Question NW1736 to the Minister of Basic Education

Reply:

1. (a)(b) (i) curriculum

The development of Curriculum Assessment and Policy Statements (CAPS) for Technical subjects was completed and signed by the Minister of Basic Education on the 13 April 2015; this is in accordance with the Government Gazette No 37840 dated July 2014. Printing is currently in progress and distribution of the CAPS documents will be completed before the training of teachers in June 2015. A total of 52, 750 copies of the CAPS documents for Technical Mathematics, Technical Sciences, Civil Technology, Electrical Technology and Mechanical Technology will be printed and distributed as indicated below:

• 5 copies ( 1 for each subject) to the National office DBE
• 5 copies ( 1 for each subject ) to each provincial office
• 5 copies ( 1 for each subject ) to each district office; and
• 10 copies (2 for each subject) to each school offering a technical subject

(b) (ii) Workshop

Since the inception of the grant, the objective of training 2,749 teachers, building 118 new workshops, refurbishing 266 existing workshops and supplying equipment, machinery and tools to participating schools has been achieved. The grant was reconfigured in 2014 and it now forms part of the new Mathematics, Science and Technology Conditional Grant. The outputs of the new grant include the supply of machinery, equipment and tools and the training of teachers. Based on the total number of technical schools and the state of physical infrastructure at most schools, the schools have the capacity to implement the curriculum. Those that had challenges were recapitalised by the conditional grant.

(b) (iii) Textbooks

The development process of both Technical Mathematics and Technical Sciences textbooks sponsored and co-managed by Sasol-Inzalo Foundation and DBE will be finalised by July 2015. Publishers are in the process of developing Civil Technology, Electrical Technology and Mechanical Technology textbooks due to be finalised in August 2015. Printing and distribution of all technical textbooks will be completed by 30 October 2015.

(b)(iv) Teacher readiness

The changes introduced in the revised CAPS necessitated the need for orientation of subject advisors and re-training of teachers on theory and practical teaching methodologies.

An audit of skills centres in preparation for the training of FET Technical schools subject advisors and teachers and Technology Senior Phase (Grade 7 – 9) subject advisors and teachers was conducted and finalised.

The Department issued letters to HOD’s on 16 April 2015 to inform them of the training process and to request them to ensure that notifications to all partners are issued.

A National Task Team (NTT) for the development of CAPS training guideline document for the three (3) Technical subjects specialisation; Civil technology, Electrical technology, and Mechanical technology have been developed and finalised.

A National Task Team (NTT) for the development of CAPS training guideline document for Technical Sciences and Technical Mathematics has been developed and finalised.

Subject Advisors and Teacher training on the three (3) Technical subjects has been scheduled for 29 June – 03 July and 05-09 October 2015 (School Holidays) and these dates have been communicated to all provinces. The training of Technical Mathematics and Technical Sciences has been scheduled for July 2015 and these dates have also been communicated to all provinces. The training is aimed at 70% skills transfer and 30% on the strengthening of theory of the specialisation.

The funding for this training will be sourced from the reconfigured MST Conditional Grant. The objective of the grant is to, supply machinery, supply of equipments and tools. The objective of the grant is to train subject advisors and teachers, building of new workshops, refurbishing of existing workshops and supplying equipment, machinery and tools.

1. (a)(i)(aa) (a)(ii)(bb)(cc)(dd)(ee) Numbers and percentage of learners offering Technology subjects per Province from 2005, 2008, 2010 and 2012.

YEAR	Civil Technology	Engineering Graphics And Design (EGD)	Electrical	Mechanical
	NUMBER WROTE	%	NUMBER WROTE	%	NUMBER WROTE	%	NUMBER WROTE	%
(aa) 2005	10283	2%	20653	4%	6510	1%	6728	1%
(bb) 2008	10392	2%	26491	5%	7526	1%	7890	1%
(cc) 2010	9359	2%	26350	5%	5843	1%	6859	1%
(dd) 2012	8759	2%	25070	4%	5010	1%	5975	1%
(ee) (2015)	data is not yet available

(b) All technology subjects are non-designated; i.e. HEIs do not recognise these subjects as requirements to university entrance.

3.     The Department is aware that the National Curriculum Statements (NCS) present foundational skills to all learners and these skills create opportunities for learners to enter further and higher education. Therefore the list of critical skills according to the Government Gazette 37716 dated 3 June 2014 contains occupations that require the foundational skills, which are acquired through the basic education sector.

4.    (a)The Universities do not consider these subjects as requirements for entrance into engineering courses at a university. This puts learners at a disadvantage if after three years of studying they change their minds and no longer want to become artisans but engineers, they are then not credited at HEIs.

(b)Based on the targets set by the National Development Plan (NDP), the Department is committed to contributing to the production of 30,000 artisans per year by 2030 (NDP, Chapter 9, p277), through the strengthening and refocusing of technical schools and increasing the learner enrolments from 27,000 to 57,000 in 2030. The revision of the curriculum and the recapitalisation process at technical schools will also ensure that the industry requirements in terms of technical specialisation are met and thereby increase participation in the technical education sector.

In order to further strengthen articulation between GET and FET Technology, Senior Phase Subject Advisors and Teachers will be part of the training for specialisations scheduled for June and October 2015 as mentioned above. Advocacy on the Decade of the Artisan in partnership with Department of Higher Education (DHET) is currently being rolled out in all provinces with the intention to increase participation in artisanship and engineering.

The Department and DHET have embarked on a process of aligning the curriculum for basic education with that of Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Colleges.

(c) The enrolment of learners in the technical fields has been declining since 2008 due to the changes in the National Curriculum Statement (NCS). The revision of the Nated 500 to remove areas of specialisation resulted in the overload of subject content areas and the decline in learner enrolment. The reintroduction of the specialisation by the revised Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) for technical schools and the implementation of the recapitalisation programme will ensure that sector is expanded.

The following targets for the increase in learner enrolment have been set for 2014-2019:

Targets	Mechanical Technology	Electrical Technology	Engineering Graphics &Design	Computer Technology	Technical Maths	Technical Science	Maths	Physical Science
2014	6,410	5,278	28,919	9,527	0	0	21,214	21,214
2015	6,602	5,436	30,943	10,003	0	0	22,275	22,275
2016	6,800	5,599	33,109	10,503	11,694	11,694	11,694	11,694
2017	7,004	5,767	35,427	11,028	12,279	12,279	12,279	12,279
2018	7,214	5,940	37,907	11,580	12,893	12,893	12,893	12,893
2019	7,431	6,118	40,560	12,159	13,538	13,538	13,538	13,538

Targets: National Learner Enrolment in Technical Schools (2014 – 2019)

Provincial Targets per Technology Subject:

2015 Targets
PROVINCE	MT	ET	EGD	CT	Tech Maths	Tech Science	Maths	Science
EC	507	418	2,377	768			1,711	1,711
FS	582	479	2,727	882			1,963	1,963
GP	1,753	1,443	8,214	2,655			5,913	5,913
KZN	1,046	861	4,901	1,584			3,528	3,528
LP	323	266	1,512	489			1,088	1,088
MP	360	297	1,689	546			1,216	1,216
NC	126	104	591	191			425	425
NW	539	444	2,527	817			1,819	1,819
WC	1,367	1,125	6,405	2,071			4,611	4,611
TOTAL	6,602	5,436	30,943	10,003			22,275	22,275
2016 Targets
PROVINCE	MT	ET	EGD	CT	Tech Maths	Tech Science	Maths	Science
EC	681	560	3,314	1,051	1,170	1,170	1,170	1,170
FS	530	436	2,581	819	912	912	912	912
GP	1,808	1,489	8,804	2,793	3,110	3,110	3,110	3,110
KZN	1,685	1,387	8,202	2,602	2,897	2,897	2,897	2,897
LP	558	460	2,718	862	960	960	960	960
MP	465	383	2,266	719	800	800	800	800
NC	186	153	904	287	319	319	319	319
NW	495	408	2,410	764	851	851	851	851
WC	392	323	1,910	606	675	675	675	675
TOTAL	6,800	5,599	33,109	10,503	11,694	11,694	11,694	11,694
2017 Targets
PROVINCE	MT	ET	EGD	CT	Tech Maths	Tech Science	Maths	Science
EC	635	523	3,211	999	1,113	1,113	1,113	1,113
FS	584	481	2,955	920	1,024	1,024	1,024	1,024
GP	2,063	1,699	10,436	3,249	3,617	3,617	3,617	3,617
KZN	1,550	1,276	7,841	2,441	2,718	2,718	2,718	2,718
LP	306	252	1,547	482	536	536	536	536
MP	436	359	2,205	687	764	764	764	764
NC	190	157	963	300	334	334	334	334
NW	603	497	3,052	950	1,058	1,058	1,058	1,058
WC	636	524	3,217	1,001	1,115	1,115	1,115	1,115
TOTAL	7,004	5,767	35,427	11,028	12,279	12,279	12,279	12,279

2018 Targets
PROVINCE	MT	ET	EGD	CT	Tech Maths	Tech Science	Maths	Science
EC	574	473	3,018	922	1,027	1,027	1,027	1,027
FS	487	401	2,560	782	871	871	871	871
GP	2,059	1,695	10,818	3,305	3,679	3,679	3,679	3,679
KZN	1,817	1,496	9,545	2,916	3,247	3,247	3,247	3,247
LP	447	368	2,347	717	798	798	798	798
MP	440	362	2,312	706	786	786	786	786
NC	135	111	708	216	241	241	241	241
NW	499	411	2,621	801	891	891	891	891
WC	757	623	3,978	1,215	1,353	1,353	1,353	1,353
TOTAL	7,214	5,940	37,907	11,580	12,893	12,893	12,893	12,893
2019 Targets
PROVINCE	MT	ET	EGD	CT	Tech Maths	Tech Science	Maths	Science
EC	592	487	3,230	968	1,078	1,078	1,078	1,078
FS	502	413	2,739	821	914	914	914	914
GP	2,121	1,746	11,575	3,470	3,864	3,864	3,864	3,864
KZN	1,871	1,541	10,213	3,062	3,409	3,409	3,409	3,409
LP	460	379	2,511	753	838	838	838	838
MP	453	373	2,474	742	826	826	826	826
NC	139	114	758	227	253	253	253	253
NW	514	423	2,804	841	936	936	936	936
WC	780	642	4,256	1,276	1,421	1,421	1,421	1,421
TOTAL	7,431	6,118	40,560	12,159	13,538	13,538	13,538	13,538

(d) (i) Negotiations between the Department and Higher Education South Africa (HESA) and Umalusi are in progress for considering the designation of these technology subjects

(d)(ii)The non-designation is the only challenge that the Minister foresees.