Colleagues have you seen yesterday's article in THE TIMES (16.09.09)? It is said that OBE is failing as it produces incompentent learners. They are saying that we educators cn't even use the text book. There is a team consisting of the MEC which is to find out the latest developments around OBE/NCS.
Quite interesting I must say. What's your view?
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The concept of OBE would have been a wonderful transformation if it has been well researched and was adequately implemented, and educators intensively trained to transcend and facilitate OBE with ease. Our learners performed embarassingly last in Numeracy, Reading & writing, where we were even outdone by Zimbabwe with its ailing social and economic status.
ReplyDeleteLike now with submission of sample portfolios, educators are instructed to let poor performing learners to be progressed to the next Grade, because they didn't offer them Expanded Opportunities. How possible is that with such colossal marking and over-flowing classes? The very learner who are progressed will be expected to produce qualitative results at the end of Grade 12 - Pure lunacy. For expectations of OBE to be adequately realised, serious reduction of teacher-learner ratio must be enforced. This will afford educators to interact with and mark minimal and reasonable quantity, and offer that Expanded Opportunity as desired.
Unfortunately OBE was introduced as though South Africans volunteered to participate in the trail to establish impact. Standards have been lowered to effect pass - 30% regarded as pass (DAMN what an achievement), and learners are just pushed for certification with no adequate skills gathered.
Our kids will be carriers of beautiful certificates, with no skill to apply that education in their daily lives - they just go through the education system...
I personally believe that there is nothing wrong with OBE Methods. Educators just need to adapt to change and be flexible.
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