The shift in the South African education system following the new National Curriculum Statement (NCS) will benefit the ICT sector in terms of skills development, as it is set to create more time for learner engagement, industry players say.
Unveiling the NCS, basic education minister Angie Motshekga said the new policy will repackage the existing curriculum into the general aims of the South African curriculum and put more emphasis on depth and content knowledge, rather than skills and attitude, as was the case before.
As recommended by the NCS review committee, the number of learning areas in the intermediate phase will be reduced from eight to six. This means that from grades four to six, technology will be merged with science while arts and culture will be combined with life orientation. Economic and management sciences will be taught only from grade seven.
Charlton Philiso, quality assurance manager of education and training at the Information Systems Electronics and Telecommunications Technologies Sector Education Training Authority (ISETT SETA), says the new curriculum will boost the ICT sector with regards to skills development as well the number of technology users in the country.
“One of the benefits is that learners will be able to apply technological processes as well as skills ethically and responsibly using appropriate ICT. This leads to more users of technology and brings with it the much-needed bridging of the technological divide that currently exists in SA,” he says.
Philiso adds that combining the learning areas will pay dividends not only in regards to ICT skills development, but in helping students to understand the content much more easily.
“As ISETT SETA, we are operating in the ICT skills development arena. The schools serve as a feeder system to the world of work. It is much easier to impart skills to knowledgeable youngsters,” he says.
Adele Botha, from the CSIR's Meraka Institute, also views the merging of subjects as a positive move. “With the combining of science and technology, more time is created by eliminating repetition. As such, more time is created for creative engagement, not only with ICT tools, but many other relevant tools.”
However, Botha says the adaptation of ICT skills in the education system goes beyond the curriculum. “The integration, adoption and use of ICT in education is a complex phenomena and dependent on more than just the curriculum.
“In general, the use and attainment of ICT skills is an identified priority and will remain so in the foreseeable future. It is, however, not the only challenge facing education in SA, so in context, the changes that have been implemented are for the benefit of all the students and educators. It is anticipated that ICT use, in particular, will also benefit,” she says.
Representing the Information Technology Association of SA, executive members Ian Kennedy and Jimmy Morakile believe that if designed, developed and implemented effectively and efficiently, the NCS has the potential to bring about a fundamental change in schooling outcomes.
“Improved performance in literacy and numeracy, as the building blocks of basic education, will have a meaningful impact on all areas of learning, including ICT skills development,” they say.
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