- The knowledge, skills and values worth learning for learners in South Africa are clearly set out in the National Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement for Physical Sciences. The content links to the environment of the learners and is presented within local context, with awareness of global trends.
(b) The National Curriculum Statement Grades R - 12 undertakes to:
- equip all learners, irrespective of their socio-economic background, race, gender, physical ability or intellectual ability, with the knowledge, skills and values necessary for self-fulfilment to participate meaningfully in society as citizens of a free country;
- provide access to higher education;
- facilitate the transition of learners from education institutions to the workplace; and
- provide employers with a sufficient profile of a learner’s competencies.
(c) The key principles (fuller described in the document) of the National Curriculum Statement for Grades R - 12 are:
- social transformation: making sure that the educational differences of the past are put right, by providing equal educational opportunities to all;
- active and critical learning: encouraging an active and critical approach to learning, not only rote learning of given facts;
- high knowledge and high skills: specified minimum standards of knowledge and skills are set to be achieved at each grade;
- progression: content and context of each grade shows progression from simple to complex;
- human rights, inclusivity, environmental and social justice: being sensitive to issues such as poverty, inequality, race, gender, language, age, disability and other factors;
- valuing indigenous knowledge systems: acknowledging the rich history and heritage of this country; and
- credibility, quality and efficiency: providing an education that is comparable in quality, breadth and depth to those of other countries.
(d) The aims as listed in the National Curriculum Statement Grades R - 12 interpret the kind of citizen the education systems tries to develop. It aims to produce learners that are able to:
- identify and solve problems and make decisions using critical and creative thinking;
- work effectively as individuals and with others as members of a team;
- organise and manage themselves and their activities responsibly and effectively;
- collect, analyse, organise and critically evaluate information;
- communicate effectively using visual, symbolic and/or language skills in various modes;
- use science and technology effectively and critically showing responsibility towards the environment and the health of others; and
- demonstrate an understanding of the world as a set of related systems by recognising that problem solving contexts do not exist in isolation.
(e) Inclusivity is one of the key principles of the National Curriculum Statement Grades R - 12 and should become a central part of the organisation, planning and teaching at each school.
Educators need to:
- have a sound understanding of how to recognise and address barriers to learning;
- know how to plan for diversity;
- address barriers in the classroom;
- use various curriculum differentiation strategies
;
- address barriers to learning using the support structures within the community; District-Based Support Teams, Institutional-Level Support Teams, parents and Special Schools as Resource Centres.
