Question NW491 to the Minister of Basic Education

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23 March 2017 - NW491

Profile picture: Davis, Mr GR

Davis, Mr GR to ask the Minister of Basic Education

With regard to a presentation by her department to the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education on 28 February 2017, during which Dr Govender from her department mentioned that the inclusion of Shakespeare in the drama curriculum of the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement was being reviewed, what progress has been made in this regard?

Reply:

In response to issues raised by the committee on decolonisation, clarification was given of how the Curriculum review process since Curriculum 2005 has included the need for transformation. Examples were provided from the current CAPS, such as the change in the History curriculum.

Mention was also made of the fact that in future curriculum review processes, a focus on decolonisation will continue to feature. The example provided was English Literature used in the schooling system, e.g. the need to review the genre of novels and drama prescribed for teaching and learning, which includes a possible review of the continued emphasis on the works of Shakespeare.

There is a need to move towards the greater inclusion of African and South African writings for novels/drama and poetry and this will be part of the long-term curriculum review process. Therefore, the consideration of the works of Shakespeare is an aspect of the overall literature review process targeted for 2020 and thus concrete work on this shall only begin in 2018.

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