The Minister of Basic Education, Ms Angie Motshekga, has, as a matter of priority, taken steps to investigate the challenges experienced in the implementation of the National Curriculum Statement. In July 2009, the Minister established a task team that consulted widely with teachers and other stakeholders. The report was presented to the Minister, who, after consultation with senior officials in the Department of Basic Education, will implement those recommendations of the report that can be put in place immediately, and will incorporate other recommendations into a longer term strategy. The report is available in the media packs.
The report recommends changes that will relieve teachers and schools of some of the challenges experienced as a result of the current curriculum and assessment policies and leave more time for teaching and learning. The report also recommends targeted support for teachers and schools.
The recommended changes are:
- Develop syllabi for implementation in 2011
- Discontinue the use of portfolios from 2010
- Reduce the number of learning areas in Intermediate Phase
- Emphasise the use of English from as early as possible for the majority of our learners that use English as language of learning
- Require only one file for administrative purposes from teachers
- Clarify the role of subject advisers
- Reduce the number of projects required by learners
To support the above, the Department of Basic Education will:
- Plan for all learners from grade 4-12 to receive their own textbooks for every learning area/subject. The department will issue guidelines for textbook acquisition and distribution and retrieval to all schools.
- Strengthen the Quality Learning and Teaching Campaign (QLTC) that aims to mobilise all South Africans to commit to the goal of quality in education.
- Continue to implement the Quality Improvement, Development, Support and Upliftment Programme (QIDS-UP) that targets poor, underperforming schools with the provision of curriculum support in the form of libraries, laboratories, teaching materials and teacher training, with emphasis on maths, science and technology
- The Foundations for Learning Programme will be implemented for Foundation and Intermediate Phase (Grades R to 6) in all schools in 2010 . The Department of Basic Education has developed extensive learning and teaching packs for grades R to 6 teachers to assist with planning, teaching and learning. These packs will be distributed to all primary schools for the start of the school year in January 2010.
- There will be annual assessments of Mathematics, Home language and English FAL in Grades 3, 6 and 9 in line with the instructions from the Presidency.
- There is a moratorium on the development and distribution of new curriculum documents until the publication of the curriculum and assessment policy documents by the department
- The department will continue to strengthen language teaching in schools, by encouraging mother tongue instruction in the initial phases and the early introduction of English for those learners who will be using English as the language of learning later.
The Minister wishes to re-affirm that teachers and principals are key to the realisation of quality education. The intention of the changes that will take effect from January 2010 is firstly to simplify the administrative functions that teachers are responsible for and that do not have a major bearing on their teaching, and secondly to provide structured, systemic support.
In addition to these reforms being monitored by the Presidency, the department is developing its own monitoring tools through the establishment of the National Educational Evaluation Development Unit. Through this Unit the department will not only evaluate schools and teachers, but also evaluate the entire system. This will enable the department, on an ongoing basis, to identify challenges, and, working together with the affected stakeholders, address them.
Enquiries:
Hope Mokgatle (Ministerial Spokesperson)
Cell: 071 680 6849
Source: Department of Basic Education
