Report on developments with respect to preparation for the implementation of the NCS in grades 10 -12

REPORT ON DEVELOPMENTS WITH RESPECT TO PREPARATION FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NCS IN GRADES 10 -12

21 June 2005

Introduction

In 2004 Minister Pandor appointed a Ministerial Committee to assess the state of readiness of the education system for the implementation of the National Curriculum Statement (NCS) in 2006. The Interim Report of the Committee on Implementation Readiness Assessment made 51 recommendations. To address the recommendations the Department of Education developed 10 plans for 2005. Progress on the 10 Plans is presented below.

Project Plan 1

Complete, approve, register with SAQA, gazette and distribute the Qualifications and Assessment Policy Framework to PDEs and schools by September 2005-06-24

Activity	Responsible	Date
1. Consult and finalise complete Qualifications and Assessment Policy Framework and published for comment	DoE , CTP , SAQA, SAUVCA	31 May
2. Register FETC on NQF	DoE and SAQA	15 August
3. Gazette FETC	DoE	31 August
4.Print and distribute QAPF	DoE	30 September

As a first step the Department of Education separated the Qualifications and Assessment Policy Framework into two documents, namely Policy for the Further Education and Training Certificate (FETC Grades 10 -12 (General ) and Subject Assessment Guidelines for each subject approved for the NCS.

A technical/legal team was to develop the FETC (General) Qualification Policy, which must be published for comment before being gazetted. The main elements of the qualification policy were presented to CEM (April), to the FET representatives in provinces through IPEC (19 April), to SAUVCA and CTP (28 April) and SAQA and Umalusi (5 May). The final draft was then re-worked foi presentation to HEDCOM on 9 May. The Minister called for public comment on the Draft Qualificatior policy on 24 May and opportunity for submission of comments closed on 17 June. The public comment will be considered and the final version of the Qualification Policy gazetted in July 2005.

The key changes to the Qualifications and Assessment Policy Framework are in line with SAQ/ requirements and international practice. They are:

The qualification and general assessment sections have been separated. The assessmen sections will appear in each subject assessment guideline (see below)
The rules for subject offering are two languages, mathematics or mathematical literacy an< Life Orientation and any other three subjects approved for the NCS. This is a relaxation c the rules that appeared in the Qualifications and Assessment Policy Framework relating t core and electives and to the learning fields.
he codes for assessment are more finely disaggregated at the top end.

Project Plan 2 All teachers have the relevant subject statements bv Julv 2005

Activity	Responsible	Completion
1. Distribute language statement to provinces	DoE	31April
2.Complete distribution and audit of distribution of policy documents	PDEs	31May
3. Communication of accurate figures of requirements to DoE	PDEs	30 June
4.Distribute subject statements to schools	DoE/PDEs	31 July

The priority for distribution is the language subject statements. The printing has been completed. The volume of the language learning statements has forced the DoE to revise the plan for distribution of these statements. Distribution will now be directly to schools and not to district offices. The delivery of Home Language documents will be completed to all schools by 31 May and First and Second Additional Languages by end June before teacher training begins.

Project Plan 3

Subject specific requirements for assessment and the qualification are developed and distributed to schools by September 2005

Activity	Responsible	Completion
1.DOE Task Team develops a brief for the development of subject specific assessment guidelines and a framework for the Subject Assessment Guidelines	DoE Task Team	18 April
2. Calls for nominations of subject assessment writing teams	DoE	19 April
3.Present Brief and Framework to senior management of DoE	DoE	19 April
4.Receive nominations for Writing Teams	IPEC	6 May
5. Announcement of Subject Assessment Writing Teams	DoE	13 May
6.Development of First Draft of Section A: Generic Section	DoE	13 May
7. First meeting of Writing Teams	DoE	13-14 May
8.Development of Subject Assessment Guidelines	WT	7 July
9. Quality Assurance of Subject Assessment Guidelines	DoE	29 July
10. Editing Subject Assessment Guidelines	Editors	12 August
11. Printing of all Subject Assessment Guidelines	Govt Printers	26 August
12.Distribution of Subject Assessment Guidelines to schools	DoE/PDEs	30 September

A DoE Task Team has been established and completed the draft brief for the subject assessment guidelines for presentation to IPEC on 19 April. Three-person teams consisting of a teacher, Dot official and examiner will be appointed to oversee the development of each Subject Assessment Guidelines. Each province and each union was asked to nominate two persons for each subject on; set of criteria which includes demonstrated success in recent years as subject teacher or examiner. Nominations closed on 6 May and the writing teams were finalised on 23 May. These teams will complete the process set out in the table above. This will be followed by a quality assurance an editing process before printing and distribution. HESA have been invited to be part of this process.

Project Plan 4

DoE and PDEs develop a programme and timetable for subject orientation in 2005

Activity	Responsible	Completion
1.Finalise plans for provincial one day NCS orientation workshops	PDEs	29 March
2. Finalise provincial plans for 3-5 day subject training	PDEs	29 March
3. Complete plans for monitoring and evaluating provincial training	DoE	30 April
4.Edit and re-work LPGs and distribute to provinces	DoE	2 May
5. Publish report on provincial training with recommendations	DoE	30 September
6.Develop training plans for grade 11 and 12 training for April 2006	DoE/ PDEs	30 October
7. Develop and print training materials for 2006	DoE	31 January 2006
	PDEs	April 2006

The National Core Training Team responsible for training provincial officials met with provincial officials on 30 and 31 March. At the meeting on 31 March it was agreed that

all provinces would offer five days of training with an emphasis on teaching the subject
the DoE would provide an outline for the content of the five days of training. All provinces would undertake to ensure that this minimum content was covered in the training.
the DoE would edit the Learning Programme Guidelines and provide provinces with edited versions by 2 May 2005. It was strongly recommended that the provinces do not use the documents distributed in the training of the Provincial Core Training Teams.
the provincial education departments would review the composition of the Provincial Core Training Teams to ensure that subject specialists were used for the subject training.

Reports from provincial representatives at an inter-provincial meeting on 3 May indicate that

All provinces will offer 5 days of subject specific orientation at a number of venues

The majority of provinces will use June and July for their training. Gauteng will conduct training in September and the Western Cape and Northern Cape some training in September and October.

Project Plan 5 PDEs develop a survey-informed subject specific teacher training programme and capacity for 2006 to 2008 by September 2005

Activity	Responsible	Completion
1.Analysis of new content and priorities for training for each subject	DoE ,	30 April
2.Province develop subject specific training plans (short and long courses) for 2006- 2008	PDEs	30 September
3.Provinces develop plans for human resources to support teacher training	PDEs	30 September

The DoE is busy with the analysis of new content and priorities for training for each subject. This information will be distributed to provincial education departments by 30 May 2005.

Project Plan 6

LTSM reach schools by end November 2005

Activity	Responsible	Completion
1.Provinces complete catalogues	PDEs	23 May
2.Screening of language tittles is completed	PDEs	31 March
3.Catalogues distributed to schools	PDEs	31 May
4. Funding secured	PDEs /DoE	31 May
5. Books ordered	Schools	31 July
6. Books delivered	PASA	30 November
7. DoE LTSM policies and guidelines in relation to LTSM reviewed	DoE	30 November

Provinces have completed the screening process for all subjects except languages. The DOE scheduled a meeting with PDEs on 3 May to finalise the national catalogue of languages titles. The DoE provided PASA and the provinces with a comprehensive catalogue of approved books for all languages.

Provinces will use literature lists as provided by screening provinces. Those lists will be included into catalogues and schools will select genres for Grade 10. The same procedure will apply for Grade 11.

Grade 12 literature selection will be determined by the languages' assessment guideline documents to be developed.

Publishers have submitted very few titles in some subjects and literature genres. The DoE has completed an analysis of subject coverage and the issue was raised with the publishing industry on 10 May 2005. DoE will now consider coordinating a resource development process for these subjects.

Provinces have indicated that they will have completed their responsibilities in regard to catalogue development by 31 May and that catalogues will be in schools before 6 June.

Project Plans 7 and 8

The DoE launches a high level communication strategy and materials based on 1,2 and 3 above .PDEs develop integrated communication strategy based on materials developed in 7

Activity	Responsible	Completion
1.Establish communication teams, structures and reporting	DoE ,	30 March
2.Resolve gaps and ambiguities in policy	DoE
3.Clear message developed	DoE	31 May
4. Develop communication strategy	DoE	30 July
5. Launch strategy	DoE	31 August

This plan is on track. A detailed plan has been presented to CEM for consideration

Project Plan 9

The DoE and PDEs develop a vision of FET (C7, C8, C9, C10)

Activity	Responsible	Completion
1.Establish Vision in DoE	DoE	31 March
2.Establish data on current Senior Certificate subject offering from EMIS by race and province / district	DoE	31 April
3.Complete Phase 2 plans for MSTE and ICT	DoE/PDES	31 April
4.Analysis subject assessment guidelines and set projections for full curriculum delivery	DoE	30 June
5. Develop Vision Document	DoE	31July
6. Infuse Vision into communication strategy	DoE	31August

The DoE has set up a Vision Team consisting of members of the FET Schools Directorate and mathematics and science and ICT officials. The data on current subject offerings is being collected to inform the redress goals of the NCS. Provincial meetings on ICT and Maths and Science agreed to developing targets for redress in these subjects. Detailed progress will be reported at next HEDCOM on 4 July.

Project Plan 10

Funding is secured for

printing and distribution of the Qualifications Policy Framework
printing and distribution of the Subject Assessment Guidelines
the communication campaign
teacher training for 2006 to 2008
LTSM

Funding has been secured for the printing and distribution of the Qualifications Policy, the printing and distribution of the Subject Assessment Guidelines and the communication campaign.