As preparations for the introduction of the second phase of the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) intensifies, the Department of Basic Education gathered stakeholders to familiarise them on the changes that CAPS represents for the various phases.
The meeting in Johannesburg, from June 20-22 2012, saw representatives from the Department of Basic Education, Provincial Departments of Education; teacher unions and Umalusi meet to gain an understanding of how exactly CAPS will change the implementation of the National Curriculum Statement (NCS), particularly in the Intermediate Phase.
CAPS is a single, comprehesive, and concise policy document, which will replace the current Subject and Learning Area Statements, Learning Programme Guidelines and Subject Assessment Guidelines for all the subjects listed in the National Curriculum Statement Grades R - 12.
CAPS was introduced in the Foundation Phase in Grades R-3 and 10 in January 2012 and will be introduced to Grades 4-6 and 11 in 2013. The Department of Basic Education has conducted training for Subject Advisers from all nine provinces to prepare for the introduction and this meeting was to ensure that other stakeholders were equally well versed on the implications of the introduction of CAPS in the Intermediate Phase. The training saw more than 3000 officials receiving orientation on Further Education and Training CAPS and more than 1000 General Education and Training officials also received orientation.
Opening the workshop, Mrs Marie-Louise Samuels, Chief Director for Curriculum at the DBE, said that the education sector should not be complacent in any of its achievements as there is still lots of work to be done.
“We can only count a District as successful if every school in that District is performing well. We have to strive to continuously improve,” said Mrs Samuels, adding that the education sector’s strategic direction is guided by the Minister’s Delivery Agreement and the Action Plan to 2014: Towards the Realisation of Schooling 2025. “We need to address strategic problems. Anyone working in the education sector should be using the Action Plan to work out a strategic plan.”
Mrs Samuels added that CAPS, the Department’s Workbooks programme, Annual National Assessments and infrastructure improvements were the Department’s vehicles to achieve its intended goals.
The workshop, attended by more than 200 delegates, also consisted of sessions which dealt with Inclusive Education; Multi-Grade schools as well as a number of sessions which focused on the individual subjects offered in Grades 4-6 and affected by the introduction of CAPS.
Images from the event: