Grade nine certificate? Rather strengthen the foundation phase, say teachers

Teachers and others in education say the minister should rather strengthen the foundation phase

A skills-focused curriculum could level the playing field for pupils who are not “A students” and give them options to hone their skills in areas other than traditional academic pursuits.

But some in education feel the focus needs to be on strengthening the foundation phase of the education system before pupils reach this milestone.

This is how some reacted to Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga’s announcement this week that a plan was in place to implement a general education certificate.

The certificate would allow pupils to leave the mainstream school system when they complete Grade 9.

“Some pupils are geared to using their hands. They understand the concepts when they do them practically,” said Thapelo Ngozo, a teacher.

“We see pupils who cannot read or write but give them a pen and paper and they will draw the best sketch or house plan you’ve ever seen. Some pupils can’t understand combustion in physical science books but give them an engine and they will get it up and running in no time.”

Ngozo, from Van Stadensrus in the Free State, said the current school curriculum was set for pupils who could perform extremely well.

“If you are an ‘A student’ you are set with this system. You have more chances and opportunities. If you are not, you are basically screwed,” he said.

Motshekga, who delivered the keynote address at the SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) congress at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg on Thursday, said that a draft framework for the Grade 9 certificate had been developed and a field trial was scheduled for July next year.

“We are also working on the introduction of multiple qualifications, such as the general education certificate before the Grade 12 exit qualification,” Motshekga said.

The general education certificate would help the pupils Ngozo was talking about. It would provide a basis for learning and establish a firm foundation for skills development that would prepare them for the workplace.

Basic education spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga was at pains this week to stress that the certificate was not about pupils exiting school, but it was about providing better decision-making for and access to additional learning after Grade 9.

Read: Grade 9 proposal isn’t a school-leaving certificate, department says

But Ngozo believed that the department’s focus should be on the years leading up to Grade 9, perhaps introducing a skills-based curriculum for these pupils.

“This will ensure that the playing field is level and they have options to hone their skills. We need to ensure that before the pupils get to Grade 9 and have the option to go to these [vocational] colleges they have a strong foundation and understanding of what they will be doing,” Ngozo said.

Other people in education said they were concerned that the certificate might send the wrong message.

Sadtu general secretary Mugwena Maluleke said they were worried that the certificate could encourage pupils to drop out of school after getting it.

“We are not saying it is a bad thing. It is good to have it. It will encourage pupils to go to vocational colleges but some pupils might see it as an excuse to leave school, saying that they have a certificate,” Maluleke said.

Leana de Beer, chief operating officer at Feenix – an online fund-raising platform that provides a tool for pupils to formalise their fund-raising efforts and a channel for funders to find pupils they wish to support – said there were better ways to deliver a system that generates highly skilled and equipped pupils.

“There have been too many reports that have indicated that our pupils are not properly equipped for the challenges of the working world when they leave school after Grade 12,” De Beer said.

“A more positive solution would be to put more resources into our schooling system, especially in the fields of maths and science. We need to know that when our pupils finish their school careers, they have had the best possible training our schools could have provided.”

De Beer believed that if pupils wanted to leave school after Grade 9 then there should be some form of bridging or vocational training to help prepare them for a world grappling with the challenges of the fourth industrial revolution.

“We know the minister wants to deliver a system that generates highly skilled and equipped pupils, and we are ready to assist in whatever constructive way we can. We believe there are better ways of achieving this goal, and we will share our ideas with her. We remain committed to assisting the minister and her department in whatever way we can.”

	Palesa Dlamini Journalist City Press p: +27 11 713 9609 w: www.citypress.co.za  e: palesa.dlamini@citypress.co.za
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