PRELIMINARY SUMMARY OF PROPOSED CURRICULUM CHANGES ANNOUNCED BY THE MEC ANGIE MOTSHEKGA ON TUESDAY 06 JULY 2010:
GENERAL CHANGES:
- Curriculum would no longer be referred to as OBE, but as the New Curriculum Statement (NCS).
- From next year, what were known as learning areas and programmes will be called subjects.
- Reduced the number of projects for learners. The NPRR has been repealed and new
- New, clearer assessment standards will be drafted.
- The need for portfolio files of learner assessments has been done away with.
- Every subject in each grade will have a single, comprehensive and concise Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement that will provide details on what teachers ought to teach and assess on a grade-by-grade and subject-by-subject basis.
- Outcomes will be absorbed into more accessible aims, and content and assessment requirements will be spelt out more clearly.
FOUNDATION PHASE
- Phasing in the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements in the Foundation Phase in 2011. We will phase in other grades in 2012.
- A plan for the development of the Work Books for Grades 1 – 6 in order to ensure the development, piloting, printing and distribution of learner workbooks early in 2011.
- Increased and improved use of textbooks.
- Language chosen by the learner as a Language of Learning and Teaching shall be taught as a subject, or as a First Additional Language, from Grade One (1) and not from Grade 2 (What this means, for instance, is that the teaching of English will occur alongside mother tongue instruction for those learners who choose English as a language of learning and teaching. English will not replace the mother tongue or home language in the early grades, as some commentators have interpreted the recommendation.)
- Externally-set assessments at grades 3 in literacy (in home language and first additional language) and numeracy/mathematics.
- Weighting of continuous assessment and end of year examinations as follows: Grades R-3: 100% continuous assessment
- Symbols or rating scales used to rate learner performance in Grades 10-12 will, from 2011, be extended to Grades R-9, so that there is consistency across the curriculum. Thus meaning a 7 point scale.
INTERMEDIATE PHASE
- Reduce the number of learning areas in the Intermediate Phase from eight to six.
- That means that in grades 4 to 6 technology will be combined with science.
- Arts and culture will be combined with life orientation.
- Economic and management sciences will be taught only from grade 7.
- Phasing in the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements in the Intermediate Phase from 2012.
- A plan for the development of the Work Books for Grades 1 – 6 in order to ensure the development, piloting, printing and distribution of learner workbooks early in 2011.
- Increased and improved use of textbooks.
- Externally-set assessments at grade 6 in literacy (in home language and first additional language) and numeracy/mathematics.
- Weighting of continuous assessment and end of year examinations as follows: Grades 4-6: 75% continuous assessment: 25% end of year exam.
- Symbols or rating scales used to rate learner performance in Grades 10-12 will, from 2011, be extended to Grades R-9, so that there is consistency across the curriculum. Thus meaning a 7 point scale.
SENIOR PHASE
- Discontinued the Common Tasks for Assessment (CTAs) for Grade 9 learners with effect from January 2010. Provinces have already informed their schools about the form of assessment that will replace CTAs in 2010.
- Externally-set assessments at grades 9 in literacy (in home language and first additional language) and numeracy/mathematics.
- Weighting of continuous assessment and end of year examinations as follows: Grades 7-9: 40%: continuous assessment: 60% end of year exam.
- Symbols or rating scales used to rate learner performance in Grades 10-12 will, from 2011, be extended to Grades R-9, so that there is consistency across the curriculum. Thus meaning a 7 point scale.
FET
- Weighting of continuous assessment and end of year examinations as follows: Grades 10-12: 25% continuous assessment : 75% end of year exam.
NB Externally-set assessments at grades 3, 6 and 9 in literacy (in home language and first additional language) and numeracy/mathematics will be taken into consideration for payment of subsidies to subsidised schools.

Michael B. Essenburg has developed teacher training kits designed to help teachers integrate faith and learning.
- Each kit have 7 lessons.
- During a lesson, participants will report on action steps, read something, talk together to learn, commit to action steps, and pray.
- Below you can find the initial participant guides/readings for each of the 4 kits.