| The new system aims to put right defects in the | | | | injunction by the Presidency to provide resources to |
| unpopular Outcome Based Education (OBE) system | | | | teachers and learners to improve learner performance |
| and improve learner achievements. | | | | in literacy and numeracy. |
| The Committee that reviewed the process | | | | To this end, the Department of Basic Education has |
| acknowledged that teachers were over burdened with | | | | developed a plan for the development of the Work |
| curriculum and administrative duties and the | | | | Books for Grades 1 - 6 in order to ensure the |
| department has started the process of relieving some | | | | development, piloting, printing and distribution of learner |
| of the pressure on them, thereby allowing them to do | | | | workbooks early in 2011. We will pilot the workbooks in |
| what they are there for- to teach our learners. The | | | | schools in 2010 and they will be available for use in all |
| Review Committee has set in motion measures to | | | | schools in 2011. The project will provide resource |
| reduce the number of projects learners need to do | | | | support to 6.5 million learners and approx 180 000 |
| and portfolio files of learner assessments have been | | | | teachers in nearly 20 000 schools. This will place |
| axed. Also, as of January 2010 CTAS for Grade 9 | | | | workbooks in the hands of each and every learner in |
| learners were stopped. | | | | the system. |
| When you look at some of the statistics that are being | | | | A team of curriculum experts/materials developers |
| published, these changes couldn't have come sooner. | | | | translators is developing the workbooks. These |
| A survey found that under OBE, a million children gave | | | | individuals have proven experience in the |
| up schooling every year, with in excess of five million | | | | development of learner workbooks, are conversant |
| learners having left school incapable of reading or | | | | with resource based methods and are able to produce |
| writing effectively. | | | | high quality output according to project deadlines." |
| The Minister explained the aims of the new National | | | | Additional recommendations that Minister Motshekga |
| Curriculum Statement (NCS), summarised as follows: | | | | made are: |
| The repackaging of the existing curriculum into the | | | | "Firstly, the Council approved the recommendation that |
| general aims of the South African curriculum, the | | | | from 2011, the language chosen by the learner as a |
| specific aims of each subject, clearly delineated topics | | | | Language of Learning and Teaching shall be taught as |
| to be covered per term and the required number and | | | | a subject, or as a First Additional Language, from |
| type of assessments, also per term. | | | | Grade One (1) and not from Grade 2, as is |
| Outcomes to be absorbed into more accessible | | | | currently the case. What this means, for instance, is |
| aims and content and assessment requirements will be | | | | that the teaching of English will occur alongside mother |
| spelt out more clearly. Topics and assessments to | | | | tongue instruction for those learners who choose |
| be covered per term are being aligned to available | | | | English as a language of learning and teaching. English |
| time allocations per subject. | | | | will not replace the mother tongue or home language in |
| The reduction of the number of learning areas in | | | | the early grades, as some commentators have |
| the Intermediate Phase from eight to six. That means | | | | interpreted the recommendation. |
| that in grades 4 to 6 technology will be combined with | | | | Secondly, Council agreed to regular, |
| science, arts and culture will be combined with life | | | | externally-set assessments at grades 3, 6 and 9 in |
| orientation and economic and management sciences | | | | literacy (in home language and first additional language) |
| will be taught only from grade 7. One of the priorities | | | | and numeracy/mathematics. It agreed on a weighting |
| in the Basic Education budget speech in March was | | | | of continuous assessment and end of year |
| the development and distribution of adequate learning | | | | examinations. |
| and teaching material. Motshekga went on to explain | | | | Council thirdly agreed that the symbols or rating scales |
| "A crucial pillar in the Department's determination to | | | | used to rate learner performance in Grades 10-12 will, |
| improve learner performance is the provision | | | | from 2011, be extended to Grades R-9, so that there is |
| of learner workbooks. This project is a result of the | | | | consistency across the curriculum. |