The Council of Education Ministers has agreed to introduce Kiswahili as a subject in South African schools.

According to Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga, ‘Kenya and Tanzania have committed to assist with the training of educators and the development of appropriate learning and teaching support materials in Kiswahili.’ A few schools in Gauteng have been identified for a pilot next year. If successful the subject will be fully implemented in 2021.

President Ramaphosa pledged in his recent State of The Nation Address to introduce new technology-focused subjects to the curriculum. Coding as a subject will be piloted at 1 000 schools across five provinces in 2020.

More than 43 500 teachers have been trained in computer skills and coding in 2018 and 2019, and training teachers for the new coding curricula began in the second half of this year. Unisa made 24 ICT laboratories country wide available for this teacher training while Google, Teen Geeks and other businesses are also supporting the DBE to develop a coding platform that uses Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to customise teaching and learning.

A robotics curriculum from Grade R – 9 is also on the cards and will have a strong foundation in engineering. Learners will be able to build and operate robots through programming code.

Minister Angie Motshekga explains ‘This robotics curriculum will not require any infrastructure or devices, but will need maker spaces to provide hands-on, creative ways to encourage students to design, experiment, build and invent, e.g. through cardboard construction activities.’ This curriculum, ‘will not only develop STEM skills, but also contribute to effectively developing children’s creativity, critical thinking, design thinking, and digital skills.’