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STAFF WRITER|
A RECENT study has revealed the differences and similarities between South Africa’s National Senior Certificate (NSC) compared to other countries.
Mafu Rakometsi, the chief executive officer of Umalusi – a council that sets and monitors standards for education in South Africa – said the new report aimed to research the standing of the NSC about similar qualifications from five other jurisdictions.
Addressing the portfolio committee on basic education on Tuesday (13 September), he said that the study compared the NSC to the following five other certificates:
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB DP)Kenyan Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE)New South Wales (NSW) Higher School Certificate (HSC)Zimbabwean Forms 5-6 advanced level (ZIMSEC)Cambridge Assessment International Education (CIE)
Its primary findings were that the NSC has a longer duration and more compulsory subjects when compared to others – the NSC is a three-year certificate (Grade 10 – 12). On top of that, according to Rakometsi, the NSC is the strictest in prescribing what is taught, in what sequence and within exactly what timeframe.
“The NSC’s approach of giving guidance on the content and time allocated for each thing appears to be more prescriptive than all other comparator qualifications.”
This approach appears to be motivated by the need to provide uniform student experiences rather than enabling teacher flexibility, said Rakometsi.
The report noted that the NSC had some indication of greater depth and complexity in terms of subject content; however, when it came to mathematics – the report found less emphasis on the topics of mechanics and the use of technology.
The NSC is helicoidal in approach; this makes it unique in that each year the same topic is revisited but in greater depth and complexity, said Rakometsi.
Life Sciences also had less emphasis on mathematical skills in its curricula when compared to other programmes.
The NSC aligns most closely with teaching practices at a standard level; higher-level concepts are less emphasised compared to other programmes. The NSC does, however, have a higher studies standard when compared to the Kenyan certificate, he said.
Rakometsi said that in terms of breadth – ie, the number of knowledge elements in each subject – and depth – the level of deep investigation into concepts – the NSC is appropriate for school-leaving qualifications.
Here’s a breakdown of each subject’s performance under the NSC:
English – is similar to other curricula and is comparable with international standards;Geography – is effectively structured and designed;Mathematics – shows less emphasis on mechanics topics and the use of technology and more emphasis on spatial skills such as interpreting graphs;Life Sciences – South Africa’s is the only curriculum to cover the history of life on earth as one of its topics. The certificate focuses less on mathematical skills in life science compared to other jurisdictions;Physical Science – is unique in that it combines physics and chemistry.
Recommendations
South Africa’s matric certificate could do more to align itself with international standards, Rakometsi said, in terms of the scope for standardisation, the articulation of aims, learning outcomes and the relationship between these, and the key skills that students should be developed.
In terms of mathematics, the international programmes demonstrated a greater emphasis on the development of ICT skills as a learning outcome of mathematics. The NSC could adjust to acknowledge the use of technology in the field.
Rakometsi added that it is worth rethinking the packaging of the subjects chemistry and physics under the umbrella of Physical sciences; he said that the implications of the country’s resource constraints must, however, be taken into account.
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