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Overview

This page looks at the reasons why the curriculum may be in need of reform as part of secondary expansion.

The page also looks at the process of developing a roadmap for the reform and addresses the need for a statistical planning model.

 

Identifying problem areas and planning the roadmap A ctitical look at what the existing curriculum does well and what are its shortcomings is a useful starting point for the reform process  
A critical look at the current curriculum; why it may be in need of reform Most secondary curricula in Africa date from colonial times and cater only for a small minority of academically able students. They are increasingly inapropriate both for the majority of students now seeking secondary education and also for the emerging modern economies of the continent. For a discussion of these and related issues follow the link on the right.
Developing a roadmap for the reform The main elements of the roadmap are the boxes or the flowchart on the overview page. For more details follow the link on the right.
Getting the numbers right A good expansion model is important. It can be tweaked to show how changes in any variable will effect expansion viability. The model will also indicate how many teachers will be needed, and if it is a good one, in which subjects.
Planning the learners An expansion model will be required that allows all the variables to be tweaked to provide information on optimum procedures. This will include student numbers, unit costs, teacher numbers, etc and, important for secondary education, should include teacher numbers by subject. This model will be as good as the quality of the information upon which it is based.  
Planning the teachers A major expansion issue is that of the compromise between quality and quantity. Expanding without planning the teachers leads to a sacrifice of quality. Delaying the expansion until teachers are available will be politically unpopular. Mechanisms can be devised that can accommodate a rapid expansion and deal with issues of teacher numbers and competency in parallel. An element that will help this to run smoothly is a well-developed qualifications authority able to ensure that teachers making the effort to upgrade themselves are duly rewarded.