The ‘Three Stream Model’ is a concept developed by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) to refer to the creation of multiple learning pathways (academic, vocational and occupational) that enable learners’ to make choices in their schooling within the National Curriculum Statement Grades R-12 offered in schools in South Africa.
This programme is designed to address, amongst others, the alignment of the basic education system to the national policy imperatives of the government in the National Development Plan and the White Paper on Post-School Education and Training; make the school curriculum responsive to megatrends such as globalisation, Industry 4.0, COVID-19 and the changing nature of work; address high expanded unemployment (38.7%); NEET expanded unemployment (41.2%); low matric attainment (52.3%); high dropout rates per cohort (50%); skills mismatches (high unemployment and high vacancy rates); predominantly academic/theoretical curriculum and fragmented guidance services.
The programme will (1) pilot, test and introduce vocational subjects at Grades 8 and 9 in the GET Phase at public ordinary comprehensive schools, in schools where it is not implemented; pilot, test and the introduce occupationally oriented subjects at Grades 10, 11 and 12 in the FET Phase in public ordinary comprehensive schools and focus schools; and pilot, test and introduce the GEC at NQF Level 1 to enable learners to choose learning pathways in the academic, vocational, and occupationally oriented streams at Grade 10, 11 and 12 in the FET Phase.