SETTING THE SCENE
1.3. THE FOUNDATION PHASE LANDSCAPE
1.3.1 The Foundation Phase
Historically, schools were classified as either primary or secondary schools. The primary school is also known as an elementary school or middle school in other countries. In South Africa, a primary school caters for learners for the first eight years of schooling. Grade R to Three is referred to as the Foundation Phase and it is the first phase of the GET band.
The three Learning programmes in the Foundation Phase, namely Literacy, Numeracy and Life Skills draw from key concepts and skills from the learning outcomes for Languages, Mathematics and Life Orientation Learning Areas. By doing this, the intention is that learners will be provided with the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes that are needed to develop them holistically. According to the Department of Education, these Learning Programmes should provide for the holistic development of the learner by: providing a framework for interpreting Assessment Standards and developing activities required to eventually achieve the Learning Outcomes
giving guidance on how to plan for knowledge acquisition, skill development and the formation of values and attitudes
giving guidance on how to assess, record and report on learner achievement against the Assessment Standards
illustrating learners’ progression across the phase. (2003b, p. 28).
It was envisaged in the curriculum documents that the three Learning Programmes would strengthen and support each other by drawing on “the concepts and skills acquired by the other” (Department of Education, 2003b, p. 28). The Literacy Learning Programme in the Foundation Phase focuses on “language acquisition and language development, and various kinds of communication for both Home Language and First Additional Language as from Grade R” (Department of Education, 2003b, p. 28). The Numeracy Learning Programme
“recognises the power of symbols and creates opportunities for all learners to develop the mathematically-related knowledge, skills, attitudes and values necessary for their daily lives”
(Department of Education, 2003b, p. 28). The Life Skills Learning Programme “involves many social, environmental and cultural issues and topics that will require sensitive mediation”
(Department of Education, 2003b, p. 28). As stated in the curriculum documents, Life Skills represents a Learning Programme that encompasses an assortment of life skills that empower learners to:
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develop their full personal potential physically, effectively, socially, cognitively and normatively
participate effectively within their environment and develop scientific and technological process skills
become an empowered citizen and to prepare them for the world of work
be creative thinkers (Department of Education, 1997, p. iv)
From the above account, it is clear that the intention of the Life Skills Learning Programme is to allow learners to “develop the skills, knowledge, attitudes and values that will enable them to identify and solve problems, and make decisions” (Department of Education, 2003a, p. 74). Table 1.1 shows the competency for each of the three Learning Programmes that need to be developed (Department of Education, 2003a, p. 28).
Table 1.1 Competencies for each of the three Learning Programmes (Literacy, Numeracy and Life Skills) that need to be developed (Department of Education, 2003a, p. 28)
Literacy Numeracy Life Skills
Listening
Speaking
Reading and Viewing
Writing
Thinking and Reasoning
Language Structure and Use
Numbers, Operations and Relationships
Patterns Functions and Algebra
Spaces and Shapes (Geometry)
Measurement
Data Handling
Health Promotion
Social Development
Personal Development
Physical development and Movement
As is evident from Table 1.1 there is no direct reference to Science in the competencies for the Life Skills Learning Programme. The competencies for the Life Skills Learning programme are the Learning Outcomes for the Life Orientation Learning Programme. This is consistent with the RNCS where it is stated that Life Orientation forms the backbone of Life Skills, which “prepares learners for life and its possibilities, specifically equips learners for meaningful and successful living in a rapidly changing and transforming society.” (Department of Education, 2003a, p. 75) In addition, “Learning Outcomes and their related Assessment Standards from other learning areas are also dealt with in the Life Skills Learning Programme”
(Department of Education, 2003a, p. 75). This implies that competencies from the Learning Outcomes from the Natural Science and the Technology Learning Areas have to be drawn from. The curriculum explains:
Learning Outcomes that enable learners to investigate people-environment
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relationships (Life Orientation: Learning Outcome One; and i.e. Technology:
Learning Outcome One; Natural Science: Learning Outcome One; and Social Sciences - Geography: Learning Outcomes One, Two and Three), encourage learners to undertake different kinds of investigations to learn about the relationships between people and the environment. This involves developing an understanding of the world as a set of related systems, and using science and technology effectively and critically while showing responsibility for the environment and the health of others. (Department of Education, 2003a, p. 75) The learner in the Foundation Phase is naturally curious and explores the world by
“observing and manipulating common objects and materials in the environment” (Department of Education, 2003b, p. 24). Since the learner in this phase accomplishes learning through exploring, the curriculum needs to afford the learner the opportunity to achieve learning through this method. Osborne (2002) questions what it means to “do science”. He further states, “It is rare to hear anybody talking of “doing history”. He surmises there is a noteworthy difference with regard to enquiry in Science and humanities (p. 203). The Natural Science RNCS Policy document maintains, “Science in the Foundation Phase should build on the learner’s curiosity and ways of knowing, and encourage investigation of the natural world with a sense of wonderment” (Department of Education, 2003b, p. 24).
Together with the competencies for each learning programme, there is a need to investigate the time allocated to each learning programme in the formal school day. In terms of Section Four of the Employment of Educators Act, (1998), the formal school day for teachers will be seven hours (as cited in Department of Education, 2002b, p. 18). In terms of the National Education Policy Act, (1996), the formal teaching time per school week is 35 hours (as cited in Department of Education, 2002b, p. 18). This is set out in Table 1.2 showing the instructional time for each grade in each phase.
Table 1.2 Instructional times for each grade in each phase (Department of Education, 2011, p. 4)
Phase Grade Time per week
Foundation Phase R, 1 and 2 22 hours 30 minutes
3 25 hours
Intermediate Phase 4, 5 and 6 26 hours 30 minutes
7 26 hours 30 minutes
Senior Phase 8 and 9 27 hours 30 minutes
10, 11 and 12 27 hours 30 minutes
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According to the RNCS documents, the formal teaching time allocations for the Foundation Phase Learning Programmes is shown in Table 1.3 (Department of Education, 2011, p. 4).
Table 1.3 Instructional times for Learning Programmes in the Foundation Phase (Department of Education, 2011a, p. 4)
Learning Programme
Grade R, 1, 2 Grade 3
Per week Per day Per week Per day
Literacy (40%)
± 9 hours 10 minutes
± 1 hour 50 minutes
± 10 hours ± 2 hours Numeracy
(35%)
± 7 hours 30 minutes
± 1 hour 30 minutes
± 8 hours 45 minutes
± 1 hour 45 minutes Life Skills
(25%)
± 5 hours 50 minutes
± 1 hour 10 minutes
± 6 hours 15 minutes
± 1 hours 15 minutes 22 hours
30 minutes
4 hours 30 minutes
25 hours minutes
5 hours
Table 1.3 shows that only 25% of the time is spent on Life Skills. As previously mentioned, the Life Skills Learning Programme incorporates six learning areas, which have to be included in the Life Skills Learning Programmes in the five hours and 50 minutes time allocation per week. According to Van Aalderen-Smeets, Van Der Molen, and Asma (2012),
“Many initiatives across the world have focused on increasing the scientific knowledge, inquiry skills, and attitudes of primary students by allocating more time to Science Education” (p. 162).
Some of these initiatives seem to have been plausibly successful, predominantly with regard to children’s enjoyment of science projects (Duschl, Schweingruber & Shouse, 2007). However Van Aalderen-Smeets et al. (2012) are of the belief that a main “problem remains that cannot be solved by simply allocating more time to science in primary education”. The problem, according to them is, “Primary school teachers are not adequately trained to teach science” (p.
162).