A class in curriculum cogs

Published Oct 12, 2008

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By Noelene Barbeau

The matric class of 2008 will sit down to write their final examinations at the end of this month.

What makes this experience more nerve-racking than normal is that these pupils are the first to write the matric exam under the national curriculum statement ("new matric" or Curriculum 2005) implemented in 2006, when they were in Grade 10.

For most parents - even some teachers - the changes are baffling.

Six subjects were written in the past, with a choice of tackling them on higher or standard grades.

Maths, English and Afrikaans were compulsory and the other three subjects were chosen from a list of 124, which included history, geography, biology, physics, computer studies and accounting.

All had subject groupings and combinations, such as science, commerce and general courses. For example, the S17 entailed the study of physics, biology and computer studies plus the three compulsory subjects.

The C1 comprised business economics, economics and accounting, plus the three compulsory subjects.

Today, the higher and standard grades have been done away with, and all matric pupils write on the same level.

They also have to study seven subjects instead of six, and many of the subjects have expanded from the old system. Subjects are divided into four groups.

Group A is languages (first and home languages), and includes English, Afrikaans and isiZulu.

Group B is arts and culture and includes dance studies, design, dramatic arts, music and visual arts.

Group C is business, commerce and management studies and services, and includes accounting, business studies, consumer studies, economics, hospitality studies and tourism.

Group D is manufacturing, engineering and technology consisting of electrical technology, engineering graphics and design and mechanical technology.

Group E is human and social studies and languages, and is made up of geography, history, life orientation (compulsory) and languages (those not listed under first and home languages).

Group F is physical, mathematical, computer, life and agricultural sciences, and includes agricultural sciences, computer applications technology, information technology, life sciences, mathematical literacy (compulsory), maths and physics.

The fundamental or compulsory component is two languages from Group A, maths or maths literacy and life orientation.

The core learning component is at least two subjects from groups B-F, and the elective learning component is at least one subject from groups A-F, provided it is not offered as a fundamental or core subject.

All these subjects, except for life orientation, make up 20 credits each. Life orientation makes up 10 credits. The minimum credits required are 130.

According to the national education department's policy documents, life orientation is the study of the self in relation to others and to society.

It guides and prepares pupils for life and equips them to solve problems, make informed decisions and choices, to take appropriate actions to enable them to live meaningfully and successfully in a rapidly changing society.

Previously, a higher grade failure was converted to a standard grade pass of 33,3 percent. If one wrote on standard grade, 33,3 percent was required to pass.

In the "new matric", a pupil must have at least 30 percent in four subjects and 40 percent in three subjects to pass.

Outcomes-based education (OBE), introduced in South Africa 13 years ago, is used as part of Curriculum 2005 and has replaced rote-learning.

The teacher is now the guide and the pupil is involved in the learning and teaching process.

The pupils are assessed in each subject throughout the year and a percentage of this continuous assessment is added to their final-year mark, which will determine a pass or failure.

According to Edward Fiske and Helen Ladd, the authors of Elusive Equity: Education Reform in Post-Apartheid South Africa, official documents do not clearly distinguish between OBE and Curriculum 2005 and many South African teachers often use the terms interchangeably.

Fiske and Ladd said the adoption of OBE in the mid 90s was due to the fact that this system was enjoying considerable popularity at the time in countries such as Australia, New Zealand and America.

"The Department of Education was particularly influenced by William Spady, an American proponent of the method, who visited South Africa as a consultant," they said.

Spady apparently distanced himself from the South African version of OBE, describing it as "a professional embarrassment".

In May 2000, the Review Committee on Curriculum 2005 described it as "probably the most significant curriculum reform in South African education of the last century".

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