Issued by the Ministry of Education
31 July 2000
The Council of Education Ministers at its meeting in Pretoria today was informed of the Cabinet's deliberations on the review of Curriculum 2005.
At the meeting of Cabinet on 25 July 2000 the report of a meeting held on 24 July 2000 of Ministers and Deputy Ministers to discuss the review of Curriculum 2005 was considered.
Cabinet expressed continued support for the principle of outcomes based education and for the curriculum review process.
In particularly Cabinet agreed on the following:
1. The Department's proposal that Grade 4 and Grade 8 will continue in 2001 as originally planned, with the learning areas of Technology and Economic and Management Sciences being retained.
2. The development of a National Curriculum Statement, which will detail in clear and simple language the curriculum requirements at various levels and phases, and that this must begin immediately. Such a statement must also address the concerns around curriculum overload and must give a clear description of the kind of learner - in terms of knowledge skills values and attitudes -that is expected at the end of the General Education and Training band (Grade 9).
3. The need for intensive, innovative in-service teacher development programmes with a focus on Technology and Economic and Management Sciences to address the immediate lack of capacity in these learning areas. These programmes must also ensure a general enhancement of the capacity of teachers, school management teams and departmental officials to deliver the total curriculum including improved information technology connectivity.
4. Since the recommendations of the C2005 Review Committee amount to a strengthening and streamlining of C2005 and not its phasing out, and therefore do not depart from the original underpinning principles, and since they maintain the thrust of the original educational and societal goals, there is no need to change the name of the curriculum in use.
5. The retention of the description will also ensure that the only change in focus will continue to be the shedding of the old apartheid curriculum and its replacement by an effective and streamlined curriculum that is relevant for all South African citizens and one that prepares students for the 21st Century.
6. Since the curriculum impacts on the urgent Human Resource Development needs in the country the proposals around Human Resource Development which are currently being dealt with by the Ministers of Education and Labour must be brought to Cabinet as a matter of urgency.
7. The Department of Education would co-ordinate the involvement of other Departments who can contribute to the enhancement of the implementation of the curriculum and the other recommendations of the review committee. These are Departments such as Labour, Arts Science Culture and Technology, Agriculture, and Environmental Affairs and Tourism
The Council of Education Ministers welcomed the Cabinet support for the implementation of the Council's recommendations for both the streamlining of Curriculum 2005 and the strengthening of outcomes based education.