Latest news with #curriculum
The Herald
8 hours ago
- Politics
- The Herald
How can government ensure AI is integrated into the education syllabus?
In the fast-paced digital age, artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being integrated into different fields to improve efficiency. The KwaZulu-Natal youth parliament has called for a complete overhaul of the 'outdated' school curriculum to better prepare pupils for future careers. While some schools have started incorporating AI into the syllabus, such as coding, others are left behind. More than 70 delegates representing the MK Party, IFP, ANC, DA, EFF and NFP condemned the syllabus as 'disconnected and obsolete'. They called for the urgent inclusion of AI and digital literacy, entrepreneurship, climate awareness, African history and mental health support, arguing a curriculum stuck in the past cannot prepare pupils for a world that has moved on.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Why the traditional college major may be holding students back in a rapidly changing job market
Colleges and universities are struggling to stay afloat. The reasons are numerous: declining numbers of college-age students in much of the country, rising tuition at public institutions as state funding shrinks, and a growing skepticism about the value of a college degree. Pressure is mounting to cut costs by reducing the time it takes to earn a degree from four years to three. Students, parents and legislators increasingly prioritize return on investment and degrees that are more likely to lead to gainful employment. This has boosted enrollment in professional programs while reducing interest in traditional liberal arts and humanities majors, creating a supply-demand imbalance. The result has been increasing financial pressure and an unprecedented number of closures and mergers, to date mostly among smaller liberal arts colleges. To survive, institutions are scrambling to align curriculum with market demand. And they're defaulting to the traditional college major to do so. The college major, developed and delivered by disciplinary experts within siloed departments, continues to be the primary benchmark for academic quality and institutional performance. This structure likely works well for professional majors governed by accreditation or licensure, or more tightly aligned with employment. But in today's evolving landscape, reliance on the discipline-specific major may not always serve students or institutions well. As a professor emeritus and former college administrator and dean, I argue that the college major may no longer be able to keep up with the combinations of skills that cross multiple academic disciplines and career readiness skills demanded by employers, or the flexibility students need to best position themselves for the workplace. I see students arrive on campus each year with different interests, passions and talents – eager to stitch them into meaningful lives and careers. A more flexible curriculum is linked to student success, and students now consult AI tools such as ChatGPT to figure out course combinations that best position them for their future. They want flexibility, choice and time to redirect their studies if needed. And yet, the moment students arrive on campus – even before they apply – they're asked to declare a major from a list of predetermined and prescribed choices. The major, coupled with general education and other college requirements, creates an academic track that is anything but flexible. Not surprisingly, around 80% of college students switch their majors at least once, suggesting that more flexible degree requirements would allow students to explore and combine diverse areas of interest. And the number of careers, let alone jobs, that college graduates are expected to have will only increase as technological change becomes more disruptive. As institutions face mounting pressures to attract students and balance budgets, and the college major remains the principal metric for doing so, the curriculum may be less flexible now than ever. In response to market pressures, colleges are adding new high-demand majors at a record pace. Between 2002 and 2022, the number of degree programs nationwide increased by nearly 23,000, or 40%, while enrollment grew only 8%. Some of these majors, such as cybersecurity, fashion business or entertainment design, arguably connect disciplines rather than stand out as distinct. Thus, these new majors siphon enrollment from lower-demand programs within the institution and compete with similar new majors at competitor schools. At the same time, traditional arts and humanities majors are adding professional courses to attract students and improve employability. Yet, this adds credit hours to the degree while often duplicating content already available in other departments. Importantly, while new programs are added, few are removed. The challenge lies in faculty tenure and governance, along with a traditional understanding that faculty set the curriculum as disciplinary experts. This makes it difficult to close or revise low-demand majors and shift resources to growth areas. The result is a proliferation of under-enrolled programs, canceled courses and stretched resources – leading to reduced program quality and declining faculty morale. Ironically, under the pressure of declining demand, there can be perverse incentives to grow credit hours required in a major or in general education requirements as a way of garnering more resources or adding courses aligned with faculty interests. All of which continues to expand the curriculum and stress available resources. Universities are also wrestling with the idea of liberal education and how to package the general education requirement. Although liberal education is increasingly under fire, employers and students still value it. Students' career readiness skills – their ability to think critically and creatively, to collaborate effectively and to communicate well – remain strong predictors of future success in the workplace and in life. Assuming the requirement for students to complete a major in order to earn a degree, colleges can also allow students to bundle smaller modules – such as variable-credit minors, certificates or course sequences – into a customizable, modular major. This lets students, guided by advisers, assemble a degree that fits their interests and goals while drawing from multiple disciplines. A few project-based courses can tie everything together and provide context. Such a model wouldn't undermine existing majors where demand is strong. For others, where demand for the major is declining, a flexible structure would strengthen enrollment, preserve faculty expertise rather than eliminate it, attract a growing number of nontraditional students who bring to campus previously earned credentials, and address the financial bottom line by rightsizing curriculum in alignment with student demand. One critique of such a flexible major is that it lacks depth of study, but it is precisely the combination of curricular content that gives it depth. Another criticism is that it can't be effectively marketed to an employer. But a customized major can be clearly named and explained to employers to highlight students' unique skill sets. Further, as students increasingly try to fit cocurricular experiences – such as study abroad, internships, undergraduate research or organizational leadership – into their course of study, these can also be approved as modules in a flexible curriculum. It's worth noting that while several schools offer interdisciplinary studies majors, these are often overprescribed or don't grant students access to in-demand courses. For a flexible-degree model to succeed, course sections would need to be available and added or deleted in response to student demand. Several schools also now offer microcredentials– skill-based courses or course modules that increasingly include courses in the liberal arts. But these typically need to be completed in addition to requirements of the major. We take the college major for granted. Yet it's worth noting that the major is a relatively recent invention. Before the 20th century, students followed a broad liberal arts curriculum designed to create well-rounded, globally minded citizens. The major emerged as a response to an evolving workforce that prioritized specialized knowledge. But times change – and so can the model. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: John Weigand, Miami University Read more: Will the 'right' college major get you a job? Why do we need the humanities? Some want to get rid of college majors – here's how that could go wrong John Weigand does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
CTV News
5 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Ontario announces pause on school curriculum changes, including kindergarten overhaul
An empty classroom is shown at a school in Toronto, Monday, Sept. 14, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette Ontario has announced a pause on planned school curriculum changes that were set to take effect in September, including the introduction of early reading, math and STEM lessons in kindergarten classrooms. Education Minister Paul Calandra said during a news conference on Friday that he has directed the Ministry of Education to pause any planned curriculum changes for one year 'so that a more central and consistent curriculum can be brought forward for Ontario.' The pause will impact a series of curriculum changes that were planned for September, including an overhaul of the kindergarten curriculum to focus on what the PC government previously described as 'back to the basics' fundamentals. A new financial literacy requirement that was supposed to be included as part of the Grade 10 math curriculum in Ontario is also now on hold. This is a breaking news story. More details to follow.
The Herald
17-06-2025
- General
- The Herald
Reading Champions shine a little light in tough Nelson Mandela Bay neighbourhood
At Dietrich Primary School in Schauderville, where cultures and languages from across Africa converge, teachers aren't just fighting to teach, they are fighting to be heard. Overcrowded classrooms, outdated resources and a curriculum bloated with administrative demands are pushing educators to the brink. Despite their dedication and creative efforts, teachers at the school in Nelson Mandela Bay's northern areas say they are stretched too thin and that their hands are tied by systemic neglect. Dietrich Primary's principal, Chantel Milborrow said she believed the curriculum for children and teachers was overloaded. 'It is filled with a lot of administration work, which prevents teachers from doing what they are supposed to do to the best of their abilities, or the way they would like to do.' A report by the 2030 Reading Panel, chaired by former deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, found that about 80% of SA's grade 3 pupils are unable to read for meaning in any language. Just 20% of grade 3 pupils are performing at grade level or above for reading in their home language. This is something teachers at Dietrich Primary have experienced first-hand. Grade 6 teacher Shanice Simons said the basic education department's annual teaching plan made no provision for pupils who were struggling. 'It doesn't make provision for the child that cannot but only focuses on the child that can do everything. 'The child who does read with comprehension, who can answer specific types of questions, different levels of understanding can be accommodated, but the ones who cannot are not accommodated for.' 'While some the level of reading of some learners might sound as if they are really good, they are not able to answer those questions related to what they've just read. ' That then spills over into the assessments. Our assessments are not differentiated as yet. ' That then spills over into our pass rate b ecause then we are classified as underperforming, and it is basically because our learners cannot read with comprehension, and it is also not their first language.' Ethnicities and cultures from all over Africa collide in Schauderville, which borders the Korsten trading hub, and Dietrich Primary's pupil population includes black and coloured South Africans, Zimbabweans, Somalis and Ethiopians. This has contributed to some of the language challenges at the school. Grade 4 teacher Wonique Gamieldien said the community in which the school was located contributed to the generally low reading level of its pupils. ' Another influence is the location because there's a lot of gangsterism in the area and children are misbehaving and talk to us with a lack of respect. 'I think we spend about 30 minutes each lesson disciplining children and it takes away from the teaching time.' she said. Gamieldien said lack of parental supervision posed another challenge. 'If we send children with homework, it doesn't get done because there's no supervision at home at all. 'So, our hands are tied because we have overcrowded classrooms, so we can't assist everyone individually like we would like to. 'I think that's also stressful for us because we really want to help these children, but we can't because there's so many of them.' Milborrow said in the face of these challenges, the school launched a project, Reading Champions, to encourage a love of books among its pupils. 'Teachers identify the strongest readers in the classroom through spelling tests, to see how good they spell and also if they're able to comprehend what they're reading. 'We call them Reading Champions. 'They're given a badge, and their role is to assist the ones that are struggling to read, assist those who are not confident when it comes to reading and also those who are a little bit shy. 'We find that is a very effective way to encourage reading. 'In the foundation phase, learners are given high-frequency words, spelling tests once a week and parents are sent the words learners are preparing for. 'We need a lot of more parental involvement, but we found Reading Champions is a nice way to encourage learners to read because everyone wants a badge,' Milborrow said. Eastern Cape education spokesperson Vuyiseka Mboxela said the department did not believe the curriculum was overloaded 'because kids have an unmatched opportunity when they are still young'. This special report into the state of literacy, a collaborative effort by The Herald, Sowetan and Daily Dispatch, was made possible by the Henry Nxumalo Foundation The Herald
RNZ News
16-06-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Schools not ready to grade reports against new curriculums
Schools are taking a cautious approach to reporting with the change in curriculum. File photo. Photo: Unsplash/ Taylor Flowe Some primary schools warn they are not ready to grade children against the new English and maths curriculums in mid-year reports to parents. The curriculums were introduced this year and the Education Ministry has proposed a new four-point scale to standardise the way schools describe children's achievement. It suggested four descriptors: needs support, progressing towards, proficient, and excelling. "Needs support" would apply to children who were not meeting the level of achievement expected of their year group and needed significant guidance and assistance, Pupils who were "progressing towards" could complete tasks with some guidance and needed targeted support while those who were "proficient" would be meeting expectations for their year level. The draft said "exceeding" could apply to students who consistently showed advanced understanding, knowledge and skills for their year level. The ministry told schools they could use the descriptors if they wanted to, but there was no requirement to do so this year. Testing several years ago suggested the new maths curriculum would be more challenging, but the children who sat those tests had not been taught the curriculum. Principals spoken to by RNZ were reluctant to say children who met curriculum expectations last year might not meet expectations under the new curriculum this year. Auckland Primary Principals Association president Lucy Naylor said families should regard the mid-year reports as setting a new baseline for their children's achievement against the new curriculum. "We're no longer reporting against the old curriculum. So there might be a shift for parents, it's a new curriculum, it's a tighter curriculum," she said. "What parents might see is variation. So where a child might have been proficient against the old curriculum there might be a little bit of a change to that because we have more indicators within the new curriculum to report against." However, Naylor said this year was a transition year for introducing the new curriculums and schools would be at different stages of readiness to report on children's progress. Dunedin North Intermediate principal Heidi Hayward said it was too early to know if fewer children were meeting the new maths requirements. "Schools are really just scratching the surface in understanding the new maths curriculum so I think it's imprudent to try and report against a curriculum that schools have actually not had enough time to learn and use properly," she said. "We'll be taking a very cautious approach to reporting." Hayward said teachers would rely heavily on test results this year, but needed to use their overall judgement when deciding how well their pupils' were doing. She said reports should ideally show parents how well children were achieving against expectations for their age group, and how much progress they had made. "As a parent what I really want to know is has my child made progress and where do they sit in relation to the expectation for age and they're two quite different things," she said. She said it was important to know whether high-achievers had improved or progressed much during the year, and also whether pupils performing below expectations had made progress in catching up to their peers. Hayward said the ministry's proposed descriptors would not provide that information and her school would this year use its old reporting templates. The principal of Douglas Park School in Masterton, Gareth Sinton, said his school's mid-year reports would not use the ministry's proposed terminology because there was not enough detail to help schools decide which of the four descriptors to use. "If I pick Year 6 writing, there are 53 what they call sequence statements, so 53 skills that the kids are expected to be taught and pick up across their Year 6 year in writing. So to be proficient it says you need to be meeting the expectations. It doesn't say if you need to have all of those, all 53. If you need to have 90 percent of those, 80 percent of those, 75 percent... So the descriptor is so vague that we don't feel confident enough yet to make a judgement against this new curriculum," he said. Sinton said greater national consistency was possible, but currently different schools had different ideas about where the cut-off points lay for each level of achievement. For example, one of his staff was talking with staff from five other schools about the curriculum expectations and all five had different ideas about where the cut-off points should be drawn. "All five schools had different thoughts. So if you translate that across the whole system of 2000 primary schools, there's an issue and it's not even an issue on the horizon, it's an issue right here in front of us," he said. Sinton said his teachers would explain to parents in mid-year reports what their children could do in maths and English, but would not make an overall judgement about their performance. The Education Ministry said the new curriculums had a different approach to learning and school leaders and teachers had asked for clarity on how they should assess and report student progress and achievement against the new curriculum. "Progress descriptors provide consistent language for how each child's progress is tracking against the new curriculum expectations. The descriptors are in draft and we're consulting on these until 30 June," it said. "National consistency in how progress is assessed and described will support teachers to meet students' needs and support a common understanding of when additional support or extension needs to be considered. It will also support continuity in teaching, learning and support as students move to the next year level or school." The ministry said national consistency would ensure parents would not have to interpret different approaches for describing how their children were doing as they moved to the next year level or school. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
