In the lead-up to the new school year, the South African Department of Basic Education has published a list of 19 new subjects that have been introduced into schools over the past five years. These subjects form part of a wide range of fields and are aimed at preparing learners who do not complete grade 12 or do not go to university, equipping them with the necessary skills to gain employment and further qualifications after leaving school.
As proficiency in using technology, as well as a need for technical and electronic skills become ever more urgent in the second decade of the 21st century, it will come as no surprise that several technology-related subjects form a part of the DBE’s offering to learners in primary school and high school.
Here are some of the subjects that aim to prepare the next generation to be ready for a world driven by tech:
Digital technology
According to the Department of Basic Education, this subject will focus on the use of computers, internet technologies and applications to enable users to communicate, and to create, store, distribute and manage information and solve real-world problems with the appropriate techniques and tools.
Electrical technology
This subject provides a firm foundation in digital principles and electrical electronics to prepare learners for accessing occupational workplace-based learning and employment.
Technical sciences
Supporting learners in the three focus areas of technology (electrical technology, mechanical technology and civil technology), passing this subject will see learners attaining an NQF level 4 qualification in technical science.
Technical mathematics
This subject is tailored to technical fields with an emphasis on application, instead of abstract ideas. It incorporates real-life technical problems as much as possible and teaches mathematical modelling as a central focus of the curriculum.
As the country aims to equip learners with the skills, they need to be a part of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), it has also been announced that 54 schools have been identified to pilot and implement a curriculum in coding and robotics.
It will be interesting to see how the tech-savvy learners of today become the leaders of industry tomorrow, and with technology becoming ingrained in just about everything we do, the future certainly looks to be very exciting.