The perceptions of state secondary school teachers and administrators in the South Region regarding some of the major challenges posed by the NMC

Abstract

Among the most important stakeholders in the educational system, one cannot ignore teachers and school administrators. They are the ones who can identify the needs of their particular schools. For this reason, we were interested in knowing their perceptions about Assessment, Teaching/Learning Strategies, Teachers as Curriculum Developers and Researchers, Technology Education and Bilingualism as set up by the National Minimum Curriculum. Through both quantitative and qualitative research methods, our study examines also the possibilities and limitations in implementing these challenges in the coming years. During this study, it became abundantly clear that South State Secondary school teachers need more information about the new assessment system and time for more collaborative work. Teachers are willing to include modes of teaching other than the transmission method, but they are conscious that Time, Syllabi and the Number of Students in class, amongst others, are major constraints which make this difficult to happen. Moreover. they think that they should have more power in decision-making both within the school and as regards other issues which concern them, such as the NMC. Another point that emerged is that most teachers are not sufficiently informed about Technology Education. Consequently. training in and seminars about this subject need to be organised. Bilingualism remains a controversial issue. Still, most teachers think that each school should have its language policy adaptable to the students' abilities. In conclusion, results show that teachers need to be provided with continuous support and resources in order to make this curriculum work.