Date: 28/10/2002
Source: Ministry of Education
Title: Asmal: Draft National Curriculum Statement, Grades 10 - 12
STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION, PROFESSOR KADER ASMAL, MP, ON THE RELEASE OF THE DRAFT NATIONAL CURRICULUM STATEMENT GRADES 10 - 12 (SCHOOLS) Cape Town, 28 October 2002
I have great pleasure today in announcing the publication by my Department of the National Curriculum Statement (NCS) Grades 10 - 12 (Schools) for public comment. The Statement is open for comment up to the 31st January 2003 and the provisional date for the implementation of the curriculum is January 2004.
The transformation of the FET curriculum marks the last phase of educational change initiated by our democratic government. It is the threshold of a new beginning, and the breaking of a new dawn that removes the last vestiges of apartheid education.
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.
It is the Government's policy to replace the present emphasis on an academic approach, and a lack of emphasis on skills. The proposed Further Education and Training Certificate (FETC) replaces the Senior Certificate.
The National Curriculum Statement Grades 10-12 (Schools) is a precursor to the introduction of two other pathways, which ensure a strategic response to the skills deficit in our country, and to the Human Resource Development Strategy. In other words, there will be general vocational and occupational strands offered at FET colleges. The National Curriculum Statement that I am releasing for public comment today is for FET schools.
The curriculum draws on the principles that underpin the Revised National Curriculum Statement Grades R - 9 (Schools) and keeps firmly to the fundamental principles of outcomes-based education.
It is designed to replace the current curriculum policy for schools, which lists a total of 124 subjects, which translate into 264 examinations encompassing both Higher Grade and Standard Grade. Many of these subjects are obsolete.
The new National Curriculum Statement lists a total of 35 subjects including the 11 official languages.
The subjects cover eight of the twelve organising fields of the National Qualifications Framework as follows:
ORGANISING FIELD
SUBJECTS
Communication and language studies
11 Official Languages
Arts and culture
Dance, Music, Visual Art, Speech and Drama, Design and Graphic Art
Human and social studies
Life Orientation, History, Geography Physical, mathematical, computer and life sciences
Mathematics, Mathematical Literacy, Physical Science, Biology, Computer Studies, Compu-typing
Agriculture and nature conservation
Agricultural Science
Business, commerce and management studies
Accounting, Economics, Business Economics
Manufacturing, engineering and technology
Motor Mechanics, Electrician-work, Technical Drawing
Services
Travel and Tourism, Hotel Keeping, Home Economics
While the rationalisation of the curriculum has received wide public support, it has also been accompanied by misconceptions regarding the status of subjects not included in the new Curriculum Statement, including foreign languages. In this regard several uninformed comments have been made in the media.
With regard to foreign languages, President Mbeki and I have gone on record with respect to our commitment to providing for and supporting other languages including foreign languages. We have also articulated our recognition of the importance of ensuring, in line with regional protocols, that Southern African Development Community member countries work towards the reduction and eventual elimination of constraints to better and freer access by citizens of member states to good quality education and training opportunities. It is in this context, that a need to develop and support foreign languages has always been recognised.
Currently there are 18 foreign languages listed in the curriculum policy report. This does not compare favourably with international trends and practices. In addition, many of these languages have had enrolment figures of fewer than twenty candidates in the Senior Certificate examinations for the past six years. The continued provision of these subjects is therefore clearly unsustainable.
It should be noted that the provision of any subject has huge financial implications for the education system. It is in this regard that a broad consultation process on the new FET curriculum will take place between November 2002 and June 2003, after which the Ministry will then be in an informed position to take a decision as to which additional subjects, including foreign languages, to provide. These subjects will then be developed in an outcomes-based format and included in the National Curriculum Statement Grades 10-12 (Schools).
In the interim, all subjects listed in the current curriculum policy will continue to be offered. This is to allow for a gradual phasing out of the previous curriculum and to provide sufficient time for the development of new Subject Statements.
Private providers and accredited bodies will then take on the responsibility for the provision of those subjects not included in the National Curriculum Statement.
I would like to invite parents, teachers, educational institutions, non-governmental and community based organisations and the public in general to use this opportunity to study the National Curriculum Statement carefully and to provide comments that will assist us in producing a final product of quality. No one should be excluded from the debate and from making a contribution.
We expect to produce a final version of this curriculum, flowing from the comments received, by March 2003. On the basis of the comments received, the Department of Education together with the provincial departments will then develop detailed implementation plans. The Council of Education Ministers (CEM) will decide the date of the implementation of the new curriculum early in 2003.
The introduction of the new curriculum in Further Education and Training will have major implications for the educational system with respect to the provision of textbooks as well as the important area of teacher preparedness. The review of the implementation of Curriculum 2005 in General Education and Training has made firm recommendations in this regard, which the Department will observe.
In conclusion, I want to say that we are proud of our achievement so far. We have a curriculum that is sound and implementable. We now look forward to the public comments so that we can finalise the development of the curriculum, and ensure that it becomes a reality in all our schools.
Enquiries:
Molatwane Likhethe @ 082 573 0397
Themba Ndhlovu, Chief Director: FET @ 082 806 6950
Issued by Ministry of Education
28 October 2002
Source: Ministry of Education
Title: Asmal: Draft National Curriculum Statement, Grades 10 - 12
STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION, PROFESSOR KADER ASMAL, MP, ON THE RELEASE OF THE DRAFT NATIONAL CURRICULUM STATEMENT GRADES 10 - 12 (SCHOOLS) Cape Town, 28 October 2002
I have great pleasure today in announcing the publication by my Department of the National Curriculum Statement (NCS) Grades 10 - 12 (Schools) for public comment. The Statement is open for comment up to the 31st January 2003 and the provisional date for the implementation of the curriculum is January 2004.
The transformation of the FET curriculum marks the last phase of educational change initiated by our democratic government. It is the threshold of a new beginning, and the breaking of a new dawn that removes the last vestiges of apartheid education.
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.
It is the Government's policy to replace the present emphasis on an academic approach, and a lack of emphasis on skills. The proposed Further Education and Training Certificate (FETC) replaces the Senior Certificate.
The National Curriculum Statement Grades 10-12 (Schools) is a precursor to the introduction of two other pathways, which ensure a strategic response to the skills deficit in our country, and to the Human Resource Development Strategy. In other words, there will be general vocational and occupational strands offered at FET colleges. The National Curriculum Statement that I am releasing for public comment today is for FET schools.
The curriculum draws on the principles that underpin the Revised National Curriculum Statement Grades R - 9 (Schools) and keeps firmly to the fundamental principles of outcomes-based education.
It is designed to replace the current curriculum policy for schools, which lists a total of 124 subjects, which translate into 264 examinations encompassing both Higher Grade and Standard Grade. Many of these subjects are obsolete.
The new National Curriculum Statement lists a total of 35 subjects including the 11 official languages.
The subjects cover eight of the twelve organising fields of the National Qualifications Framework as follows:
ORGANISING FIELD
SUBJECTS
Communication and language studies
11 Official Languages
Arts and culture
Dance, Music, Visual Art, Speech and Drama, Design and Graphic Art
Human and social studies
Life Orientation, History, Geography Physical, mathematical, computer and life sciences
Mathematics, Mathematical Literacy, Physical Science, Biology, Computer Studies, Compu-typing
Agriculture and nature conservation
Agricultural Science
Business, commerce and management studies
Accounting, Economics, Business Economics
Manufacturing, engineering and technology
Motor Mechanics, Electrician-work, Technical Drawing
Services
Travel and Tourism, Hotel Keeping, Home Economics
While the rationalisation of the curriculum has received wide public support, it has also been accompanied by misconceptions regarding the status of subjects not included in the new Curriculum Statement, including foreign languages. In this regard several uninformed comments have been made in the media.
With regard to foreign languages, President Mbeki and I have gone on record with respect to our commitment to providing for and supporting other languages including foreign languages. We have also articulated our recognition of the importance of ensuring, in line with regional protocols, that Southern African Development Community member countries work towards the reduction and eventual elimination of constraints to better and freer access by citizens of member states to good quality education and training opportunities. It is in this context, that a need to develop and support foreign languages has always been recognised.
Currently there are 18 foreign languages listed in the curriculum policy report. This does not compare favourably with international trends and practices. In addition, many of these languages have had enrolment figures of fewer than twenty candidates in the Senior Certificate examinations for the past six years. The continued provision of these subjects is therefore clearly unsustainable.
It should be noted that the provision of any subject has huge financial implications for the education system. It is in this regard that a broad consultation process on the new FET curriculum will take place between November 2002 and June 2003, after which the Ministry will then be in an informed position to take a decision as to which additional subjects, including foreign languages, to provide. These subjects will then be developed in an outcomes-based format and included in the National Curriculum Statement Grades 10-12 (Schools).
In the interim, all subjects listed in the current curriculum policy will continue to be offered. This is to allow for a gradual phasing out of the previous curriculum and to provide sufficient time for the development of new Subject Statements.
Private providers and accredited bodies will then take on the responsibility for the provision of those subjects not included in the National Curriculum Statement.
I would like to invite parents, teachers, educational institutions, non-governmental and community based organisations and the public in general to use this opportunity to study the National Curriculum Statement carefully and to provide comments that will assist us in producing a final product of quality. No one should be excluded from the debate and from making a contribution.
We expect to produce a final version of this curriculum, flowing from the comments received, by March 2003. On the basis of the comments received, the Department of Education together with the provincial departments will then develop detailed implementation plans. The Council of Education Ministers (CEM) will decide the date of the implementation of the new curriculum early in 2003.
The introduction of the new curriculum in Further Education and Training will have major implications for the educational system with respect to the provision of textbooks as well as the important area of teacher preparedness. The review of the implementation of Curriculum 2005 in General Education and Training has made firm recommendations in this regard, which the Department will observe.
In conclusion, I want to say that we are proud of our achievement so far. We have a curriculum that is sound and implementable. We now look forward to the public comments so that we can finalise the development of the curriculum, and ensure that it becomes a reality in all our schools.
Enquiries:
Molatwane Likhethe @ 082 573 0397
Themba Ndhlovu, Chief Director: FET @ 082 806 6950
Issued by Ministry of Education
28 October 2002
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