Media Release
Minister of Education Donald Grant
Western Cape

8 July, 2013

Improving the quality of the delivery of the curriculum in our schools.

Statement by Minister Donald Grant, Minister of Education, Western Cape

As a further step in improving the quality of the delivery of the curriculum in our schools, the Western Cape Education Department will, today, begin training approximately 9 000 Grade 7-9 and Grade 12 educators.

The purpose of the training is to equip educators with a thorough knowledge of the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) documents for their subject areas before implementation next year.

In 2014, the WCED will implement the third and final stage of CAPS in our schools in Grades 7 to 9 and Grade 12.

The roll-out of CAPS in our schools has been staggered over a three year period.

In 2012, CAPS was introduced in schools to learners in Grades R to 3 and 10. In 2013, it was implemented in Grades 4 to 6 and 11.

So far the response to the implementation of CAPS has been positive. Teachers have reported to the WCED that it strengthens the curriculum and allows educators to focus much more on what must be taught and when.

Teachers have also welcomed the potential of the CAPS to improve literacy and numeracy performance, because of the special focus on reading and writing.

This morning, Premier Helen Zille and I visited Spine Road Secondary in Mitchells Plain. The school is one of 42 training venues across the Western Cape where the 9 000 educators will be participating in CAPS training.

I was pleased that there was a great turnout at this training venue, with even more educators than expected having arrived for training.

This week, educators will be briefed on the CAPS requirements regarding pace, coverage and levels of assessment.

In addition, on Friday, 12 July, 1 515 principals and deputies will attend a training session for principals and deputies to support them as curriculum managers to implement CAPS.

849 "Lead Teachers" have been trained to support the teacher training courses.

Approximately 18 000 teachers attended orientation courses in 2011and 2012 before the CAPS implementation in their grades.

The implementation of CAPS in our schools and the training of educators has been a huge logistical exercise for the Department in the last three years. I should like to thank all our officials who have played a role in its successful implementation.

The WCED has also aligned its textbook plan with the implementation of CAPS.

In 2011, learners in Grades 1 to 3 and 10 received textbooks in core subjects and readers. Learners in Grades 4 to 6 and 11then received their textbooks in 2012.

The WCED has already begun the roll-out of the third and final stage of its textbook plan (Grade 7-9 and 12) for 2014 to ensure that textbook orders are placed timeously so that we can supply our schools with the required textbooks well before the start of the 2014 school year.

We look forward to the implementation of the final stage of CAPS and are confident that the training educators will receive this week will help improve the quality of the delivery of this new curriculum in 2014.

For enquiries, contact Bronagh Casey:  072 724 1422 or bronagh.casey@westerncape.gov.za.


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