1. The national Minister of Education confirmed at the Council of Education Ministers meeting on 20 September 2004 that the Further Education and Training (FET) National Curriculum Statements (NCSs) will be implemented in Grade 10 in January 2006, Grade 11 in 2007 and Grade 12 in 2008.
2. The training of all FET teachers in curriculum design and in the principles underlying the NCSs will be conducted by a provincial core training team trained by a national core training team. EMDCs will inform all schools of the dates and venues for training once these have been finalised.
3. All FET subject teachers were invited to attend cluster-orientation subject-scoping workshops conducted by the EMDCs during the third and fourth terms. Teachers attending received two subject guidelines. The more comprehensive Subject Information Guideline provides an overview of the NCS and summarises its key features. This guide must be used to understand the subject statement and its links with the FET NCS Overview Policy and the Qualifications and Assessment Policy. The second subject guideline, Analysis of new subject knowledge, skills, methodology, IT and assessment requirements according to learning outcomes, provides a brief, yet comprehensive, guide to the new subject content, information and communication technology (ICT), and assessment requirements.
4. Teachers are encouraged to study these guidelines in preparation for the 2005 FET NCS training. The guidelines will familiarize teachers with the new subject content and reveal any need to upskill and/or reskill in ICT.
5. The WCED is currently engaged in selecting, in collaboration with higher education institutions, a variety of accredited and non-accredited FET curriculum-based courses and modules for the Advanced Certificate in Education. Once completed, a list of the courses available will be distributed to all schools and placed on the Curriculum web site.
6. To assist teachers in guiding Grade 9 learners to make informed FET subject selections and career-path choices, the Directorate: Curriculum Development, in collaboration with the EMDCs, has completed the PACE training programme for Grades 9 and 10 Life Orientation teachers. All participating schools were provided with an electronic version of the programme.
7. Another teacher support strategy with which the Directorate: Curriculum Development is currently engaged focuses on developing an eCurriculum for FET, via subject portals. These subject web sites will give teachers direct access to senior curriculum planners at Head Office and curriculum advisers in the EMDCs. Teachers will, therefore, be able to become part of a provincial community of practice and will regularly receive subject news and information. Teachers will also be able to reflect on what is happening in their schools, work with colleagues in understanding and shaping the curriculum, and develop and share ideas, learning programmes, lesson plans, etc. Very useful links will also be created with resources such as Edulis, Edumedia and Examinations.
8. Intensive work is also under way in the Directorate: Curriculum Development on the implementation of digital (ICT) support for schools. The subjects that require the use of computers to achieve learning outcomes have been identified. However, nearly all other subjects benefit from the use of computers in order to access information on the Internet. A circular minute on this matter will be sent to schools shortly. In addition, a list of recommended software is being compiled to assist schools in selecting software to support NCS subjects, while a database is being created to provide access to a wide range of documentation.
9. Schools should by now have made their FET NCS subject choices, under the auspices of their EMDCs. This information is essential to establishing district curriculum needs and for the providing of teacher training and development. Circuit managers have been trained to support schools during this very important process.
10. Khanya is in the process of equipping all schools that will offer the FET NCS with at least one computer laboratory with 25 workstations. In addition, Khanya staff will provide suitable computer literacy training to all teachers according to their needs. This process will be completed by April 2006.


SIGNED: J.P. RAULT-SMITH
HEAD: EDUCATION
DATE: 2004:11:11