Teachers from Circuit 3 attended this event on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning at Van Kervel School in George.
The purpose of the Indaba was to enable educators to use the revised Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) - i.e. the policy document which shows what material must be taught to learners in different grades and how teachers must assess them - specifically in the foundation phase which starts in January 2012. According to the Western Cape Education Department, from 2012 the four subjects in the foundation phase will be a language at home language level, a language at first additional language level (previously this was the ‘Literacy’ subject), Mathematics (previously the ‘Numeracy’ subject) and Life Skills.
The Indaba started on Friday with registration and lunch after which participants were welcomed by Mr T Willemse (Circuit Team Manager), an explanation of the outcomes for this event by Ms N Dyasi (Learning Support Advisor) and encouragement to embrace the revised curriculum by Ms Alta Raath, Chief Curriculum Advisor.
On Saturday the participants heard how Life Skills and Mathematics would be structured, how time should be allocated in the classroom, and what lesson plans could and should look like. Until lunchtime the Grade 1 to 3 teachers attending, who hail from different schools in the area, had the opportunity to meet in their different grades and discuss lesson plans, recording sheets and work schedules for the first term.
The weekend’s Indaba follows on from the training sessions in CAPS that took place in October at Pacaltsdorp High School for local foundation phase teachers. According to the department, CAPS will contribute significantly to improving literacy and numeracy performance.
CAPS will be phased in over the next three years, starting with Grades R to 3 and Grade 10 in January 2012. In 2013, CAPS will be implemented in Grades 4 to 9 and Grade 11 and in 2014 it will be implemented in Grade 12.
CAPS documents for the intermediate (Grades 4-6) and senior phases (Grades 7-9) are still being evaluated.
In 2013 the intermediate phase will offer home language, first additional language, Mathematics, Life Skills, Natural Sciences and Technology and Social Studies as subjects according to CAPS. With regard to the Senior Phase subjects, 2013 will see the following subjects offered according to the CAPS: Languages, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, Life Orientation, Social Studies, Technology, Arts and Culture, Economic and Management Sciences. The current 29 Grade 10-12 FET subjects will continue to be offered until the new CAPS for these grades are introduced in 2012 (Grade 10), 2013 (Grade 11) and 2014 (Grade 12) (http://wced. school.za/ncs/CAPSimplementation2012-2014).
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The circuit 3 team manager for the Western Cape Education Department’s Eden Central/Karoo district, Mr T Willemse, welcomed the foundation phase educators to the CAPS Indaba on Friday.
ARTICLE AND PHOTOS: LEEANNE PRATT, GEORGE HERALD JOURNALIST
