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28 June, 2006 | |
14 000 GET, FET teachers prepare for 2007 More than 14,000 teachers are attending workshops throughout the Western Cape during the June-July holiday as they prepare to introduce new aspects of the national curriculum in 2007. Schools and the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) will complete the process of implementing the revised national curriculum for Grades R to 9 next year, when they introduce the curriculum in Grades 8 and 9. More than 5,700 Grade 8 and 9 teachers have registered for workshops at 93 venues across the province. The workshops will complete the process of teacher orientation, which began in 2003. Grades R to 9 represent General Education and Training (GET) in schools, while Further Education and Training (FET) covers Grades 10 to 12 in schools and equivalent levels in FET colleges. Schools and the WCED are also currently implementing the new national curriculum for FET in schools, starting with Grade 10 in 2006. Preparations for implementing the FET curriculum in schools began four years ago. A total of 8,372 FET teachers are attending workshops at 136 venues in all parts of the province as they prepare to introduce the new curriculum in Grade 11 in 2007. Learners in Grade 10 in 2006 will be the first to write the National Senior Certificate based on the curriculum in 2008. Various orientation and training events taking place in the province this year will cover all 29 subjects in the national curriculum for FET in schools. The national Department of Education (DoE) will provide training for Religion Studies teachers and officials in Port Elizabeth. The Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) will provide training for Computer Applications Technology (CAT) and Information Technology (IT) teachers. The Elsenburg College will provide training for Agriculture teachers. The WCED has organised orientation workshops at other venues to cover the remaining subjects. The WCED has assembled a Provincial Core Training Team of 139 officials and 68 lead teachers who will facilitate the orientation sessions on the FET curriculum. The department has adapted its approach following feedback provided by teachers after training sessions over the past few years. In most cases, teachers will attend four days of orientation. The first two days deal with curriculum content, while the remaining two days will address assessment and planning. Teachers can choose which content sessions they would like to attend, to suit their professional and academic requirements. The sessions on assessment and planning are compulsory. Training programmes for new subjects will take longer. Programmes for Agriculture, Dance Studies and four Technology subjects will last for five days, while programmes for CAT and IT will last for seven days. This year’s sessions will be the last of their kind as schools and the department prepare to introduce the new National Senior Certificate in 2008. The department and schools will focus on consolidation next year. The workshops for FET teachers will take place from 26 and 30 June, and from 3 to 7 July. Meanwhile, the WCED has appointed a provincial core training team of 144 curriculum advisors, Khanya advisors and senior curriculum planners to facilitate the orientation courses for Grade 8 and 9 teachers, supported by 87 lead teachers. The orientation courses are focussing on the following: Getting to know the National Curriculum Statement and one of the eight learning areas; Classroom practice with the National Curriculum Statement (Teaching and learning styles for differentiated teaching); Assessment in the National Curriculum Statement (Development of Assessment tasks); Planning with the National Curriculum Statement framework (Learning Programmes/Work Schedules/Lesson Plans; Curriculum Management at School. The aim of the orientation in 2006 is to develop a better understanding of learning areas and to assist teachers in preparing teaching and learning activities for 2007. The national and provincial education departments will monitor the courses. The WCED will also ask teachers to evaluate the courses and to identify areas that need further development. The department will use this feedback to develop further support to ensure that every teacher is ready for 2007. About 1,500 teachers will attend further sessions during the September school holiday, on a second learning area. Said MEC Cameron Dugmore: "We commend our teachers and our officials for their dedication and professionalism as we enter the final stages of implementing the national curriculum. "This has been a long process, but a vital one as we build a new education system designed to make a difference in the life of every learner. "The National Curriculum is beginning to settle down and stabilize. This bodes well for learners as the outcomes become more familiar. Our teachers are also beginning to display more confidence. "The outcomes of the curriculum will help us achieve a learning turnaround and ensure that all our learners have the necessary knowledge, skills, values and attitudes to contribute to the development of our province and country. "We look forward to working with everyone in the broad education community as we bed down the curriculum and continue in our efforts to provide quality education for all." | |
© 2006 WCED |