It’s not always possible to anticipate exactly how national processes will unfold. Although there had been every indication that the release of the draft National Curriculum Statement would be delayed, it was released for public comment and posted on the government website at the end of July. Any confusion I may have caused in my column last month by suggesting that there would be a delay was unintended.
The draft learning area statements for each of the eight learning areas – languages, mathematics, natural sciences, social sciences, life orientation, technology, economics and management sciences, and arts and culture – are now available to be scrutinised. You have until October 12 to comment.
For those of you who have not been able to access these documents yet, I will provide a brief overview of two of the learning areas this month and the remaining six learning areas over the next few months.
Languages: The new languages learning area has mapped learning outcomes and assessment standards for each of the 11 official languages: Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, SeSwati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga, Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa and isiZulu.
Each official language has been mapped as home language, as first additional language or as second additional language. Though the learning outcomes (except for one) remain the same in each case, the assessment standards for home language are different from those for first and those for second additional language.
The assessment standards are informed by the fact that learners will have different starting points in their home language and in each of their additional languages.
The new learning outcomes for languages are listed below:
LO 1: The learner is able to listen for information and enjoyment, and respond appropriately and critically in a wide range of situations.
LO 2: The learner is able to communicate confidently and effectively in spoken language in a wide range of situations.
LO 3: The learner is able to read and view for information and enjoyment, and respond critically to the aesthetic, cultural and emotional values in texts.
LO 4: The learner is able to write different kinds of factual and imaginative texts for a wide range of purposes.
LO 5: The learner is able to use language to think and reason, and access, process and use information for learning.
There is another outcome for additional languages:
LO 6: The learner knows and is able to use the sounds, vocabulary and grammar of the additional language.
The new languages learning area follows an additive approach to multilingualism. It assumes that all learners will learn their home language and at least one additional official language.
The languages working group recommends that the learner’s home language be used for learning and teaching wherever possible. This is particularly important in the Foundation Phase, where children learn to read and write.
Social sciences: History and geography have been mapped as separate disciplines, with points of integration between the two disciplines highlighted.
There are three learning outcomes for history and three for geography. The new history learning outcomes are as follows:
LO 1: The learner is able to demonstrate historical knowledge and understanding.
LO 2: The learner is able to use enquiry skills to investigate the past and the present.
LO 3: The learner is able to demonstrate an understanding of historical interpretation.
The new learning outcomes for geography have been formulated in the following way:
LO 1: The learner is able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the interrelationships between people, resources and the environment.
LO 2: The learner is able to use enquiry skills to investigate key concepts and processes used in geography.
LO 3: The learner is able to make critical and informed choices, and take actions to deal with social and environmental issues.
A number of assessment standards are provided for each learning outcome in each grade. In general, progress has been mapped in the assessment standards in terms of concepts, rather than content. This approach is informed by the conviction that it is more meaningful to measure progression in social sciences on the basis of increasing conceptual understanding rather than on content knowledge – though the one clearly informs the other.
Linked to the three outcomes for each discipline and their associated assessment standards in each grade is a knowledge focus or a selection of content. It is intended that this content will provide the platform for learners to achieve the learning outcomes in each grade.
To expose learners to a general range of knowledge, skills and values in history and geography, a wide selection of topics has been included. The intention is to provide a broad overview rather than a detailed examination of any particular topic.
The draft National Curriculum Statement is available at http://education.pwv.gov.za. If you do not have access to the internet, you can obtain a copy by phoning (012) 312 -5123 or (012) 312- 5334
the Teacher apologises for misspelling the word “draft” in this column last month.
– The Teacher/M&G Media, Johannesburg, September 2001.