ACADEMIC NEWS

GR 9 GENERAL EDUCATION CERTIFICATE (GEC) DISCARDED

Government has decided to discard the GEC, which was to be issued at completion of Grade 9 as from 2010. The decision was taken in view of the new educational structure, in terms of which Basic Education is to continue until the end of Grade 12 and not only until Grade 9. External assessment and monitoring, currently in the form of CTA’s will, however, continue.

ANNUAL NATIONAL ASSESSMENT GR 3 AND 6 NOVEMBER 2009

The national Department of Education has announced that this year, the annual national assessment of Grade 3 and 6 will be done in November. Schools should note that the assessment is not compulsory for Independent Schools, but your school may volunteer to participate. This annual assessment is envisaged to become increasingly prominent and it seems as if together with the Grade 9 external assessment (CTA’s), form one system of external assessment and monitoring.

There is currently no compulsory assessment for subsidised schools as is required in the Amended National Norms and Standards for Funding (2008) and the task team, comprising of members from the DoE, PED’S and NAISA (of which Anna-Marie Russell is a member) is still working on this matter. There is thus NO COMPULSORY ASSESSMENT for Grade 3 or 6 in independent schools during 2010.

NOTE: The new prescribed assessment standards are only compulsory from 2010! Unless your PED has given written instructions for it to be used for this year. 

 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF TEACHERS

It will soon be required for every teacher, to retain professional registration, to undergo 80 hours of professional development (PD) a year. There is a question as to whether 80 hours is over-ambitious. Doctors are required to have a minimum of three days a year; financial service providers 60 hours.  The system will be managed by SACE. It will have elements of support, endorsement and information.

The following ideas are being bantered about:

• There has to be a trade-off between teaching and time off for development. Extra teaching might be counted.
• Every PD initiative will have points attached to it, and a certain minimum number of points will have to be obtained each year.
• There will be various modes of delivery of PD.
• A problematic aspect is the question of when the training should take place. The Educators’ Labor Relations Council (ELRC) Resolution 7 of 1998 stipulates that workshops, meetings, seminars and conferences may be attended during teaching time. This is being challenged by committed educators and professional groups. The law at present does not protect teaching hours, so unions may demand training time during school teaching hours.
• The recommendation is that PD should be separated from remuneration.
• Evaluation will be required to determine developmental needs.
• The minimum requirement for a professional teacher is now RV13 (diploma level). There is a collective agreement that this will become RV 14 (degree + diploma).
• There is at present no recognized qualification for ECD practitioners.
• Research indicates that PD should be part of the daily lives of teachers, and not solely courses, etc. Study groups, action research, seminars, coaching, planning lessons, and joint assessment are key activities. Time to work with colleagues, to examine new standards and to revise curriculum are essential in PD and should be considered in the 80 hour programme.
• PD should be job-embedded and decisions should be made at local school level.
• The most efficient ways of delivering PD should be explored, including technology, such as electronic mail and bulleting boards.
• The work of teachers needs to be restructured to enable them to meet the new demands being placed on the profession.

EARLY FOUNDATION DEPARTMENT

Megan Helsby’s department of Pre-School and Foundation Phase will in future be known as the ACSI Early Foundations Department. This name indicates that the department represents Early Education as well as the Foundation Phase in our schools.

Watch out your Early Foundations Newsletter will be available soon. 

WEBSITES

SOUTH AFRICAN WEBSITE:

Please visit acsi.co.za and make sure you vote for the issue at hand!

Also visit the School page to make sure your school’s website is linked to our ACSI SA website.

ACSI INTERNATIONAL WEBSITE:

To access members only content on the acsi.org website users have to be logged into the ACSI website, which means you need to have a username and password. This password is obtainable from judy_marais@acsi.org. 

ACSI INTERNATIONAL WEBSITE:

To access members only content on the acsi.org website users have to be logged into the ACSI website, which means you need to have a username and password. This password is obtainable from judy_marais@acsi.org.  When a ACSI member school is asking to see members only area pages, you need to get registered on the ACSI website by clicking the Register link, submit the necessary information and then you should be able to access the member’s only pages on www.acsi.org

SCHOOL WEBSITES:

Remember that ACSI offers schools an excellent package through One Part Scissors to design your school’s own website. Contact Ashley at ash@onepartscissors.com for more info.

2011 and 2012 SCHOOL CALENDAR

For the proposed school calendars for public schools for 2011 and 2012, go to education.gov.za and then click on Proposed School Calendars for 2011 and 2012

ACSI PUBLICATIONS

Elementary Science

Series is now complete (grades 1-6) and available from Impact.

Secondary Bible

Missio Dei is complete and available from Impact.

 A MUST FOR YOUR GRADE 11 AND 12 BIBLE ED CURRICULUM!

Spelling

Spelling series (grades 1-6) is complete and available from Impact.

English First Language Series

First levels (Pre School, Grade R and Grade 1) of this series are in writing, editing and design.

Elementary Bible

Elementary Bible Revision Team has been planning for revision of this textbook

Series. Actual revision work will not begin until July 2010.

Trade Books and Teacher Resources

Piety and Philosophy: A Primer for Christian Schools by Richard Riesen.

SCRIPTURE

^{2 PETER 1:5-8}

⁵For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; ⁶and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; ⁷and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. ⁸For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ

PRAYER GUIDE