How to ensure that your Grade 10 – 12 CAPS student is enroled at a registered school

The South African Department of Education (DoE) released findings of an alarming number of unregistered schools across all provinces. The law states that all schools (public and independent) must be registered with the Department of Basic Education at national and provincial level.

Think Digital Academy is registered with SACAI, the South African Comprehensive Assessment Institute, and follows the requirements for students to obtain their National Senior Certificate. If a learner is in the FET phase (Grade 10-12) the school should be accredited with one of the three governing bodies for primary and secondary education in South Africa: namely:

  1. Department of Education – The DoE governs all public schools
  2. IEB – The Independent Examinations Board (IEB) governs most private schools and any schools offering the IEB curriculum
  3. SACAI – SACAI governs online schools / distance providers

The matric certificates of all three bodies are issued by Umalusi which gives all students the same opportunity to obtain their NSC certificates. Think Digital Academy registers all FET students (Grade 10, 11 and 12) with SACAI.

Registration grants the applicant school legal authority to offer basic education and enables it to operate within the law. With nearly 26 000 illegitimate educational institutions identified, the government department prioritised on curbing the practice. The problem however, persists, though much has been done to create public awareness of the problem. Hefty fines have been implemented, legislation amended, schools have been closed, and perpetrators have been jailed for creating these bogus schools, which essentially defraud and forge the certificates/qualifications of illegally trained students.

There are two types of schools in South Africa: namely public and independent. While the state controls public schools, the set-up of independent schools, which have their own operations, mission and ethos and essentially, their own curriculum and control, is a complicated process. There are various departments and organisations, like ISASA – the Independent Schools Association of South Africa, which provide schools with vital information and aid to legally start up their establishments. When considering applications, the Department of Education will look at the quality, financial stability, qualifications, legal operations and health and safety of the school. It is also assessed for resources, capacity and expertise. If everything is found to be satisfactory, the school will be issued with a letter and certificate of registration which states the registration number, the phases/grades for which it is registered and the address at which the school is situated. This must be visibly displayed on the school’s premises.

The issue is not all that black and white however. There are indeed fly-by-night schools which advertise courses and qualifications which do not exist, receive payment and cannot deliver the education. There are also however, community-run schools created by parents and families of children living in the rural or poverty laden areas with no other alternative; where there are no other schools, or the formal schools are inadequate or overcrowded. The Department shuns such schools as oftentimes the teachers are not qualified to educate and do more harm than good. A contentious issue indeed, as the Department of Education in 2014 received 20% (R254 billion); the highest share of government’s consolidated expenditure, in the hope of dealing with these kinds of urgent educational needs.

The Department of Education has been very vocal in what you can do to prevent your child from attending an illegitimate school:

  • Obtain the school’s registration number and call your provincial Department to check if it is legit. You can also check with the Umalusi Council, which sets and monitors standards for general and further education or contact the South African Qualifications Authority which deals with accreditation and quality assurance. They are easily found on the web.
  • If your child is attending a brick-and-mortar school, check the school’s premises to your satisfaction. Have all your concerns regarding facilities, health and safety been met?
  • Study and understand the school’s enrolment forms carefully before signing them – make sure your child is registered for the right grade and the right courses in the right language, etc.

Please contact your Provincial Education Department (PED) to register your child for home-schooling for one of the following compulsory phases:

  • Foundation Phase (Grade 1 to 3)
  • Intermediate Phase (Grade 4 to 6)
  • Senior Phase (Grade 7 to 9)

To date, Think Digital Academy parents have never had an issue with the DoE as they are able to provide sufficient “evidence” that schooling is taking place daily. Parents are encouraged to print out the weekly reports that are emailed every Monday, keep a record of all the activities completed in student workbooks and lastly, print out a copy of all student assessments which are emailed to the parents upon completion. Should any parents of a Gr R-9 online learner with TDA ever be paid a visit by a representative from the DoE, the documents collected should suffice in terms of producing evidence of work being done at home.

Any parents who are seeking more guidance with registering their children with the DoE can contact the Pestalozzi Trust, a body of lawyers that represent home-schooling parents.

Everything you need to know about the CAPS curriculum

If you’ve lived in South Africa for more than five years and attended either a government school or private educational institution, you’ve most likely come across the CAPS curriculum at some stage of your life.

But what exactly is it all about and what does it involve? Let’s take a deeper dive below.

The Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements (CAPS) is not a new curriculum, but has been around for many years to improve teaching and learning as well to improve the skills and knowledge of many students all over South Africa.

Each Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) is a streamlined, essential document necessary for teaching and learning in all subjects from Grade R to 12.

  • Each subject has one CAPS document that provides details of what needs to be taught and assessed on a grade-by-grade basis.
  • The CAPS are more content-based, prescribing specific content and describing when it needs to be taught.
  • The Foundations for Learning principles are embodied in the CAPS, with the emphasis on Languages and Mathematics.
  • English, as a First Additional Language, is taught from Grade 1.
  • Intermediate Phase subjects are reduced to six. Technology is combined with Natural Sciences, and Arts and Culture is combined with Life Orientation.
  • In the Senior Phase, Arts and Culture is replaced with Creative Arts.
  • Economic and Management Sciences is taught from Grade 7.
  • Annual assessments take place from Grades 1 to 9 and a more critical assessment approach is applied from Grades 10-12.

The CAPS implementation timeline is one calendar year per academic year.

The importance of quality material in learning and teaching is emphasised.

General aim of the CAPS curriculum

The National Curriculum Statement Grades R-12 gives expression to the knowledge, skills and values worth learning in South African schools. This curriculum aims to ensure that children acquire and apply knowledge and skills in ways that are meaningful to their own lives. In this regard, the curriculum promotes knowledge in local contexts, while being sensitive to global imperatives.

Purpose of the CAPS curriculum

The National Curriculum Statement Grades R-12 at Think Digital Academy serves the purposes of:

  • Equipping learners, irrespective of their socio-economic background, race, gender, physical ability or intellectual ability, with the knowledge, skills and values necessary for self-fulfilment and meaningful participation in society as citizens of a free country
  • Providing access to higher education
  • Facilitating the transition of learners from education institutions to the workplace and
  • Providing employers with a sufficient profile of a learner’s competences

What are the aims of teaching the CAPS curriculum at Think Digital Academy?

The CAPS curriculum for Grades R-12 at Think Digital Academy aims to produce learners that are able to:

  • Identify and solve problems and make decisions using critical and creative thinking
  • Work effectively as individuals
  • Organise and manage themselves and their activities responsibly and effectively
  • Collect, analyse, organise and critically evaluate information
  • Communicate effectively using visual, symbolic and/or language skills in various modes
  • Use science and technology effectively and critically, showing responsibility towards the environment and the health of others and
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the world as a set of related systems by recognising that problem solving contexts do not exist in isolation.

Find out more about the CAPS curriculum at Think Digital Academy, and read about what to expect from Grades 8 to matric when doing your high school online.

And don’t forget to try out our free two week trial.