Curriculum international recognition entails the acknowledgment of a country’s curriculum by international educational institutions, contingent upon rigorous assessments of its relevance, pass requirements, and quality assurance. Such recognition enable learners who have completed this curriculum to pursue higher education abroad, making it ideal to possess an internationally recognized national matric senior certificate. International recognition serves as an indicator of the curricula high relevance and facilitates opportunities for learners to study abroad, either by choice or due to other circumstances. This paper seeks to explore how explicit is the international recognition of the South Africa’s IEB-NSC and the CAPS-NSC.
It becomes a source of concern when parents move or wish to enroll their children abroad and discover that their children’s educational level does not align with the curriculum standards of the new country. Such situations typically arise in countries with well-organized education systems that facilitate well functioning curriculum systems. This issue also reflects on the South African National Education Department’s challenges in helping parents find suitable schools and appropriate grade levels for their children in foreign countries due to disparities in educational standards locally. For example, Brainline (2018) reports that institutions like the University of Oxford demand the completion of several subjects on Cambridge A-levels in addition to the NSC. The Imperial College of London does not accept the NSC, and the University of Manchester require students to complete an international foundation course alongside the NSC. This erupt doubts about the relevance and quality assurance of the CAPS-NSC curriculum. If CAPS is indeed a relevant and of high-quality curriculum, it would explicitly enjoy international recognition for its learners without any additional criterion tests conducted to admit them in the new curriculum of the country of their choice.
Oberholdzer (2008) highlights that internationally recognized qualifications, such as those offered by Cambridge International Examinations or the International Baccalaureate Organization, provide a seamless transition for students moving between countries. This explains why learners with an IEB matric certificate are readily accepted into international educational institutions. The IEB-NSC undergoes quality assurance by Umalusi, the Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further Education, and is internationally benchmarked, equivalent to Cambridge AS level (Oberholdzer, 2008). These distinctions raise concerns about the quality assurance and relevance of the Caps NSC curriculum. How can a national curriculum system (CAPS) graduates be expected to undergo quality and eligibility tests whenever they wish to study abroad? How can parents have faith in a curriculum that generally has appeared, over time, to be promoting average performing schools, average infrastructure, average universities or colleges, and ultimately, average employment prospects? NSC-CAPS appears to be a weak curriculum, designed primarily for the sake of education rather than fostering learner success. What are the underlying reasons for the lack of explicit international recognition for NSC-CAPS?
While NSC-CAPS may claim international recognition, the low pass requirements suggest otherwise, casting doubt on its global acceptance. As previously noted by Simnandi Education Solutions Pty (Ltd), pass requirements have gradually decreased to a mere 30%, reflecting the curriculum’s irrelevance. NSC-CAPS does not adequately prepare learners for the future, compelling learners to study subjects unrelated to their career paths. It lacks a focus on skills and leans heavily on theory, with limited emphasis on practical teaching and learning. NSC-CAPS produces a workforce that even the local job market cannot employ due to its lack of skills. The curriculum fails to consider the individuality and unique talents of learners, grouping them together and expecting one teacher to cater to 40 diverse learners with varying career aspirations and interests. This one-size-fits-all approach has significant limitations, yet NSC-CAPS appears to endorse it. These are just a few of the reasons why NSC-CAPS falls short of explicit international recognition without any criterion assessments for admission conducted.
In an information session dated November 10, 2014, George (2014) acknowledged that both IEB and state schools follow the same curriculum but employ significantly different approaches. With the support of the IEB, schools are encouraged to foster critical, creative, and analytical thinking, setting IEB pupils apart. These are aspects that the NSC-CAPS lacks. For instance, it can be confidently claimed that countries like Finland, Canada, and Singapore, a Grade 8 student is academically prepared to handle Grade 10 content in South Africa. In contrast, a Grade 12 student in South Africa would likely need to regress to either Grade 10 or 9 in these countries to keep pace with their curriculum. Even in the teaching profession, Finland requires a Master’s degree to qualify as a teacher, while South Africa only demands a degree for teachers, let alone an Honors degree. This glaring education gap between South Africa and other countries necessitates action. The national government should conduct a serious review of the South African curriculum system.
The IEB Senior Certificate (with matriculation endorsement) and at least 3 B symbols and 2 C symbols at higher grade is considered comparable to the overall GCE Advanced / Scottish Advanced Higher standard; Standard grades A-C compare to GCSE grade C or higher; Higher grades A-E compare to at least GCSE grade C or higher. The same can’t be claimed about the CAPS Matric Senior national certificate. This sis is a conclusive proof that CAPS is in shambles and needs urgent rescue if not the overhaul revamp.
Arguments like these prompted the development of the Personalized Education Curriculum System (PECS). Rooted in a humanistic approach and drawing from quality curriculum theory and competency-oriented education, PECS focuses on practical assessments to gauge students’ relevant skills, aptitudes, and values essential for navigating modern society effectively. PECS emerged as a response to dissatisfaction with the modernist curriculum system in South Africa, akin to the birth of postmodernism. It seeks to rescue learners from a curriculum that lacks progressive elements and fails to provide differentiated learning suitable for all students. Similar to the historical advent of progressivism, PECS acts as a disruptive and qualitative curriculum system aimed at resolving the confusion stemming from curriculum inconsistencies. PECS intends to restore the worth and respect of the education system by rendering it responsive to societal needs through a curriculum rooted in liberal education principles. A unique aspect of PECS is its emphasis on affording learners’ insights into the working world during their schooling years. This distinct feature underscores the relevance and inspiration that PECS offers to the educational community of South Africa and the broader African context. This perspective envisions an improved education system achieved through the implementation of such an approach.
Know more about PECS: https://simnandisolutions.co.za/personalized-education/
– Click on PECS PowerPoint presentation.
Please answer these 3 questions and submit them: https://simnandisolutions.co.za/pecs – Questionnaires
Cite this publication: XABA, S.S. 2023. South African Curriculum International recognition issues. https://simnandisolutions.co.za/post/
Bibliography
Oberholzer, N. 2008. IEB International comparability of national senior certificate. https://www.ieb.co.za/upload/file/International%20Comparability%20of%20the%20NSC.pdf.Date of Access: 04 October 2023.
Goerge. N. 2014. Clarity on IEB curriculum. https://www.georgeherald.com/news/News/General/91728/Clarity-on-IEB-curriculum. Date of Access: 04 October 2023