Grade 9 exit plan welcomed by educator unions
KZN teacher unions have given the Department of Basic Education's plan to introduce a three-stream curriculum after Grade 9 the thumbs up.
Minister Angie Motshekga announced the plan at Sadtu's Naserec conference this week. The plan aims to send more learners into technical education. Naptosa's Thirona Moodley says plans must include viable options that will equip learners for the work industry.
"Not all learners are cut out to go through the 12 years of schooling, so this announcement by the minister has pros and cons", she said.
"If we are careful and look with vision how we want to see employable citizens developed then it could go very well for our country", Moodley said.
The National Teachers Union’s Allen Thompson says the plan may be a tool to help reduce the numbers of school drop-outs.
"The N1 qualification which is received at Tvet colleges is equivalent to Grade 10. So why channel learners all the way to Grade 12 just to have them come back for N1, N2 and N3 which is equivalent to Grade 12", he said.
"So we believe this will be one of the ways of reducing the high dropout rate", Thompson said.