Education Systems & Syllabi

The paragraphs below provide a concise summary of some of the more popular educational systems which are followed in South African schools. It is encouraged that you research more on these syllabi for tutoring purposes.

You can find Cambridge resources here, and IEB resources here.

CAPS (NSC) Syllabus

Stands for Curriculum & Assessment Policy Statement.
Find below a brief summation of why CAPS was created & implemented:
1995: Creation of the NQF (National Qualification Framework) which aimed to link real-world training to education systems.
1998: Creation of OBE (Outcomes Based Education) which was skills and process focus, but was criticised for lacking content knowledge.
2003: The RNCS (Revised National Curriculum Statements) appeared to try and shift the focus of education towards critical thinking and 21^st Century learning. This caused difficulties amongst those teachers who lacked subject knowledge and appropriate skills, while simultaneously overloading staff with paper work.
2012: Implementation of CAPS: a single, comprehensive and concise policy document for learning and teaching in South African schools.
CAPS documents conveniently include recommended time allocations, content and lesson plans for the educator, as well as assessments for each subject in each phase:

IEB Syllabus

Stands for Independent Examinations Board.
The IEB's primary reason of existence was to ensure that there was at least one non-racial assessment body at Grade 12 level during the time of Apartheid to serve progressive schools that stood in opposition to the Apartheid policies of the day.
Central to the independence of IEB schools is the freedom to choose the content, pace, sequencing, methods and assessment of their curricula, provided they meet the national outcome standards. This means that IEB syllabi still have to align with the content and assessment standards prescribed by the CAPS documents.
However, many IEB schools expand on the CAPS documents using additional resources to provide more extensive learning.
IEB learning seeks to integrate 21^st Century Learning and technology to a greater extent than CAPS does.
Use this link for a comprehensive list of additional assessments of IEB schools.

Cambridge, IB & GED Syllabi

Both Cambridge and IB (International Baccalaureate) are geared towards global education, especially when learners seek an international tertiary education.
Cambridge offers the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) which prepares learners for the International Baccalaureate, AS and A Levels (these are similar to Matric in that they are school-leaving certificates, but these options are internationally recognised).
An IB Education is learner-centered, works within global contexts and explores significant content.
GED is a home-schooling curriculum comparable to the National Senior Certificate (Grade 12 Level) high school leaver’s certificate.
Online learning takes place and exams are written at a test center nearest the learner.
Use this website for further information: https://www.passged.co.za/
IGSCE / O-Levels: This is equivalent to CAPS Grades 10 & 11.
AS: Cambridge AS Levels are equivalent to a Matric Certificate (Grade 12).
A – Levels: This is a “Grade 13” which occurs after the AS year.
Find out more about IB education here: http://www.ibo.org/globalassets/digital-tookit/brochures/what-is-an-ib-education-en.pdf
Find out more about Cambridge and obtain useful resources here: http://www.cie.org.uk/