OBE  AS  A REFORM STRATEGY

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CHAPTER  2 OBE  AS  A REFORM STRATEGY

INTRODUCTION

Education is an extremely complex phenomenon. Interrelated sets of pressures affect the direction and intensity of school reform. These pressures include the demands needed to meet changes in the information age economy and workplace; to meet the demands of the changing demographic character of society and the rate and intensity of change affecting all social and political institutions (Gultig et al 1998:31). The challenge for South Africa now, is to ensure that all learners who emerge from our educational system are able to continue to acquire new skills and new learning to cope with fast changing world. Our learners need and deserve a system which is well-thought out, not merely well-intentioned.
South African educators will need support in the form of curriculum leaders who will be able to promote a culture for growth, make it possible for educators to develop, grow in confidence to adopt new strategies, foster a positive environment for change and a safe environment for experimentation.
Western  Australian  education  emphasised the key to the su~Bess ef student eutBemes was hav~n~ curr~c~~~m leade£s who made it possible for educators to develop a commo underscahding ~f che pnilc~ophy cf  OBE. Leaders  ecromiccea co the paradigm shift may be inside or outside the school (professional associations, superintendents) . Such leaders help educators grow in confidence to adopt new strategies and processes {Arts Report, Education Department of Western Australia 1996:18).
An OBE curriculum was implemented in Canada in response to changing needs. The Ontario Premiers Council emphasised the need for broad generic skills. Not unlike the South African model (Curriculum 2005), the Canadian model focused on skills for lifelong learning. The world is changing so quickly that one must continue to learn to keep up with the constantly changing, complex social and economic environment. The Canadian Common Curriculum is designed for all learners i.e. it recognises that programmes must reflect the abilities, needs, interests and learning styles of learners of both genders and all racial, linguistic and ethnocultural groups (Common Curriculum, Ontario Ministry of Ed~cation 1995;9).
In 1990 the Ministry of Education, Western Australia, decided to develop sets of student outcomes which were intended to clarify for educators and learners the elements of the curriculum for which they were accountable. A two year trial of student outcomes in 1994-1995 found that focusing on outcomes enhanced teaching and learning and assisted planning (Arts Report, Education Department, Western Australia 1996:1). Change in teaching practice was noted by educators in the trial . Change did not happen overnight but was part of a process of reform in schools. The editor of A Special Survey on Education in Post-Apartheid South Africa, Val Paquet (1990 :15) warns as follows:
~If education can be used not as a political tool but as a tool to equalise rather than retard intellectual growth and academic knowledge, the present, seemingly hopeless scenario can, because of mutual desire for peace and harmony, be turned  to good. If however,the    classroom remains  the battleground for potential gain and power, yet another generation will become intellectually stunted and academically handicapped and the full potential of a united South Africa will remain a utopian dream » (Paquet 1990:15). The approach to OBE taken in South Africa is one that emphasises outcomes that are related to learner’s future life roles. The South African government has taken a transformational approach to OBE, with a clear emphasis on critical outcomes (Killen 1996:2).
Transitional OBE, with the many concepts that are not entirely new to good teaching practice, will enable us to achieve what we set out to do i . e . produce a workforce for the 21st century. It will make educators think about why they are teaching, what they are teaching and why they are teaching it in a certain way (Killen 1996:3). In its endeavour to bring about transformation in education, South Africa cannot afford to totally abandon the traditional reading skills and basic maths skills. Through the integrated approach there is a need to teach the lower order thinking skills (knowledge) before we can teach higher order thinking skills (application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation) which are requirements for truly OBE style methodology.
We have to learn from the mistakes made in other countries, particularly the United States of America where transformational OBE resulted in great concern and the document « Nation at Risk » being produced to express national concern. Problems and mistakes that we can learn from include:
« North Carolina, OBE schools, 1-11 percentile points below state average » (http/ I: biblebbs. nis. za/ obe) .
Susan Bickford (1996:2} in discussing the Pennsylvania Education reform states: « The State Board did not mount a campaign about education change …. the best way to implement change would be to present the whole process to the public in a local form of debate. However, the « communication roadblock » and the nebulous language left stakeholders no alternative but to reject OBE ».
Maryanne Amici (1998:1) also discussing the Pennsylvania Education Reform, is quoted: « The concept was poorly presented to the public. There was a lot of confusion as to what it was and how it was to be implemented ».
In order to make the required difference to the education system, the new approach must guard against such things as these mentioned above. Community opposition to OBE in some states in America was due to the undue emphasis being placed on outcomes that focus on social reform rather than academic achievement (Killen 1996:23).

Questions about Curriculum 2005 as a reform model

There are many questions to be answered as South Africa pursues the implementation of Outcomes-Based Education (OBE). Allan Glatthorn (1993:355-357) asks the following g~estions abo~t 0BE  !n  the  USA.  The  same  g~estion~ len0. themselves to the investigation of Curriculum 2005.

• Is the OBE reform  model   coherent?
• Is the  OBE  reform  model  comprehensive?
• Is the  OBE  reforrn  model  « teacher-friendly »?
• Does the OBE reform model embody a sound approach to educational change?
• Is the  OBE  reform  model  effective?
• Is the OBE curriculum model too narrow in theoretical grounding?
• Does the design down process remove curriculum development too far from the classroom and depreciate the role of the educator as curriculum maker?
• What should be the role of the educator in the development of the curriculum?
• What role do educators play in the OBE  model?
• Does the OBE Curriculum process result in high quality curricula?

Evaluating the effectiveness of OBE as a reforrn  strategy  is a difficult task as there is a dearth    of  research information  available.King and Evans (1994:12-14) report widespread adoption of the model with several schools reporting successbut  there have been few actual studies done of    the  implementation and  effects of OBE. With regards to C~~~i8~1um 2005, ~ st~~t Gou10  be  ma0e  by  looking  at whgther the Specific Outcomes Framework  is a tool for Le~rfiifi~ Pr6~r~mme develepmefit  afid  implemefit~ti6n and  t6 seek answers to some of the questions         mentioned above.

• Is the  OBE  model  coherent?

A dictionary meaning of the word « coherent » refers to the inter-relatedness of elements leading to a sense of wholeness, i . e . something that is logical and consistent, easily followed (Concise Oxford Dictionary of Correct English, 1990). The Curriculum 2005 model in its present form  has elements (the eight learning areas) which  seem to relate and support one another. This becomes especially  evident when 6he cohduet5 the colour coding exerci5e a5 explained in workshop no 3 (see paragraph 4.5), whereby outcomes of similar meaning can be identified through all domains and then clustered together for easier implementation of an integrated programme. This enables an easily accessible curriculum to be planned.

• Is the  O~E reform  model  comprehensive?

This criteria deals with completeness. It is here that the Curriculum 2005 model appears to be flawed as the obvious exclusion of religious education has been a cause of concern.      Educators  of  religious education have expressed ~onGe~n that  no  o~tGomea o~ a~~e§~ment G~ite~ia a~e 1ai@ down for religious education, creating an impression that che e6ncenc5  of  reli~ious edueati6n  is unimp6rcanc  and  ics acquisition  of  religious knowledge is non-assessable.
The Curriculum 2005 Document (paragraph 4.4:18) refers Note on religious  Education:
The south African Constitution (Act No 108 of 1996) Section 15 (2), and the South African Schools Act, (Act No 84 of 1996), Section 7, provide for the conducting of religious obs~rvanc~s at a public school. Th~ report strongly supports the provision of, recognises the benefits of, religious education in the formal school system. The report does not however, recommend the definition of specific outcomes, assessment criteria or range statements in respect of religious education in a way that leads to achievement of assessable outcomes and subsequent accreditation by SAQA.
The report recommends that mechanisms be put in place to facilitate the development of learning programmes for religious education by individual religious communities, in It is also inconsistent in that no performance indicators are provided for this learning area. Since Life Orientation is educational and not ideological it should be processed in the same way as other learning areas, this will enhance its importance in the eyes of learners, educators and school organisation.
It would appear that all education about religion has been relegated to external faith groups. Scope does exist, if one considers Arts and Culture Specific Outcome # 4 (demonstrate an understanding of the origins ₁ functions and dynamic nature of culture) and Life Orientation Specific Outcomes# 1,3,4 (understand and accept themselves as unique human beings; respect the rights of people to hold personal Pretorius further states that three options are to be investigated by a task team set up by Education Minister, Professor S. Bengu, as public outcry at the exclusion of religious instruction has called for it .
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THE SPECIFIC OUTCOMES FRAMEWORK: A TOOL FOR LEARNING PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION