The evolution of the FP curricula in South Africa since 1994

Abstract

The evolution of the South African Education Curricula after 1994 was a monumental migration meant to equalise the education field which was fragmented and discriminatory in many areas. This affected all role-players in the education system, especially the teachers who had to implement new curricula that were unfamiliar to them. The range of policies from C2005, RNCS, FFL to CAPS caused confusion among teachers, but eventually CAPS was understood and was implemented. This impacted heavily on the Foundation Phase (FP) section of schooling as this phase is always the first to implement changes. The changes resulted in the evolution of the FP curriculum. These changes adversely affected teachers who are the custodians of curriculum and purveyors of knowledge such that learners were directly or indirectly disadvantaged in numerous ways. There were challenges that emerged during the implementation of these changes: multilingualism, provision of resources, teacher-training, learner-performance, and pedagogical approaches. With 11 official languages and sign language being the 12th, South Africa has a unique linguistic identity. Government policy with regard to curricula delivery advocated all 11 South African languages for teaching and learning which had serious consequences on pedagogy, particularly on teachers who were unilingual or bilingual, and on those who were entrenched in teacher-centred approaches. The translation of English documents into various other languages diluted the quality of some languages which were marginalised in the past. This, together with teaching-learning approaches negatively affected learner-performance. South Africa has participated in various regional and international studies including PIRLS, TIMMS and SACMEQ; however, SA’s performance has been reported to be one of the worst of all participating countries. In the light of these changes in policy and curricula, this study examined FP schooling to establish the effects of curricula changes since democracy. The qualitative methodology used to collect data involved the elicitation of information from teacher-participants via semi-structured interviews and the perusal of documents from schools in the district. This data was analysed via the thematic approach. The findings revealed that in the early stages of curriculum change in South Africa, content was beyond the South African learners’ ability due to multilingualism, cultural diversity and socio-economic factors and it was recommended that the department of education should focus on pedagogical approaches to improve learning outputs and design South African policy guidelines that address multilingual school communities.

Ukuthuthuka kwezifundo ezinikezwa yisikhungo semfundo saseNingizimu Afrika ngemuva kuka-1994 kwaba ukufuduka okukhulu okwakuhloswe ukulinganisa umkhakha wezemfundo, owawuhlukene phakathi futhi unobandlululo ezindaweni eziningi. Lokhu kuthinte bonke ababambiqhaza ohlelweni lwezemfundo, ikakhulukazi othisha okwadingeka basebenzise izifundo ezintsha ababengazazi. Uhlu lwezinqubomgomo ukusuka ku-C2005, RNCS, FFL kuya kuCAPS lubangele ukudideka phakathi kothisha, kodwa ekugcineni i-CAPS yaqondwa futhi yasetshenziswa. Lokhu kube nomthelela omkhulu esigabeni sesikole sesiGaba esiyiSisekelo njengoba lesi sigaba sihlala singesokuqala ukwenza izinguquko. Lezi zinguquko zibe nomphumela wokuthi kuthuthukiswe izifundo ezinikezwa yisikhungo semfundo yesiGaba esiyisiSekelo. Lezi zinguquko zaba nomthelela omubi kothisha abangabaphathi bohlelo lwezifundo ezinikezwa ysikhungo semfundo kanye nabaphathi bolwazi ngendlela yokuthi abafundi bancishwe amathuba ngokuqondile noma ngokungaqondile ngezindlela eziningi. Kube nezinselelo ezavela ngesikhathi kwenziwa lezi zinguquko: ubuliminingi, ukuhlinzekwa kwezinsiza, ukuqeqeshwa kothisha, ukusebenza kwabafundi, kanye nezindlela zokufundisa. Njengoba izilimi ezisemthethweni eziyi-11 kanye nolimi lokuxhumana kusetshenziswa ukuthinta komzimba nezimpawu lungolwe-12, iNingizimu Afrika inobunikazi obuhlukile bolimi. Inqubomgomo kahulumeni maqondana nokwethulwa kwezifundo ezinikezwa yisikhungo semfundo yakhuthaza zonke izilimi zaseNingizimu Afrika eziyi-11 ukufundisa nokufunda okwaba nemiphumela emibi kakhulu ekufundiseni, ikakhulukazi kothisha abakhuluma ulimi olulodwa noma izilimi ezimbili, nakulabo ababegxile ezindleleni ezigxile kothisha. Ukuhunyushelwa kwemibhalo yesiNgisi kwezinye izilimi ezehlukene kwehlisa izinga lezinye izilimi ebezibukelwa phansi esikhathini esidlule. Lokhu, kanye nezindlela zokufundisa, kube nomthelela omubi ekusebenzeni kwabafundi. INingizimu Afrika ibambe iqhaza ezifundweni ezehlukene zesifunda nezamazwe ngamazwe ezihlanganisa i-PIRLS, i-TIMMS kanye ne-SACMEQ; nokho, ukusebenza kweNingizimu Afrika kubikwe njengelinye lamazwe amabi kakhulu abambe iqhaza. Ngenxa yalezi zinguquko zenqubomgomo kanye nezifundo ezinikezwa yisikhungo semfundo, lolu cwaningo luhlole iSigaba esiyiSisekelo semfundo ukuze kutholwe imiphumela yoshintsho lwezifundo ezinikezwa yisikhungo semfundo kusukela ngentando yeningi. Indlela yokuqoqa nokuhlaziya imininingwane engeyona izinombolo esetshenziswe ukuqoqa imininingwane ibandakanya ukutholwa kolwazi kothisha ababambiqhaza ngokusebenzisa inhlolokhono engahlelekile kanye nokufunda imibhalo evela ezikoleni zesifunda. Le mininingwane ihlaziywe kusetshenziswa ukufundisa okuhlelwe ngendikimba. Okutholakele kuveze ukuthi ekuqaleni kokushintshwa kwezifundo ezinikezwa yisikhungo semfundo eNingizimu Afrika, okuqukethwe kwakungaphezu kwamandla abafundi baseNingizimu Afrika ngenxa yobuliminingi, ukuhlukahluka kwamasiko kanye nezici zenhlalo-mnotho. Ngakho-ke kwaphakanyiswa ukuthi uMnyango wezeMfundo kufanele ugxile ezindleleni zokufundisa ukuthuthukisa imiphumela yokufunda futhi wenze imihlahlandlela yenqubomgomo yaseNingizimu Afrika ebhekana nemiphakathi yezikole ekhuluma izilimi eziningi.

Go hlolega ga lenaneothuto la Afrika Borwa ka morago ga 1994 e bile phetogelo ye kgolo ye e bego e ikemiseditse go lekalekanya lekala la thuto, leo le bego le arogane ebile le na le kgethologanyo ka mafapheng a mantsi. Se se ile sa ama bakgathatema ka moka ka tshepedisong ya thuto, kudukudu barutisi bao ba bego ba swanetse go tsenya tirisong lenaneothuto le leswa leo ba bego ba sa le tsebe. Mehutahuta ya melawana go thoma ka C2005, RNCS, FFL go fihla ka CAPS e ile ya baka kgakanego gareng ga barutisi, eupsa mafelelong CAPS e ile ya kwesiswa le go tsenywa tirisong. Se se ile sa ama kudu karolo ya Kgatothuto ya Mathomo ya sekolo ka ge kgato ye ka mehla e dula e le ya mathomo ge go phethagatswa diphetogo. Diphetogo tse di ile tsa feletsa ka go hlolega ga lenaneothuto la Kgatothuto ya Motheo. Diphetogo tse di ile tsa ama kudu barutisi bao e lego bahlokomedi ba lenaneothuto le basepedisi ba tsebo ka tsela yeo e lego gore baithuti ba ilego ba hlokiswa menyetla thwii goba ka ditsela tse mmalwa. Go bile le ditlhohlo tse di tsweletsego ka nakong ya phethagatso ya diphetogo tse: dipolelontsi, kabo ya methopo, tlhahlo ya barutisi, go soma ga baithuti, le mekgwa ya go ruta. Ka ge e na le dipolelo tse 11 tsa semmuso le polelo ya diatla bjalo ka ya bo 12, Afrika Borwa e na le boitshupo bjo bo swanago bo nnosi bja dipolelo. Melawana ya mmuso ya mabapi le kabo ya lenaneothuto e ile ya hlohleletsa gore dipolelo ka moka tse 11 tsa Afrika Borwa e be tsa go ruta le tsa go ithuta gomme se se ile sa ba le dipoelo tse di sa kgahlisego go thuto, kudukudu go barutisi bao ba bego ba bolela polelo e tee goba ba bolela dipolelo tse pedi, le bao ba bego ba bego ba tlwaetse mekgwa ya go ruta ye e theilwego go morutisi. Phetolelo ya dingwalwa tsa Seisemane go ya go dipolelo tse dingwe tsa mehutahuta e ile ya senya boleng bja dipolelo tse dingwe tseo di bego di beetswe thoko mo nakong ye e fetilego. Se, gammogo le mekgwa ya go ruta le ya go ithuta, se ile sa ama gampe go soma ga baithuti. Afrika Borwa e kgathile tema ka go dinyakisiso tsa mehutahuta tsa ka dileteng le tsa boditshabatshaba go akaretswa PIRLS, TIMMS le SACMEQ; le ge go le bjale, go soma ga Afrika Borwa go begilwe gore ga go kgahlise go dinaga ka moka tse di kgathago tema. Ka lebaka la diphetogo tse tsa melawana le tsa mananeothuto, dinyakisiso tse di lekodisisitse Kgatothuto ya Mathomo ya sekolo ka nepo ya go tseba diabe tsa diphetogo tsa mananeothuto go tloga mola go bago le temokrasi. Mokgwa wa boleng wo o somisitswego go kgoboketsa tshedimoso ye e tsweleditswego go tswa go morutisi go ya go bakgathatema ka dipoledisano tse dipotsiso tsa tsona di nyakago gore moarabi a fe mabaka le go somiswa dingwalwa go tswa ka dikolong tsa ka seleteng. Tshedimoso ye e ile ya sekasekwa ka go somisa mokgwa wa merero. Dikutollo di ile tsa laetsa gore dikgatong tsa mathomong tsa phetoso ya lenaneothuto ka Afrika Borwa, diteng di be di feta bokgoni bja baithuti ba Afrika Borwa ka lebaka la dipolelontsi, phapano ya setso le mabaka a ekonomi ya setshaba. Ka fao go ile gwa sisinywa gore Kgoro ya Thuto e swanetse go nepisa kudu mekgwa ya go ruta ka nepo ya go kaonafatsa dipoelo tsa go ithuta le go hlama ditlhahli tsa melawana ya Afrika Borwa tse di rarollago ditshaba tsa dikolo tseo di bolelago dipolelo tse ntsi.