NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
ORAL REPLY 43
Mr M J R de Villiers (DA-WC) to ask the Minister of Basic Education:
Whether any programmes are in place to assist and equip teachers with the
relevant knowledge and skills to be able to understand and teach the
curriculum used in the schools; if not, why not; if so, (a) who is
responsible (i) to implement and (ii) for the monitoring and evaluation
of these programmes and (b) what are the further relevant details?
CO253E
REPLY:
a) Yes. Teachers participate in a range of formal and non-formal
programmes to support them to implement the national curriculum.
Information gathered in 2009 to inform the development of a Teacher
Education Plan indicated that approximately 130 000 teachers per year
receive support through funded programmes. This supported a 2008 study
that showed that approximately 80% of teachers have received support
towards better implementation of the curriculum. Provincial
departments of education are responsible for planning and implementing
programmes in alignment with national planning and co-ordinating
processes, but within the context of concurrent governance.
.
b) In 2009, a significant teacher development summit was held involving
all stakeholders on education and teacher education and development.
The Summit identified key shortcomings in the field of teacher
education and one of them was the focus of teacher education
programmes to support curriculum implementation. These were found to
be often rushed and lacking in depth to be considered effective. The
summit as well as the findings of the 2008 and 09 data gathering
processes have been used to improve current programmes to make them
more qualitative and also â where necessary â of a longer duration.
These are taking place in the various provinces and will continue in
line with the recommendations of the NCS Implementation Review
conducted by the Ministry in 2009.