The department has approved the introduction of the revised Curriculum Assessment Policy Statements (CAPS) for Technology (Technical Subjects). The CAPS for all Technology Subjects, including Technical Mathematics and Technical Sciences that were promulgated in July 2014, will be incrementally implemented in January 2016 from Grade 10, with Grade 11 and 12 implemented in 2017 and 2018 respectively. The revised curriculum offers learners elementary engineering and technological skills, which are suitable for the world of work, higher and or further education and self-employment.
The changes introduced in the revised curriculum necessitated the need for the orientation of subject advisors and re-training of teachers on theory and practical teaching methodologies. The orientation and teacher training will take place during June and September 2015 for subject advisors and teachers respectively. A National Training Team (NTT), which comprises of provincial officials specialising in the nine core areas of the curriculum and those with skills in Technical Mathematics and Sciences was appointed to drive the training process. The training manual for Civil, Electrical and Mechanical Technology has already been developed to standardise the training to be delivered by different service providers.
The orientation and teacher training processes form part of the implementation of the Mathematics, Science and Technology (MST) Strategy. Based on the nature and scope of the curriculum, the department is of the view that teacher training for Technical subjects should be conducted in a technically oriented environment in order to expose teachers in the practical application and use of the subject related equipment, tools and machinery. It is therefore in this context that Skills Training Centres were recommended as the preferred training venues.
Ms Elspeth Mmatladi Khembo, Project Manager: MST Office, responsible for the implementation, said that in order to provide the necessary articulation between the General Education and Training (GET) and Further Education and Training (FET) bands, the training process for the 2015 period will include teachers in Grade 10 and those identified by the district responsible for teaching Technology at Grades 8-9. This training process will continue until all teachers in all grades in the FET band have been trained in accordance with the incremental implementation of the curriculum
