of further evidence.

[link url="https://select.timeslive.co.za/news/2019-11-20-child-psychologist-struck-from-roll-passes-the-test-this-time/"]Times Select report (subscription needed)[/link]

See also

[link url="https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2016-09-01-thousands-of-children-ill-advised-on-careers-in-flawed-testing/"]The Times report[/link]

[link url="https://www.pressreader.com/south-africa/pretoria-news/20130131/282419871630472"]Pretoria News report (subscription needed)[/link]

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