Kaya News Reporter
The Department of Basic Education (DBE) will be including two new subjects to the school curriculum in the new year.
Revealing the department’s 2022/2023 Annual Performance Plan this week, coding and robotics will be included as subjects offered from Grade R.
This follows a pilot project for Grade R to 3 and Grade 7, was implemented at some schools towards the latter part of 2021.
The decision to include the tech-focused subjects was made in order to equip learners with 21st century skills.
In order to facilitate a more efficient transition from school to work, the department will be introducing the two subjects to strengthen the curriculum.
The future of learning
To realise the vision, teachers will also need to be equipped with the necessary skills, knowledge and competencies. The DBE must set the minimum standard for teacher competencies.
A national induction programme will be launched in 2022 to strengthen support for new teachers. The DBE says it will strive to put a laptop in every teacher’s hands in the next five years.
While ICT and e-learning is the future of education, the department will need to develop and ensure the necessary facilities are in place to meet expectations for the tech inclusions.
Connectivity in schools remains an issue and the DBE together with ICT companies will have to increase connectivity.
Strengthening broadband to accommodate the changes in its curriculum.
A full-scale implementation of the coding and robotics curriculum is planned for the 2023 academic year.
The pilot phase for Grades 4 to 6 and Grade 8 will be implemented in 2022.
Grade 9’s will be introduced to the subjects in 2023.
The plan will be in full effect by 2024 for Grades 4 to 6 and Grade 8, with a complete integration concluding by 2025.
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