NCS System - CAPS Definition of Subjects

The National Curriculum Statement NCS policy was introduced to mirror South Africa's democratic aspirations in education post 1994 into concrete goals, transitioning away from the heavily segregated apartheid education system and subsequent complex Outcomes-Based Education (OBE) frameworks that respectively, explicitly and tacitly discriminated disadvantaged communities towards a more structured, national, and inclusive development tool.

Apart from aiming to redress social issues from past transgressions in an educational context, the NCS was also formulated to modernize the country's public subject offerings in line with standards of other countries.

CAPS Definition of Subjects

The Education Information Standards defines:-

• Subject: A specific body of academic knowledge selected and organized as part of a curriculum.

• Curriculum: A statement of intended outcomes to be achieved, what knowledge content is to be acquired, which competencies and skills are to be developed, and the levels of performance that are expected from learners in each of the grades.

The CAPS framework in aid to the NCS, sets out individual 48+ subject documents as recommended by the 2008 Maintaining Standards Report, which assessed the impact of adoption of the NCS system from the archaic heavily fragmented Outcome-Based Education OBE system. The subject guidelines that resulted from this recommendation encompass teaching, clarity of assessment tasks & assessment tools, which are all unique for every subject, though a learner can only take a maximum of 7 subjects for the National Senior Certificate (NSC).

Furthermore, of the subjects on offer, learners are offered a 4 compulsory subjects; Home language, First Additional language, Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy and Life Orientation. The remaining 3 subjects are elective from a broad number of subjects of Science stream, Commercial/Economic stream or Technical/Engineering stream.

Difference between Life Science and Biology?

Life Science is a broader subject that is an extension of biology, adding genetics, technology and environmental systems to the core scientific study of living organisms and their vital processes, that biology covers.

Chelo's Take

The NCS system is an extensive highly abstract document supported by the CAPS amendments and other legislation that have since aimed to make the curriculum changes that were necessary post 1994, more practicable. However, big challenges still exist in how teachers and learners have approached current subjects in accordance with the prescribed practices and norms recommended in the CAPS amendments.

What's Next

The team at Chelo has been dedicated to assessing and solving the key causes that have resulted in underwhelming results of learners at schools. Through constant dialogues with teachers, principals, and learners we believe a multi-faceted approach is necessary, not only in monetary and non-monetary ways, but also in terms of government, business, and members of society all contributing towards all children in South Africa having an equal quality education. At Chelo we work towards that reality.

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