| 1. |
During 2005 schools will be preparing for the introduction of the Revised National Curriculum Statement (RNCS) into Grade 7 in January 2006. Examples of planning documents have been drafted in order to assist teachers. They are intended to illustrate and are not policy documents. They are incomplete models of how to plan because they omit the school’s own context, which must be included in planning.
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| 2. |
Attached are exemplar learning programmes for the eight learning areas in the Senior Phase. They have been developed by curriculum officials and practising teachers and they cover all the required learning outcomes and assessment standards for the particular learning area.
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| 3. |
The programmes have been developed for the following languages and levels: Afrikaans Home Language, Afrikaans 1st Additional Language, Afrikaans 2nd Additional Language, English Home Language, English 1st Additional Language, Xhosa Home Language and Xhosa 2nd Additional Language. In addition, an exemplar learning programme for Xhosa 1st Additional Language is to be developed to enable schools to provide for Xhosa-speaking learners whose schools do not offer Xhosa Home Language.
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| 4. |
These exemplar learning programmes are being supplied to schools according to the medium of instruction of the school.
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| 5. |
Principals are requested to ensure that Grade 7 teachers who attend the RNCS course from 11 to 15 July bring these exemplar documents with them. At the July course these exemplars will be adapted by each teacher to the context of his or her school. The work schedules for use in 2006 will be developed from these customised documents. Each teacher attending the course will prepare a work schedule for at least one learning area. In order to ensure the effectiveness and quality of the July RNCS orientation training, it is imperative for teachers to familiarise themselves beforehand with the RNCS documentation (Overview and Learning Area Statements) as the course will not devote much time to explaining particular learning areas.
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| 6. |
Schools which require additional copies of the exemplar learning programmes may order these at cost from Edumedia, using the accompanying form.
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| 7. |
In order to develop work schedules at the July course, teachers will need a thorough knowledge of the contents of at least one learning area. During the second term, curriculum advisers will be conducting afternoon workshops to help teachers to get to know the content of each learning area statement and to understand it. These so-called ‘unpacking workshops’ are to be arranged by EMDCs. Teachers are urged to use the workshops to prepare themselves to implement the RNCS in 2006.
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SIGNED: J.P. RAULT-SMITH
HEAD: EDUCATION
DATE: 2005:04:15
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