I can’t say I know much about the Out-Based Education (OBE) model that our government has had going for as long as some kids have moved from Grade R to Matric…. This year’s Matrics are the first of the pure OBE model.
But one government official did point out to me with sadness the other day:
OBE is so heavy in its requirements for the child to work after school hours, at home on the countless projects. And this puts a great demand for parents/ primary caregivers to support a child, academically.
Think about today’s kids and where their parents are.
Did their parents attend school themselves? Did these parents matriculate?
What about the kids whose parents are working in the cities and the kid is being cared for by the grandma? How academically capable is this grandma?
How many duties does the child have at home, after school hours, rather than attending to school work – school work that surely should be mainly addressed during school hours?!
What about those children who are living in Child-Headed Households? Who is their academic support then?
Is OBE then the best model for a South Africa where the reality is that the parent is absent from academic support?
As long as you are planning on working at a successful SA-based company, being a SA-based company owner, being a manager… this is a highly important issue. Quality education is not just for parents right now.
What does such a model mean for the education with which children are matriculating and entering the workforce?
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