BASIC Education Minister Angie Motshekga has insisted that the country is not behind the global pace in introducing coding and robotics learning in public schools.
There was also no need to worry that the current crop of learners will be disadvantaged in the job market in future, Motshekga said.
“The DBE does not believe that we are falling behind in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) since we are the country that is among the first in the world to develop a formal coding and robotics curriculum which provides learners with the necessary skills and competencies,” said Motshekga in a parliamentary written reply.
“There is no need to panic, as automation of the economic tools is not equal to job losses.
“Automated machinery and robots will need skilled personnel to design, manufacture, program and code them.”
The department started piloting the coding and robotics curriculum in Grades R to 3 and 7 during the third term of the 2021 academic year. It aimed to start teaching coding and robotics fully in these foundation phase grades next year.
The pilot in Grades 4 to 6 and Grade 8 commenced this year. The full-scale implementation for these grades is planned for 2024, and for Grade 9 in 2025.
Motshekga said the department was on track to phase in the coding and robotics curriculum.
“The Basic Education Sector is at the centre of realigning the output of young people that the economy requires,” said Motshekga.
“The Department of Basic Education has a roadmap which it has followed by the development of a coding and robotics curriculum for Grades R to 9, which will eventually be offered in the FET band (Grades10 to12), responding to the changing work environment.”
She added that teachers were being trained to teach the 4IR-aligned subjects. “The DBE has oriented the Grades R to 8 piloting teachers in the draft coding and robotics curriculum.
“Unisa is currently training 950 Foundation Phase teachers in coding and robotics. This training will realise its objectives in the third quarter of 2022,” the minister said.
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