Question No. 2311
Ms D Carter (Congress of the People) to ask the Minister of Basic Education:
(1) Whether Outcomes Based Education (OBE) is being scrapped in its entirety across all grades simultaneously; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
(1) Outcomes Based Education means different things. In the National Curriculum Statement (NCS) it was contained in the design features of learning outcomes and assessment standards.
These structured the form of the curriculum and expressed its aims and content, but in too complicated a manner. The National Curriculum Statement grades R to 12 has been refined and repackaged to make it more accessible for teachers.
Through this process, learning outcomes and assessment standards as design features, which have complicated the NCS, were removed. The refined and repackaged curriculum will be presented in the curriculum assessment policy statements (CAPS), which will show the following:
- The general aims of the South African curriculum
- The specific aims of each subject
- Clearly delineated topics to be covered per term and
- The required number and type of assessments per term.
The refined and repackaged National Curriculum Statement grades R to 12 will be incrementally implemented as follows:
- Foundation phase (grades r to 3) in 2011
- Intermediate phase (grades 4 to 6) in 2012
- Senior phase (grades 7 to 9) in 2012; and
- Further Education and Training (FET) phase (grades 10 to 12) in 2012.
Source: Department of Education
