Dow speaks on the education strategic plan

Mmegi: How is the strategy going to address the issue of declining pass rates in schools?

Dow: The problem is when you put children with different learning abilities in the same class, as some of the students lag behind. Previously, the system absorbed only the best performing students, but today we are taking children with multiple capabilities.  Then there is the problem of classes that are too large. However, come 2017 we shall have the first batch of students coming from our dual pathway system. We shall have senior secondary school education, and senior secondary school vocational. We will need to prepare them at Form 3. That means the curriculum is going to change completely where we will look at the aptitude and interest of the learner.  You see, previously our curriculum was teacher-centred, and taught the learner to remember rather than learn.  The new curriculum will teach them to learn rather than remember.