The Star reports that unions have thrown their weight behind the Department of Basic Education’s (DBE’s) plan to defer teaching of some of the content yet to be covered in classrooms to the next grade.  

This is the so-called curriculum trimming and reorganisation plan, which is central to the department's drive to recover the teaching and learning time lost due to the Covid-19 pandemic.  Matric and Grade 7 pupils are due to return to school next week Monday and other grades will return later.  The reorganisation plan, intended for Grades 4 to 11, will entail coverage of the core content just enough to “allow learners to cope with the next grade”.  “The key aim of the school recovery plan is to ensure that the critical skills, knowledge, values and attitudes outlined in the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (Caps) and those that are relevant to the learner’s current grade are covered over a reduced time period,” said DBE director-general Mathanzima Mweli.  He emphasised that the plan was meant just for this year.  Mugwena Maluleke of the SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) said they supported the reconfiguration of the curriculum.  The National Teachers’ Union (Natu) also welcomed the deferment of some lessons, “especially the concepts that will be introduced this year and be dealt with again next year”

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Bongani Nkosi at The Star

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