CAPS and MISHAPS

I’ve spent the weekend at a RASA (Reading Association of South Africa) conference. An experience which I could have done without in some ways after our 2 weeks in Kenya, but in other ways, an ideal follow-on from the Mombasa workshops.

CAPS(Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement) is the new curriculum which is being implemented in great haste by the Department as a knee-jerk reaction to SAs appalling reading stats. The ideal is a good one – back to basics, more training and structure for teachers, giving schools good textbooks. But the reality is that the CAPS have been put together so quickly that they are full of errors. The training is likely to be as poor as it was in the previous curricula (4 in 15 years). Teachers are just as likely to be confused and unmotivated.

We looked at some of the statistics of reading competency in SA schools – it was sobering hearing. A talk by the Vice-Chancellor of UCT was amazing. He posed some really challenging questions.

He asked us, “IS THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION TRAPPED IN THE PAST?” He went on to say that many young South Africans are ANTI-INTELLECTUAL. Their models are anti-school, anti-learning, anti-critical thinking – he even named Julius Malema as being a shocking role model for young people. He feels that learners see education as punishment, an imposition, an affliction on them. It is counter to their culture.

He went on to say, despite how the world perceives South Africa and what we see ourselves, a lot has changed in 20 years. Many people are more affluent than they were – especially previously disadvantaged people. But, he goes on to ask - “When are the economic benefits going to be translated into improved educational achievement?” Parents drive Mercs, children have Blackberrys, but they don’t acknowledge that education is more important than affluence. The material is more important than the intellectual.
He went on to say that we need to take a stand against the grip of our social structure and try to make some changes. He had no solutions – but he challenged my thinking and got me to stop looking at the negatives and think about how to change.

The conference was full of other interesting topics. In one session we discussed how, although English is meant to be the Language of Learning and Teaching, most teachers in High Schools teach in the dominant mother-tongue because they think the kids won’t be able to understand, but the kids are aspiring to read in English. We also heard that many teachers teach the version of the learner that they see in front of them – but it is not always the real person. Teachers need to be given training and self-confidence so that they can teach children the way that they need to.

Most of the speakers were passionate about what they do, about the kids they teach. Some had brilliant ideas, others shared what they had done.

I had some of my ideas confirmed, I learnt some new things, I met some interesting people, I saw some awesome books.
I’m tired but I’m glad I came. CAPS