The launch of the new curriculum for grades R to 12 will see subjects streamlined to realise the goal of quality learning and teaching in schools.
The revised curriculum, which is planned to be phased in from 2012, will mostly affect the foundation and intermediate phases of the education system. The changes are in response to concerns expressed by teachers about challenges in the implementation of the National Curriculum Statement Grades R to 12. In 2009, the Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, appointed a ministerial task team to investigate the concerns.
The Report of the Ministerial Task Team for the Review of the Implementation of the National Curriculum Statement recommended that the department of basic education develop a clear and simple five-year plan to support the implementation of the National Curriculum Statement Grades R to 12 in schools. The report was informed by public hearings around the country in 2009 which included input from national teacher unions and teachers — and more than 500 electronic submissions.
In the foundation phase, the programme will be expanded to four subjects in 2012 to accommodate the inclusion of English at the first additional language level. This will be in combination with the one official language at home language level, mathematics and life skills already offered.
Where offered, learners will also have the option to take all non-official languages in the foundation phase, but these will not be for promotion and the time for these lessons will have to be drawn from outside the minimum teaching hours stipulated for the foundation phase.
The new curriculum will also see the learning areas in the intermediate phase being reduced to six subjects, with introduction scheduled for 2013. Grade four to six technology will be combined with natural sciences whereas arts and culture will be combined with life skills. Economic and management sciences will be taught only from grade seven.
In addition to the six identified subjects — home language; first additional language; mathematics; natural science; social sciences; natural sciences and life skills — learners may also opt to do one non-official language on at least second additional language level. The Senior Phase will remain in its current form whereas subjects in the Further Education and Training (FET) phase will remain unchanged, apart from the removal of the third paper for mathematics and slight adjustments to the physical science curriculum.
FET learners will also have to select four compulsory subjects: one official language at the home language level; one official language at the first additional language level; mathematics or maths literacy and life orientation and a further three optional subjects. Of these, a maximum of two additional languages may be selected. To prepare the school system for the changes, a new timetable and new textbooks will be developed and introduced.
The weighting of School-Based Assessments (SBA) will also alter in the new system. In the foundation phase the SBA component will count for 100% of a learner’s grade, while the split in the intermediate phase will be 75% for SBA and 25% for exams. In the senior phase, the split will be 40% for SBA and 60% for exams and SBA will count for just 25% of the final grade in the FET phase.
Edward Mosuwe is the acting deputy director general curriculum