Prior to Higher Education there are two strands to education. Students will go through General Education and Training (GET) and Further Education and Training (FET). GET consists of three phases and is required:
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Foundation Phase (grades R-3)—R is similar to Kindergarten
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Intermediate Phase (grades 4-6)
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Senior Phase (grades 7-9)
Grades R-3 is taught in the students’ native tongue. Please keep in mind that there are eleven official languages. Starting in the Intermediate Phase, classes are taught in either English or Afrikaans. The teacher to student ratio at this strand is 1 teacher:40 students.
Economic and Management Sciences (EMS) is required throughout the entire GET phase of education. The components taught through EMS are economics, personal finance, Entrepreneurship, and Business studies. Students are given a national exam in grade 9 to help determine the route they will take during their FET years.
During grades 10-12 or FET, students choose their curriculum path. During this time, EMS is not required, but is an elective that they must take for the entire three years. Only about 50% of the students choose the EMS route of education. If a student chooses the EMS path, he/she will take Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, and Economic Pursuits. One thing I should mention here is that the FET strand is not required, but many students choose to continue their education if they are able. The teacher to student ratio at this level is 1:35.
Curriculum in South Africa is going to be the exact same from grade level to grade level regardless of where the school is located. The government has established this requirement in order to help ensure students to learn equally. Unlike the United States where teachers have a great deal of flexibility within their curriculum.
Teachers are considered to be extremely wealthy in South Africa. Teachers are paid based on experience regardless of where they live. The average salary is $18,000-20,000 annually. In many places, the average laborer only earns $1,000 annually. It is a challenge to motivate people to become teachers and there is a shortage of teachers due to HIV-Aids. In the United States, transportation is included in public education. In South Africa, it is the parents’ responsibility to get students to school. In some areas, students will walk 20 km (about 12 miles) each way to make it to school. Because of the transportation issue only about 60% of learners complete through 12th grade.
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August 6, 2009 at 10:16 pm |
Will the Mayor get his sons’ uniforms from the new store that wants to cater to DC Schools?
DC’s First School Uniform Store to Open August 10, 2009
DC’s Mayor is making good on his promise to send his sons to public school this fall. And when classes begin, the boys, along with 45,000 other DCPS students, will need new uniforms. Earlier this year, guidelines were laid out for a more stringent uniform policy—which studies have shown to improve student discipline, attendance and retention—but in the past parents usually had to venture out to Maryland to purchase the mandatory attire.
Enter Octavia Taylor Jackson, a mother of three young boys who attend DC public schools. After a layoff in late March, she put into motion a plan she had begun working on months before. Jackson, a native Washingtonian, has held well-paying jobs in the government, corporate and nonprofit sectors, but found her calling in entrepreneurship. Her passion for education and seeing children succeed in school pushed her to create Y.E.S.S.S. (Your Educational Supplies, Systems and Services), a school uniform and educational supply store that also provides consulting for information technology systems and related services for schools.
In a period of only four months, Jackson—whose last job was Senior Vice President for Information Technology at an educational nonprofit—located a venue, hired contractors, ordered inventory, found employees and is hosting the grand opening of her new store at 108 Rhode Island Avenue, NW on Monday, August 10. Just in time for the back-to-school season.
Asked about the reason for her new venture, Jackson states, “I remember several PTA meetings where I would commiserate with other parents over our frustration in finding school uniforms and supplies right here in DC. The tax free weekend wasn’t beneficial when I had to go out to Maryland to find uniforms for my children who attend DC public schools. I started the company because I enjoy working with children and saw the need in my community for a store that sells school uniforms and supplies. I believe that this company is my destined career for the rest of my work life.”
Y.E.S.S.S. (Your Educational Supplies, Systems and Services) is the preeminent provider of educational resources that students need to complete their education with the highest level of success. The company caters to the academic community by offering a full-scale product line of school supplies, from uniforms to books and backpacks; along with consulting for information technology systems and related services. For more information, visit http://www.theyesss.com or call (202) 525-4157.