Education: Specialised subject curriculum now open for public comment

The Department of Basic Education has requested public comment on a new gazette. The Department gazetted a specialist subject curriculum. The new curriculum will allow learners to enrol for subjects such as Maritime Studies and Agriculture.

The specialised curriculum has been in the works for six years

The Department’s Chief Director for curriculum Dr Moses Simelane spoke highly of the change. Simelane says the change has been six years in the making. He explained that the department wants to assist with plans to have South Africans produce qualified artisans.

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga revealed the curriculum while tabling her department’s budget vote. Motshekga says they want to expand the establishment of Focus Schools. This will allow learners with special talents to pursue them

“These schools constitute a legislatively distinct category of public schools that offer a specialised curriculum, oriented toward 11 learning fields, which include Agriculture, Maritime and Nautical Science, Mathematics, Science and Technology, and Technical Occupational disciplines such as Electrical, Civil and Mechanical Technologies,”

said Motshekga.

The option for these subjects starts at the Grade 10 level

Simelane explained that the specialised curriculum will start from Grade 10 up to Grade 12, reports SABC News.

“To offer different learning pathways, starting from the level of Grade 10 up to Grade 12. That is when we then introduced the three-stream model, which is adding to the academic learning pathway, the vocational pathway, as well as the occupational pathway,”

says Simelane.

Missing middle-income bracket will receive support, NSFAS to get R49bn

Minister of High Education Blade Nzimande delivered his budget at the National Assembly on Thursday, 12 May. Nzimande revealed that the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) will be receiving R49 billion for this financial year.

Nzimande said Government will continue to be committed to financially supporting students from working-class and poor backgrounds. The R49 billion budget will be spread among six programmes.

These are planning, policy and strategy, university education, technical and vocational education and training, community education and training as well as skills development. Of the budget, R45.9 billion included reprioritised funding from the departmental budget.