Durban - The Department of Basic Education is considering splitting maths, physical sciences and biology into more subjects.
But the mooted move to increase the “depth” of the curriculum has angered the country’s biggest teachers’ union, which says it has not been consulted.
Department director-general, Mathanzima Mweli, said it had been inspired by the curriculum in Zimbabwe after a recent visit there.
The two countries had entered into an agreement, where South Africa would assist with lessons learnt from its successful school feeding programme which reaches nine million pupils, and Zimbabwe would lend support on how to use the curriculum to speak to land reform. “What also impressed us in Zimbabwe is how maths is dissected in further components,” he said.
Geometry and maths were separate subjects and this would help in streamlining choices for pupils with a view to university education, said Mweli, who was briefing journalists in Pretoria this week.
He said there was no reason for pupils to pursue both maths and geometry, physics and chemistry or botany or zoology studies in the life sciences stream. “Many countries make the split early. This will benefit the depth of the curriculum,” he said.
He said the early split would enhance critical thinking at an early age and this was reflected in the way question papers were being set by the department.
Mweli insisted the department was only looking to make smaller changes to the curriculum because there was no longer a need for a major overhaul.
But teacher union, Sadtu, lashed out at the department at a press conference yesterday and said they were tired of hearing of the department’s plans from the media. “The department must consult with stakeholders instead of rushing to the media.
“Engage with the school governing bodies and the teachers on the issue of breaking down of the subjects and we will be able to engage properly when we understand the intention,” said Sadtu’s KZN secretary, Nomarashiya Caluza.
She said the department broke up agricultural studies into three subjects in 2008: agricultural management, sciences and technology.
“Once you begin to say stick to zoology, do you have a specialist teacher, where will the department find them? Because the university does not produce specialists in zoology, there are no specialists in BEd; there are only academics,” she said.
Professor Graeme Bloch, an education specialist at the Wits Business School, said he was not in favour of the idea, pointing out that “teachers can’t teach maths, let alone geometry (as a standalone subject)”.
However, National Teachers’ Union deputy president Allen Thompson, welcomed the idea. “It’s a perfect idea as it will reduce the workload for teachers - they can concentrate on areas they are passionate about,” he said.
However, he conceded that teachers would need support to make it work and it might complicate school timetables,.Dr Nic Spaull, a researcher at Stellenbosch and the University of Johannesburg, said resources would be better used improving maths and science teaching at the vital primary school level.
Daily News