04-06-2011, 06:11 PM
Pretoria - The South African school system has officially entered a new phase with the finalisation of the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS), which is aimed at improving the quality of education.
A total of 195 CAPS were developed and are now ready to be uploaded onto the Basic Education website for easy access by teachers and stakeholders.
Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga said through the public comment process, the department processed a total of 1 890 submissions on the development of CAPS, which include the training of teachers and adaptation of textbooks.
"[Friday] afternoon, I will meet with the Ministerial Project Committee to receive a full report and hand-over once the work is completed. We will begin by making available the Foundation Phase and Grade 10 CAPS. The department is currently finalising the design and layout and printing process," Motshekga announced on Thursday.
The CAPS are single, comprehensive and concise policy documents to replace the current Subject and Learning Area Statements, Learning Programme Guidelines and Subject Assessment Guidelines for all subjects listed in the National Curriculum Statement (NCS) for Grades R to 12.
The CAPS will provide clear guidelines on what teachers ought to teach and assess on a grade-by-grade and subject basis.
The proposed CAPS follow a report released in 2009 by Ministerial Review Committee, which raised questions about the lack of clarity in the NCS.
As recommended by the committee, the department tasked the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements Ministerial Project Committee with developing CAPS for each grade.
Motshekga said a pre-implementation workshop, with a selected group of teachers, nominated by unions to access practical aspects of implementation in the classroom, has already been carried out and received good feedback about the accessibility from teachers.
Meanwhile, the department has received the Annual National Assessments (ANA) results and is currently in the process of analysing and interpreting them to assist in intervention.
Motshekga said parents have received the results and data analysis is currently being done for Grade 3 and 6 learners in Literacy and Numeracy.
"An independent body, the Human Sciences Research Council, was appointed to conduct a verification of results in a sample of 1 800 schools with Grade 3 and 6, which makes it 200 schools per province. Teachers marked the tests according to the department's specifications and school principals had to ensure that parents receive the ANA results of their children," Motshekga said.
The ANAs were written in February 2011 by about six million learners in all public schools in Grades 1 to 6 in Literacy and Numeracy.
Motshekga said the department has developed guidelines to assist stakeholders, particularly teachers in the interpretation and use of ANA results. The results on how learners fared nationally are expected to be announced after 16 June 2011. - BuaNews
A total of 195 CAPS were developed and are now ready to be uploaded onto the Basic Education website for easy access by teachers and stakeholders.
Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga said through the public comment process, the department processed a total of 1 890 submissions on the development of CAPS, which include the training of teachers and adaptation of textbooks.
"[Friday] afternoon, I will meet with the Ministerial Project Committee to receive a full report and hand-over once the work is completed. We will begin by making available the Foundation Phase and Grade 10 CAPS. The department is currently finalising the design and layout and printing process," Motshekga announced on Thursday.
The CAPS are single, comprehensive and concise policy documents to replace the current Subject and Learning Area Statements, Learning Programme Guidelines and Subject Assessment Guidelines for all subjects listed in the National Curriculum Statement (NCS) for Grades R to 12.
The CAPS will provide clear guidelines on what teachers ought to teach and assess on a grade-by-grade and subject basis.
The proposed CAPS follow a report released in 2009 by Ministerial Review Committee, which raised questions about the lack of clarity in the NCS.
As recommended by the committee, the department tasked the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements Ministerial Project Committee with developing CAPS for each grade.
Motshekga said a pre-implementation workshop, with a selected group of teachers, nominated by unions to access practical aspects of implementation in the classroom, has already been carried out and received good feedback about the accessibility from teachers.
Meanwhile, the department has received the Annual National Assessments (ANA) results and is currently in the process of analysing and interpreting them to assist in intervention.
Motshekga said parents have received the results and data analysis is currently being done for Grade 3 and 6 learners in Literacy and Numeracy.
"An independent body, the Human Sciences Research Council, was appointed to conduct a verification of results in a sample of 1 800 schools with Grade 3 and 6, which makes it 200 schools per province. Teachers marked the tests according to the department's specifications and school principals had to ensure that parents receive the ANA results of their children," Motshekga said.
The ANAs were written in February 2011 by about six million learners in all public schools in Grades 1 to 6 in Literacy and Numeracy.
Motshekga said the department has developed guidelines to assist stakeholders, particularly teachers in the interpretation and use of ANA results. The results on how learners fared nationally are expected to be announced after 16 June 2011. - BuaNews