Asmal launches new curriculum
Nombini Matomela
27 January 2004
Education Minister Kader Asmal has announced the implementation of the revised national curriculum for the foundation phases - grades R to 3.
Briefing the media at Thembani Primary in Langa Township last week, Asmal said the revised curriculum would help strengthen the implementation of outcomes based education.
He said that unlike Curriculum 2005, on which the revised national curriculum is premised, the revised curriculum was stronger and clearer.
"It encapsulates our vision of teachers and learners who are knowledgeable, multi-skilled, sensitive to the environment and able to respond to the challenges facing South Africa," the minister said.
Asmal said the curriculum would provide a platform for improving learners' performance, and hoped it would enhance the systematic evaluation of results at grade 3.
"In three years time these learners, who are in grade 1 today, will be assessed, and I am hoping that an improvement of
between 5% to 10% in both literacy and numeracy performance in comparison to the 2003 systematic results will be achieved," he said.
Through the revised national curriculum, learners will be engaged in issues related to their life experiences, such as HIV/Aids and understanding their own sexuality.
The curriculum also encourages the acquiring of a range of skills through age-appropriate learning programmes across all schools.
Asmal said that through the new curriculum, learners "will see the process of learning and the content of learning as being equally important".
Source: BuaNews
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