The implementation of outcomes-based education in the foundation phase in the North Durban region, in different school climates.

Abstract

Outcomes-Based Education (OBE) has been used successfully in many States in the United States of America, New Zealand and Denmark. Much of the information contained in the theoretical literature relates to America. In South Africa, OBE is incorporated in Curriculum 2005 - the new national curriculum for the twenty-first century. Curriculum 2005 proposes to be a major step forward in ensuring quality education for all people in South Africa. It aims to equip learners with the knowledge, competencies and orientations needed for success once learners leave school or complete their training. OBE shifts the focus from a content-based education to one that is based on outcomes achieved by learners. This research examines how the Foundation Phase educators, in the North Durban Region of KwaZulu-Natal, perceive the implementation of OBE and its implications for the entire school community. The study examines the advantages that OBE proposes and the related constraints. The researcher concludes that in its infancy in South Africa, OBE with all its uncertainty of change, is being implemented with various degrees of success. This research study aims to highlight that the major burden of fulfilling the promise of OBE falls on the shoulders of the OBE practitioners.