Principles which guided the development of the New Curriculum Framework
The process of developing the new curriculum framework
Lifelong learning is a crucial and strategic intervention to transform the education and training system. It will pride an increasing range of learning possibilities, offering learners greater flexibility in choosing what, where, when, how and at what pace they will learn.
The curriculum is at the heart of the education process. In the past it has perpetuated race, class, gender and ethnic divisions and has emphasised separateness, rather than common citizenship and nationhood. It was therefore imperative that the curriculum be restructured to reflect the values and principles of our new democratic society.
The new curriculum will be based on the principles of co-operation, critical thinking and social responsibly, and should empower individuals to participate in all aspects of society. This could best be achieved by a national curriculum which pr~ides a general education as a platform for lifelong learning.
The human resource development programme must expand the way in which people are able to acquire learning and qualifications of high quality. Owing to the growing concern about the effectiveness of traditional methods of teaching and training, which are currently still content based, standards will in future be defined in terms of learning outcomes. New, flexible and appropriate curricula are needed that cut across traditional divisions of skills and knowledge. The emphasis will be on what the learners should know and can do at the end of a course of learning and teaching, instead of the means which are to be used to achieve those results.
The Department of Education has committed itself to a fully participatory process of curriculum development and trialling, in which the teaching profession, teacher educators, subject advisors and other learning practitioners play a leading role, along with academic subject specialists and researchers. The Department has further committed itself to an open and transparent process, with proposals and critique being requested from any person, or bodies with interest in the learning process and learning outcomes. In doing so, all forms and phases of education, namely Early Childhood Development (ECD), General Education Training (GET), Further Education and Training (FET), Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) and Education for Learners with Special Educational Needs (ELSEN), as well as inservice education for teacher (INSET), the development of support material and evaluation and assessment have been taken into consideration.
Join us as we pave the way to a new curriculum which will add value to the education pr~cess and ensure a nation of competent and creative citizens.
Dr Chabani Manganyi
Deputy Director-General of Education
March 1997
Purpose of this document
This document attempts to set out clearly the new curriculum framework for all General and Further Education and Training in South Africa. It is intended as a reference document for policy makers and other educationists and is set within the context of the principles and ; other guidelines stated in the 1995 White Paper, and developments since then, including the legislative framework and the National Qualifications Framework (NQF).
In the White Paper, the Minister of Education reiterates the central problem facing education and training in South Africa, namely that South Africa has never had a truly national system of education and training.
Education and training are central activities of our society. They are of vital interest to every family, community and to the health and prosperity of our national economy. The government's policy for education and training is, therefore, a matter of national importance second to none. In view of this, it was stated in no uncertain terms by the Minister of Education that education and training must change. It cannot be business as usual in the schools.
It is also clearly stated in the 1995 White Paper that for the first time in South Africa's history, a government has been given the mandate to plan the development of the education and training system for the benefit of the country as a whole and all its people. Therefore, the challenge faced by the Ministry of Education at the dawning of a democratic society is to create an education and training system that will ensure that the human resources and potential in our society are developed to the full.
What is a curriculum framework?
A curriculum framework is a set of principles and guidelines which provides both a philosophical base and an organisational structure for curriculum development initiatives at all levels, be they nationally, provincially, community or school-based.
Mission for this curriculum framework
The vision for South Africa encompasses a prosperous, truly united, democratic and internationally competitive country with literate, creative and critical citizens, leading productive, self-fulfilled lives in a country free of violence, discrimination and prejudice.
The realisation of this vision requires appropriate, lifelong education, training and development to empower people to participate effectively in all the processes of a democratic society and to excel in fields like human and natural resource development, human and natural sciences, the arts and technology.
The primary task of educational policy makers is the establishment of a just and equitable education and training system which is relevant, of high quality and is accessible to all learners, irrespective of race, colour, gender, age, religion, ability or language. A priority for both national and provincial education departments is, therefore, the creation of a transformative, democratic, open learning system, fostering in all its users, a strong commitment to lifelong learning and development.
The curriculum framework serves as a strategic intervention designed to facilitate and guide the development of a transformed education and training system in a practicable and sustainable way.
It takes as point of departure, that successful modern economies and societies require citizens with a strong foundation of general education, the desire and ability to continue to learn to adapt to, and develop new knowledge, skills and technologies, to move flexibly between occupations, to take responsibility for personal performance, to set and achieve high standards, and to work cooperatively.
Principles relating to process
The development of the curriculum framework was informed throughout by principles derived from the White Paper on Education and Training, March 1995. Cognisance was also taken of the learners who would be involved in the 'curriculum-in-use' (i.e. as it is applied at the chalk-face), and of the contexts in which learning programmes would be implemented.
Participation and ownership
Education and training should be the joint responsibility of the state, the community and the private sector: in the case of schools, parents and guardians share the primary responsibility for the education of their children. At the same time, teachers should be equal partners in curriculum and materials development while employers and other stakeholders have a major responsibility in helping to determine how learners should be prepared for adult life, including the world of work.
Accountability and transparency
Lifelong learning development is a dynamic process. It should, therefore, be able to take cognisance of continually changing demands. At the same time it should be an accountable and transparent process, open to public scrutiny.
Affordability, sustainability and capacity building
The effectiveness of a new education and training system will depend, amongst other things, on its affordability and sustainability. While research and pilot projects are crucial elements in curriculum development, there is also a need to place a premium on those issues which need to be addressed most urgently within existing realities.
Coherence within the context of the NQF
The development of a qualifications framework and the development of a curriculum framework, national guideline documents and learning programmes, should go hand in hand. All of these should have at least the same points of departure, be informed by the same values, principles, aims and objectives and be monitored by the same authorities or bodies.
Principles relating to curriculum design
Human resource development
The notion of lifelong learning development, organised in South Africa in terms of a National Qualifications Framework, is incorporated in the human resource development strategy of the Government's Reconstruction and Development Programme and, as such, should be a major thrust of a new education and training system.
Learner-centredness
Curriculum development, especially the development of learning programmes and materials, should put learners first, recognising and building on their knowledge and values and lifestyles experience, as well as responding to their needs. Different learning styles and rates of learning need to be acknowledged and accommodated both in the learning situation and in the attainment ofqualifications. The ways In which different cultural values and lifestylesaffect the construction of knowledge should also be acknowledged and incorporated in the development and implementation of learning programmes
Relevance
Learning programmes should berelevant and appropriate to current and anticipated future needs of the individual, society, commerce and industry. Ever-increasing evidence suggests that economic growth in a competitive international economic system depends fundamentally on a generally well-educated population equipped with the relevant competencies and skills required in the economy at any point in time but also with the capacity to continue learning and developing new skills, and acquiring new competencies.
Integration
An integrated approach to education and training implies a view of learning which rejects a rigid division between academic and applied knowledge, theory and practise, knowledge and skills, head and hand.
Differentiation, Redress and Learner Support
Learning programmes should facilitate the creation of opportunities for all learners, including those who are disabled in some or other way, to strive, towards the attainment of similar learning outcomes. Such an approach does not deny that there are educationally relevant differences among individuals. Neither does it rule out approaches that would recognise different levels of mastery. Implicit in the ideas of national standards, however, is the belief that differences in learners' interests and abilities should challenge educators to explore a host of alternative instructional methods and approaches. It follows that learners should be given the opportunity of coping with demanding performance standards at their own pace rather than at the pace of the majority of the learners in a class.
Nation-building and non-discrimination
Education and training should promote the development of a national identity and an awareness of South Africa's role and responsibility with regard to Africa and the rest of the world. Learning programmes should, therefore, encourage the development of::
Critical and creative thinking
Learning programmes should promote learners' ability to think logically and analytically as well as holistically and laterally. This includes an acknowledgement of the provisional, contested and changing nature of knowledge and of the need to balance independent, individualised thinking with social responsibility and the ability to function as part of a group, community or society.
Flexibility
Although learning programmes for education and training should adhere to a coherent framework of principles and lead to the attainment of national standards and qualifications, the means for reaching these ends should be determined by providers in accordance with the needs of their learners.
Progression
Learners should be able to progress to higher levels of achievement by mastering prescribed learning outcomes rather than through age or course cohorts. Learning programmes should facilitate progression from one class, phase or learning outcome to another from any starting point in the education and training system. Prior knowledge (acquired informally or by work experience), would have to be assessed and credited. National Qualifications would be awarded, at each of the levels of the NQF, provided that candidates have accumulated certain combinations of credits and have abided by possible rules of combination required for such qualifications.
Credibility
In order for a country to be internationally competitive, its education and training system/s should be compatible with those in the rest of the world.
Quality Assurance
Quality Assurance stands on three important pillars. These pillars are:
Subsection 3(4) of the National Education Policy Act 1996 (Act No.27 of 1996) stipulates that the Minister of Education is responsible for " national policy for the planning, provision, financing, staffing, co-ordination, management, governance, programmes, monitoring, evaluation and well-being of the education system".
In terms of Section 8 of the aforementioned Act, the Department of Education shall monitor the implementation of national policy and publish reports on the outcome of such monitoring.
The department has established a Chief Directorate: Quality Assurance and Examinations to enable itself to perform its responsibilities with regard to the assurance of quality. A draft policy framework will be submitted to the Heads of Education Departments Committee (HEDCOM) and its advisory structures in due course. This framework will lead to further more focussed work on quality assurance in various areas of education, such as curriculum development, assessment and examinations, and the creation of a quality learning environment.
In addition, the South African Qualifications Authority Act 1995 (Act No. 58 of 1995) makes provision for the generation and registration of national education and training standards/qualifications, and the monitoring and auditing of achievements in terms of such standards and qualifications. The South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) was appointed in May 1996 and is in the process of formulating guidelinesfor the establishment or accreditation of structures for the setting of standards and monitoring of achievements in terms of such standards. These are National Standard Bodies (NSBs) and Education and Training Quality Assurers (ETQAs). There will be a specific relationship between these structures and those involved in the provisioning of education and training in terms of the national standards (e. g. the provincial education departments).
Overview of the Process
The Ministry of Education has committed itself to a fully participatory process of curriculum development and trialling in which the teaching profession, teacher educators, subject advisors and other learning practitioners play a leading role, along with academic subject specialists and researchers. The Ministry has further committed itself to an open and transparent process, with proposals and critique being requested from any person, or bodies with interests in the learning process and learning outcomes.
To make this possible, a Consultative Forum on Curriculum (CFC) was established in August 1995, comprising representatives of the national and provincial education departments, as well as national stakeholders in education and training. To launch the process of curriculum restructuring, the CFC initiated two investigations which resulted in two reports, namely Structures for the development of national policy regarding curriculum and related issues and curriculum frameworks, and A Curriculum Framework for General and Further Education and Training.
The first report dealt with the structures and processes regarding the establishment of National and Provincial Institutes for Lifelong Learning Development (NILLD and PlLLDs).
The second report on curriculum frameworks, outlined the broad implications of the NQF and an outcomes-based approach for the different phases of the General and Further Education and Training Bands.
All interested parties - individual and collective - were invited to respond to the document by March 1996. These responses were considered by the National Curriculum Development Committee (NCDC) which replaced the CFC as a more representative structure, and consensus was reached on an outcomes-based Lifelong Learning Development Framework for South Africa.
In the meantime SAQA is making progress with the development of the NQF. Agreement was reached on key issues regarding the NQF, which include the following:
These agreements made it possible to speed up the development of the curriculum framework. On the other hand, the development of the curriculum framework resulted in new insight and understanding which was fed into the NQF process again.
This interaction between the two processes led to the curriculum framework being fully in line with the approach proposed by the NQF.
SAQA is a widely representative structure with its members coming from a wide range of stakeholders, including labour and business. So are the structures responsible for the curriculum framework. This has facilitated the aim of developing an integrated approach to education and training in order to contribute maximally to the overall aim, namely the development of our human resources.
After the initial development of the basic framework of eight learning areas as approved by the Council of Education Ministers (CEM), the development work was taken further by a number of structures which were established for this purpose.
Eight newly created Learning Area Committees (LACs), were appointed, one for each of the eight learning areas. Members were nominated by various stakeholders to serve on the LACs.
The brief of these eight LACs was firstly, to write a rationale, and secondly, to identify learning area outcomes which reflect the critical crossfield outcomes as formulated by SAQA.
These LACs started their work immediately. On 30 July 1996 a workshop was held with the eight LACs which set the process of writing outcomes for each learning area in motion. A second workshop took place from 1620 September 1996, during which the outcomes were refined into specific outcomes. Both learning area outcomes and specific outcomes had to reflect the critical outcomes and were to serve as a basis for the identification of focuses in the various learning areas. Draft learning area reports were submitted to the Department of Education in November 1996.
To adhere to the principle of an integrated approach, five co-ordinating committees were established, one each for the Foundation Phase, the Intermediate Phase, the Senior Phase, Further Education and Training and ABET.
The task of the Co-ordinating Committees was to identify cross-curricular issues in the eight areas of learning and to do the clustering of outcomes supplied by the LACs into focuses for the eventual development of learning programmes. The Co-ordinating Committees each comprised more or less 26 members representing the various stakeholders.
To take the work of the five co-ordinating committees further towards one broad curriculum, a Technical Committee was established. Nominations for appointment to the Technical Committee were invited through the Government Gazette
The Technical Committee was assisted by a Reference Group comprising three members of each LAC, as well as two practising teachers nominated by each of the eight LACs, and one ELSEN representative. Together with the co-ordinating committees, these three structures eventually developed all the inputs referred to above, into the curriculum for General and Further Education and Training which was announced on 24 March 1997.
This task was concluded on 14 March 1997. Draft policy will now be prepared by the Curriculum Management Committee (CMC) and the National Curriculum Development Committee (NCDC) to serve at HEDCOM by 14 April 1997 to be recommended for Ministerial clearance by 30 April 1997.
The Organisation of the Curriculum
Key decisions
The NQF recognises general education and training, further education and training, and higher education and training as descriptive terms encapsulating levels of education and training in South Africa.
In view of this, and taking into account the needs of all learners from early childhood to adult, a couple of key decisions were taken which eventually determined the nature of the curriculum framework.
These include the following:
A. Early Childhood Development, the rest of compulsory schooling and ABET are not separate entities and should therefore be accommodated in one common curriculum framework.
B. The eight learning areas should form the basis of all education up to the Further Education and Training Certificate, although they might feature differently in the various phases or sectors. The following are the eight learning areas (see here for details):
C. There will be four phases, with ABET linked to the first three:
The Phases in General and Further Education and Training
The General Education and Training Band
A high quality General Education in which learning and achievement are valued, will be an entitlement for South African learners. Depressed schooling conditions need to be revitalised, and learning opportunities for adults, youth and out-of-school children must be provided.
The General Education and Training Band is, further sub-divided into three conceptual school phases corresponding roughly to the developmental phases children go through in their maturation process, and four levels for Adult Basic Education and Training.
Foundation Phase
The Foundation Phase (Grades 1-3), forms part of Early Childhood Development ) birth to 9 years). Early Childhood Development (ECD) I particularly crucial in the current context of reconstruction and development as impoverished families are not able to meet the developmental needs of their children without assistance.
The White Paper indicates that the scope of ECD policy should in principle cover the full Early Childhood Development phase and that this should be undertaken by the various Ministers of Education, Health and Welfare and Population Development.
The Department of Education working with the provincial departments under the Heads of Education Departments Committee (HEDCOM), as well as relevant stakeholder organisations will have the major responsibility for developing national education policy for ECD, including the reception year. Such policy will include the structure of provision, the determination of financial responsibilities and the establishment of national norms and standards for ECD curricula.
On 4 July 1996 the Minister of Education approved the Interim Policy for Early Childhood Development. This Policy Framework was developed by an Ad Hoc Co-ordinating Committee for ECD (CCECD) which comprises national ECD stakeholders. The policy document will function as interim policy guiding the implementation of the national ECD Pilot Project. The Pilot Project is aimed at, inter alia, initiating the start-up phase of the National Reception Year Programme.
Following the successful implementation of the national pilot project over a period of 3 years, a new policy framework in ECD is likely to emerge which will provide a long-term framework for ECD provisioning.
Intermediate Phase (Grades 4 to 6)
In the Intermediate Phase, teaching and learning, while still highly contextualised and largely integrated (cross-curricular themes or topics), could begin to move in the direction of the eight individual areas of learning informing General and Further Education and Training.
Senior Phase (Grades 7 to 9)
Learners in this phase are increasingly able to reason independently of concrete materials and experience. They are able to engage in open argument and are willing to accept multiple solutions to single problems.
The learning content offered in this phase would, therefore, be less contextualised, more abstract and more area-specific than in the previous two phases.
At the same time there should be clear evidence that learners are being prepared for life after school, i.e. Lifein the world of work, at institutions for further learning and for adult life in general. Learning programmes should create opportunities for learners to be informed about career and further learning opportunities, about ways and means of realising their expectations for the future and about their rights and responsibilities as citizens in a democratic, multicultural society.
Further Education and Training
(Grades 10 -1 in school education; out-of-school youth and adult learners)
The Further Education and Training (FET) Band level is the nodal point for the development of an integrated approach to education. This Band is central to our entire economic activity and the way it is structured will have major impact on the attainment of growth and redistribution. The development of the FET Band will require close links with public works, youth development and Adult Basic Education and Training programmes.
Currently, learning in this band is offered at two types of public institutions, namely secondary schools and technical colleges. It is mainly through attendance and achievement at these two institutions that nationally recognised and accredited school leaving certificates can be issued. However, a number of non-governmental organisations, private colleges, companies, industry training boards, and special state-funded providers, such as the unemployment training scheme, also operate in this band.
The generation and implementation of standards at the proposed NQF levels in this band, is critical for the success of the integrated approach to education and training. It is also crucial to ensure that the current fragmentation is avoided and that coherent, meaningful and relevant, quality education and training is provided.
To ensure portability, mobility and access in the Further Education and Training Band and to promote meaningful career paths and lifelong learning through the NQF, special attention must be given to the development of new institutional forms for and provision of learning in this band. For example, technical colleges could be transformed into community colleges and provision at secondary schools could be adapted to allow learners to do courses of their choice with other accredited providers. A National Task Team on Further Education was established to undertake the research, consultation and planning required to set this level of learning on an energetic growth path.
On 10 May 1996 an advertisement was gazetted calling for nominations, and on 18 October 1996 the announcement of the Chairperson and 6 additional members to serve on the Committee on Further Education and Training, was gazetted.
The purpose of the Committee is to establish the vision and goals for Further Education and Training in order to attain the equality of access and survival of its client group, as well as advancing lifelong learning within the NQF, especially the integrated approach to education and training. The Committee is expected two submit their report in July 1997.
Adult Basic Education and Training
The historic inadequacy of school education, especially for black communities, had the effect that a majority of the adult population, both in and out of formal employment, had no schooling or inadequate schooling.
The Ministry of Education views Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) as a force for social participation and economic development, providing an essential component of all RDP programmes. The objective of policy is a national ABET programme, focussed on particular target groups which have historically missed out on education and training, and providing an appropriate ABET curriculum whose standards will be fully incorporated in the NQF.
The main organisational principle of the national ABET programme will be the building of partnerships of all constituencies with a vital interest in the ABET enterprise, including organised labour and business, women's and youth organisations, civics, churches, specialist NGOs, learner associations, all levels of government, media and other stakeholders.
The Department of Education is responsible for bringing ABET into the mainstream of the education and training system, for developing an ABET policy framework based on national guidelines, and for planning and mobilising resources in support of the large-scale provision of ABET.
National agreements with all stakeholders and role-players such as national and provincial departments ofeducation, employers, labour, NGOs, and other state departments, have been reached with regard to the vision, provision and assessment of outcomes at the four ABET levels for adult and out-of-school youth learners. These were published as A National Adult Basic Education and Training Framework: Interim Guidelines by the Minister of Education in September 1995 to serve as a national adult basic education and training framework. These Interim Guidelines have enabled greater sectoral coherence, through the pronouncement of a common vision and curriculum goals for ABET. This represents a tremendous stride forward in a previously, highly fragmented sector.
Among the critical principles and values underlying the development of the Interim Guidelines was the recognition that:
ABET should provide a general basic education, promote critical thinking and empower individuals to participate in all aspects of society, and promote active learning methods, and, ABET should lead to nationally recognised certificates based on clear national standards assessed as learning outcomes.
The aims and broad objectives for the provision of ABET, include enabling individuals to develop communication skills in one or more languages, to develop numeracy skills, to develop a critical understanding of the society in which people live, to develop a critical understanding of the context in which they live, work and interact with others, to develop technical and practical skills, knowledge and understanding, and to achieve recognition for the skills, knowledge, understanding and abilities that they have gained from life and work experiences.
The Interim Guidelines of 1995 have in the meantime been reformulated, based on the needs of ABET providers in South Africa as identified by national stakeholders. The new ABET Policy, like the earlier Interim Guidelines, assumes diversity within a unity of purpose: to provide Adult Basic Education and Training for all in South Africa. The new Policy will serve the needs of all national constituencies: organised labour in the formal economy, self-employed, and unemployed youth and adults in the urban areas and settlements, the rural unemployed, and women heads of households in both urban and rural areas.
The new education and training system in South Africa is notable for its emphasis on the formal articulation of education and training within the ambit of the NQF. In the context of adult learning, however, it is important that the sector develops a conceptualisation of lifelong learning development that encompasses the formal as well as the informal, more developmental approaches to lifelong learning to ensure the immediate utilisation of knowledge, skills and attitudes of adult learners in their daily lives.
Planning will be informed by the principle of people-driven approaches to development and draw upon and use all resources in the form of conceptual, influential, material, personnel, institutional as well as time resources. Furthermore, planning should be systemic and systematic in order to consider all aspects of a fully functioning ABET system .
Planning for the provision of Adult Basic Education and Training will address: policy and planning; institutional and infrastructural arrangements; a national curriculum framework and standards; learning and teaching materials; training and human resource development; teaching and learning support; social mobilisation and advocacy; technical and professional support; monitoring, assessment and evaluation .
Education Support Services (ESS) and Education for Learners with Special Educational Needs (ELSEN)
(All learners in the General and Further Education and Training Bands)
The umbrella label of ELSEN refers to all learners with special educationalneeds and includes both those profoundly disabled or sensory impaired on the one hand, and those specially as well gifted on the other.
Education Support Services (ESS) encompasses all education-related health, social work, vocational and general guidance and counselling, and other psychological programmes and services, and services to learners with special educational needs in mainstream schools.
The Ministry of Education intends to explore a holistic and integrated approach to Education Support Services, in collaboration with provincial Ministries of Education and in consultation with the Ministries of Health, Welfare and Population Development, and Labour. The inclusive approach to ESS recognises that issues of health, social, psychological, academic and vocational development and support services for learners with special educational needs and learners in mainstream school are inter-related. A National Committee on Education Support Services, formerly known as the Task Team for Education Support Services (NTTESS), has been established to conduct an investigation into the holistic and integrated concept of ESS.
ESS, therefore, encompasses at least all education-related health and social work, vocational and general guidance and counselling, as well as other psychological programmes and services, and services to all learners, including Learners with Special Educational Needs (ELSEN) in and outside mainstream schools.
On 8 December 1996 the Minister of Education called for nominations of members to serve on a National Commission on Special Needs in Education and Training (NCSNET). The NCSNET has in the meantime been constituted.
The purpose of NCSNET is to advise the Minister of Education on:
The Commission commenced with its work early in 1996 and will hopefully submit its report in the first quarter of 1997. As the system of education for learners with special educational needs requires maintenance to ensure provision of services, especially during the process of provincialisation, a National Co-ordinating Committee for ELSEN (NACOCO) was established.
The definition, selection and ordering of learning areas have to be seen in relation to larger political, social and economic determinants.
1. Language, Literacy and Communication
Language and communication are intrinsic to human development and central to lifelong learning.
Language (including Sign Language) and language learning empowers people to:
The advancement of multi-lingualism as a major resource affords learners the opportunity to develop and value:
2. Mathematical Literacy, Mathematics and Mathematical Sciences
Mathematics is the construction of knowledge that deals with qualitative and quantitative relationships of space and time. It is a human activity that deals with patterns, problem-solving, logical thinking etc., in an attempt to understand the world and make use of that understanding. This understanding is expressed, developed and contested through language, symbols and social interaction.
Mathematical literacy, mathematics and the mathematical sciences as domains of knowledge are significant cultural achievements of humanity. They have both utilitarian and intrinsic value. All people have a right of access to these domains and their benefits. These domains, provide powerful numeric, spatial, temporal, symbolic, communicative and other conceptual tools, skills, knowledge, attitudes and values to analyse, make and justify critical decisions, and take transformative action - thereby empowering people to:
3. Human and Social Sciences
Human and Social Sciences contribute to developing responsible citizens in a culturally diverse, democratic society within an interdependent world. They will equip learners to make sound judgements and take appropriate action that will contribute to sustainable development of human society and the physical environment.
Human and Social Sciences comprise the study of relationships between people, and between people and their environment. These interactions are contextualised in space and time and have social, political, economic, environmental and spiritual dimensions.
They develop distinctive skills and a critical awareness of social and environmental patterns, processes and events based on appropriate investigations and reflection within and across related focuses.
4. Natural Sciences
The Natural Sciences, comprising the physical-, life-, and earth sciences, involve the systematic study of the material universe - including natural and human-made environments - as a set of related systems. A variety of methods, that have in common the collection, analysis and critical evaluation of data, are used to develop scientific knowledge. While some knowledge in the Natural Sciences has become accepted as unchanging, theories are acknowledged to be open to change because they are the result of human activity which is influenced by social, cultural and historical settings.
The development of appropriate skills, knowledge and attitudes and an understanding of the principles and processes of the Natural Sciences:
In view of its potential to improve the quality of life, learning in the Natural Sciences must be made accessible to all South Africans.
The investigative character of knowledge acquisition in the Natural Sciences should be mirrored in education. Learners should be active participants in the learning process in order to build a meaningful understanding of concepts which they can apply in their lives.
5. Technology
The technology learning area seeks to develop:
This understanding of technology should contribute to:
6. Arts and Culture
Arts and Culture are an integral part of life, embracing the spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional aspects of human society. Culture embodies not only expression through the arts, but also modes of life, behaviour patterns, heritage, knowledge and belief systems. Arts and Culture are fundamental to all learning.
Arts and Culture education and training enables the learner to develop:
7. Economic and Management Sciences
This learning area is fundamental in preparing the citizens of South Africa to understand the critical importance of reconstruction, development and economic growth for a sustainable economic future. Through this learning area learners will be:
The acquired knowledge, skills and attitudes will enable the learners to make a contribution towards the improvement of the standard of living, human development, justice, basic conditions of employment, fair labour practices, productivity, as well as opportunities for all to realise their full potential.
8. Life Orientation
Life Orientation is fundamental in empowering learners to live meaningful lives in a society that demands rapid transformation.
Life Orientation therefore:
Basic tenets for curriculum design for lifelong learning
Outcomes-based learning
A commitment to outcomes-based learning is central to the Lifelong Learning Development Framework. An understanding of what is meant by outcomes-based education is, therefore, crucial to the successful development and implementation of learning programmes within an outcomes-based paradigm.
The development of the NQF hinges on an outcomes-based approach to education and training which has as its starting point the intended outputs as opposed to the inputs of traditional curriculum driven education and training.
The move towards an outcomes-based approach is due to the growing concern around the effectiveness of traditional methods of teaching and training which were content-based. An outcomes-based approach to teaching and learning, however, differs quite drastically and presents a paradigm shift. According to Spady (1994) outcomes are high-quality, culminating demonstrations of significant learning~ in context.
An outcomes-based education and training system requires a shift from focussing on teacher input (instructional offerings or syllabuses expressed in term of content) to focussing on the outcomes of the learning process.
Outcomes-based learning focuses the achievement in terms of clearly defined outcomes, rather than teacher input in terms of syllabus content. In NQF proposals, these outcomes are expressed in balanced and integrated national standards which demand the holistic development of competence, and encompass knowledge, skills, and attitudes.
In outcomes-based learning, a learner's progress is measured against agreed criteria. This implies that formal assessment will employ criterion-referencing and will be conducted in a transparent manner. All learners who meet the agreed criteria for specified learning outcomes receive the appropriate credit/s. Those who do not meet the criteria could receive clear feedback, indicating areas which need further work in order for them to reach the required standard. They are thus given support to try again. The concept of pass/fail is radically altered to credit/try again.
Learning outcomes
Outcomes are seen as being of two kinds, namely critical cross-field outcomes and specific outcomes. These differ in the breadth of the context to which they apply. Critical cross-field outcomes express the intended results of education and training in a broad sense whereas specific outcomes express the results of more narrowly defined aspects of the education process and are context-linked.
Critical cross-field outcomes
The role of critical cross-field outcomes in the context of an integrated South African education and training system includes:
These critical cross-field outcomes are, in the South African context, underpinned by transformational mechanisms which are driven by instruments such as the judicial (i.e. relating to the law and judgments), political (i.e. relating to the State, its government and policy), economic (i.e. relating to the development and regulation of material resources, especially the financial), social (i.e. being a part of a larger social structure; in association with or relating to others, especially in terms of their needs), transformational and developmental (i.e. changing the character or condition of a society, especially in relation to empowering previously marginalised groups and, equally, the marginalising or eliminating of irrelevant practices; responding positively to the needs of a repressed group or an underclass, for example the poorest of the poor; using resources in a sustainable and renewable way in carrying out any project or missions) and knowledge production (i.e. addressing the needs of a new society through the creation of new learning structures and processes, or by addressing issues for more social and personal relevance and contextual impact), vested in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa.
Critical cross-field outcomes are generic and cross-curricular. They underpin the learning process in all its facets. They are not restricted to any specific learning context, but they inform the formulation of specific outcomes in individual areas of learning for all learners at all levels on the National Qualifications Framework. They are not generated in one sector of education and training but across sectors in a process of consultation among stakeholders.
Critical cross-field outcomes are working principles, and as such they should direct teaching, training and education practices and the development of learning programmes and materials. It follows then that curriculum development should begin with the formulation and agreement of critical outcomes and that these should inform all subsequent curriculum development processes, and that whatever critical cross-field outcomes are selected for curriculum development, should be informed by the mutually agreed principles for education, training and development.
The following critical cross-field outcomes were adopted by SAQA:
In order to contribute to the full personal development of each learner and the social and economic development of the society at large, he/she should be made aware of the importance of:
Specific outcomes
Specific outcomes are context-specific. They are informed by the critical cross-field outcomes but formulated within the context in which they are to be demonstrated. They describe the competence which learners should be able to demonstrate in specific contexts and particular areas of learning at certain levels. It is these outcomes,
therefore, and not the critical cross-field outcomes, which should serve as the basis for assessing the progress of learners and thus, indirectly the effectiveness of learning processes and learning programmes. The detail concerning level of complexity, scope and learning context included in the formulation of specific outcomes, is therefore, crucial if assessment is to be transparent, fair and effective.
Unit standards
Unit standards provide the basis from which learning programmes for education and training in all education and training with the exception of Grades 1-8 are developed. Unit standards are nationally agreed and internationally comparable statements of the outcomes that a learner must be able to demonstrate an understanding of, or must be able to apply. They are the building blocks which make up qualifications.
The first eight years of compulsory schooling (Grades 1-8), where no qualifications are registered on the NQF, will not be based on unit standards, but will be structured around specific outcomes and assessment guidelines. Grade 9 equals Level 1 on the NQF and represents the first exit point at which the General Education and Training Certificate is awarded.
According to SAQA, a unit standard will consist of:
Assessment
The Continuous Assessment Model (CASS) has been proposed as an assessment model for South Africa.
The practice of continuous assessment will underpin all assessment across all education and training bands at all levels. Thus the paradigm shift from promotion decisions based on the results of a single test or examination (summative evaluation) will be replaced by the ongoing formative assessment of the learner. This will enable the teacher to monitor the strengths and weaknesses of the learners' performance. Recorded evidence on the learner's progressive achievement will include portfolios of the learners work, as well as documented records of the teacher's appraisals, both verbal and scored on which promotion decisions will be made.
All assessment will be underpinned by the criteria of the critical and specific learning outcomes. The emphasis of assessment will thus be placed on formative assessment of the learners work over a period of time, rather than on performance in a once-off achievement-based examination.
It is vital that teachers should not merely interpret CASS as being the cumulation of a series of traditional test results. Assessment should, however, be aimed at knowledge, skills and attitudes.
A formative assessment model which rests on the principle of continuous assessment will include using the following assessment methods:
The principle of criterion-referenced assessment will underpin all classroom assessment i.e. measuring individual performance against the defined NQF standards.
Learning programmes
Learning programmes will be developed to guide the work of learners and teachers in meeting the nationally agreed outcomes. They will include learning outcomes and assessment guidelines. They might also include specific learning contents, tasks and activities, a range of support materials and advice on teaching approaches.
Since outcomes are informed by knowledge, skills and attitudes, and values their attainment is demonstrated within specific contexts, providers always need to take the process further than the mere statement of desired outcomes and performance criteria. Providers, in fact have to develop learning programmes which conceptualise outcomes using selected content areas. There are a wide range of providers, including commercial and non-profit establishments.
It is, however, desirable to identify some key elements of the basic context at national level to ensure that school learners, even if they move from province to province, follow a broadly similar programme in terms of general coverage of concepts and content.
Provincial authorities will be free to develop their own learning programmes according to nationally agreed outcomes to meet local and individual needs. Initially, however, sample learning programmes related to each of the areas of learning will be developed at national level.
Language in Education Policy
A process towards the formulation of a language -in- Education Policy was started in 1995. The provincial education departments, organised teaching profession, other professional organisations and NGOs were involved in the process. Proposals were submitted to the Minister of Education early in 1997 and were approved as policy.
The policy outlines norms and standards for the use of language in education, determines the number and level of languages to be offered, and provides guidelines on the implementation of policy and applicable provisions in the Constitution. It also provides guidelines on the further development of languages as medium of learning.
Gender Equity
As a result of South Africa's ratification of the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) without any reservation on 15 December 1996, the various government departments subsequently made commitments for the implementation of CEDAW in their respective departments.
Following the Department of Education's commitment, a Gender Equity Task Team (GETT) was appointed by the Minister of Education and an Interim Co-ordinating Committee was set up within the Department to look into matters of gender equity.
The GETT will advise the Department of Education on the establishment of a permanent Gender Unit in the Department. The Gender Unit will study and advise the Director-General on all aspects of gender equity in the education system.
An Interim Gender Co-ordinating Committee (IGCC) has been set up within the Department, to co-ordinate all gender-related matters until such time as a permanent gender equity unit is established. It comprises members from each Branch of the Department and three representatives of the GETT. Specific attention will be given to the question of creating gender equity in our new curriculum. The development of learning programmes and the training of our educators and practitioners are the phases in the process where the focus will be placed on this important principle.
Time Frame
The CEM has agreed to phase in the Curriculum as follows:
|
GRADES |
YEAR OF IMPLEMENTATION |
|
1and 7 |
1998 |
|
2 and 8 |
l999 |
|
3 and 9 |
2000 |
|
4 and 10 |
2001 |
|
5 and 11 |
2002 |
|
6 and 12 |
2003 |
The period 2000-2005 will be devoted to an evaluation of the new curriculum with a view to improving and refining it.
In service Education Programme for Teachers
Overall the Department of Education has estimated that there are 350 000 teachers in the education system with approximately 208 067 primary school teachers and 133 026 secondary teachers. Before implementation in schools in 1998, a National Pilot, as well as a National In-service Education Programme for Teachers will be conducted in the period, 1 July to 31 December 1997.
Curriculum development and in-service education for teachers is a concurrent process. In late 1996, HEDCOM approved a broad strategy to introduce teachers to the implementation of an outcomes-based education in 1998. An integral part of the implementation plan is to ensure strong consultation with all stakeholders, including teacher unions.
The aim of the National Pilot and National In-service Education Programme for Teachers
The implementation strategy entails an advocacy phase directed at all 350 000 teachers to prepare them for implementing outcomes-based
education. It also provides a national mechanism for training Foundation Phase (Grades 1-3) and Intermediate Phase (Grades 7-9) teachers. As part of the training, appropriate learning programmes and materials will be distributed to teachers. To ensure that the mass training of teachers is relevant, the curriculum will be piloted in one circuit per province. Finally, the implementation plan provides an evaluation and monitoring mechanism and will ensure that teacher development statistics are gathered and integrated into provincial education management information systems.
The Management of the National Pilot and National Inservice Education Programme for Teachers
The Pilot Project is an initiative of the Department of Education in cooperation with international and local donors who will be financing the project. The entire project will be managed by a committee comprising key staff of the departments of education who will report to HEDCOM.
The Pilot Project will be managed in such a way that all the types of schools will be included to give a clear picture of how the implementation of the new curriculum will impact on schools across the board. In the various provinces Provincial Implementation teams will be instituted.
Timeline
The initial implementation plan is for a four year period beginning in 1997. The plan will be expanded to include Grades 4-6 and Grades 10-12 which will be introduced from 2001-2003.
Learning and support materials
Adequate learning support material is essential to the successful implementation of the new curriculum. Materials will be developed, provided and distributed by the provincial departments and regional offices.
Learning materials will include support material for the teachers, as well as for the learners. Teachers will draw from their own experience to facilitate the further development of learner support material to ensure that it is relevant and effective.
The requirements for learning support material related to outcomes based education will differ from the requirements for a more content based approach. In outcomes-based education, learning support materials facilitate the learning process and encompass more than mainly textbooks only. The support material could include, inter alia, the following: notes/ documents, published textbooks, workbooks, supplementary readers and reference books.
Effective use of quality guidelines will have implications for the quality of the curriculum development process, the staff development process and the teaching and learning context.
The development of the new curriculum framework for General and Further Education and Training in South Africa is a long but rewarding exercise. The process up to this point has been characterised by wide participation of roleplayers and stakeholders, a balance between representation and the involvement of specialists, and a serious attempt to create a shift from the traditional input-based approach to an outcomes based approach.
The curriculum framework links up with the National Qualifications Framework and reflects the important principles of access, gender equity and maximal opportunity for every learner to progress to the highest level of achievement.
The framework reflects the needs of South Africa and its people, but is still compatible with curricula in other countries. There is no doubt that the framework will make it possible to improve the standard and quality of education in our country. It is important that the development of learning programmes and the training of our teachers and practitioners be undertaken with the same commitment and enthusiasm as have characterised the process thus far.