A skill-full new curriculum
4 November 2002
Progress has been made in developing a school curriculum in tune with the needs of modern society with the release of the draft national curriculum statement for grades 10 – 12.
The finalised curriculum will be phased in after a period of public scrutiny and revision and will see the replacing of the senior certificate examinations with the Further Education and Training Certificate.
The statement reduces the number of subjects on offer from 124 to 35 (discarding many subjects that are now obsolete); makes maths or mathematical literacy compulsory; sets more stringent pass requirements than before; and places greater emphasis on skills acquisition.
The new curriculum statement includes the 11 official languages. Still to be decided is whether to retain the 18 foreign language options. These have nevertheless been included in the draft curriculum.
Respect for human rights
Commenting on the draft,
Education Minister Kader Asmal said: “It is a curriculum that will instil in our young citizens the values that promote the interests of a society based on respect for democracy, equality, human dignity and social justice.
“These values, which are derived from our Constitution, represent a departure from the values of apartheid education, which were premised on inequality and a lack of respect for human dignity.”
Although provincial education departments are expected to develop plans to implement the new curriculum from 2004, Asmal said implementation would depend on the preparedness of teachers and parents.
The finalised curriculum will ultimately result in three versions of the Further Education and Training Certificate, allowing various routes into the world of work – the general certificate offered by schools, the vocational certificate offered by technical colleges, and the occupational certificate offered through the workplace.
The draft curriculum
statement was open to public comment until January 31. The statement can be viewed online by clicking here.
SouthAfrica.info reporter
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