FULL NAMES:
STUDENT NUMBER:
GROUP NUMBER:
MODULE CODE: BPT1501
MODULE NAME: BEING A PROFESSIONAL TEACHER
TA NAME:
ASSIGNMENT: 03
SEMESTER 2_2025
, Question 1
Disadvantage 1 – Focus on academic achievement over holistic growth
One of the disadvantages of our curriculum is that it places too much emphasis on
measurable academic results, leaving little room for learners’ social, emotional, and
creative development. Lesson 4 explains that a curriculum is supposed to provide
quality education for all learners in ways that contribute to holistic development
(BPT1501 Lesson 4, 2024:23). However, the way it is structured in South Africa
tends to favour subjects that can be tested through examinations and standardised
assessments. This means learners who excel in areas such as leadership,
communication, or creativity often find themselves unrecognised because these
attributes are not formally assessed. For example, a learner who shows outstanding
leadership in organising group projects might not gain recognition in final marks
since grades are mostly based on written work. This results in a curriculum that
benefits learners who are academically strong, while those who shine in non-
academic areas remain disadvantaged, creating a narrow view of success.
Disadvantage 2 – Inequality between schools
A second disadvantage is that the curriculum does not fully consider the unequal
conditions of schools across South Africa. Stabback (2016) points out that a
curriculum should ensure equity and inclusion, yet in practice learners in rural or
under-resourced schools face severe challenges. Many schools lack libraries,
laboratories, and internet access, yet the same curriculum demands are placed on
them as in wealthy, well-resourced schools. This creates a situation where learners
in urban areas with access to technology, skilled teachers, and parental support are
advantaged, while those in disadvantaged contexts fall further behind (BPT1501
Lesson 4, 2024:28). For example, a Grade 10 learner in a township school may have
to study Physical Science without a proper laboratory, while a learner in a suburban
school has access to equipment, experiments, and online simulations. This shows
that the curriculum benefits learners in well-equipped schools but excludes those in
poor communities, reproducing existing inequalities.
Disadvantage 3 – Language barriers in teaching and learning
Another clear disadvantage is the language policy in education. Although the
curriculum recognises multilingualism, in practice English and Afrikaans still
STUDENT NUMBER:
GROUP NUMBER:
MODULE CODE: BPT1501
MODULE NAME: BEING A PROFESSIONAL TEACHER
TA NAME:
ASSIGNMENT: 03
SEMESTER 2_2025
, Question 1
Disadvantage 1 – Focus on academic achievement over holistic growth
One of the disadvantages of our curriculum is that it places too much emphasis on
measurable academic results, leaving little room for learners’ social, emotional, and
creative development. Lesson 4 explains that a curriculum is supposed to provide
quality education for all learners in ways that contribute to holistic development
(BPT1501 Lesson 4, 2024:23). However, the way it is structured in South Africa
tends to favour subjects that can be tested through examinations and standardised
assessments. This means learners who excel in areas such as leadership,
communication, or creativity often find themselves unrecognised because these
attributes are not formally assessed. For example, a learner who shows outstanding
leadership in organising group projects might not gain recognition in final marks
since grades are mostly based on written work. This results in a curriculum that
benefits learners who are academically strong, while those who shine in non-
academic areas remain disadvantaged, creating a narrow view of success.
Disadvantage 2 – Inequality between schools
A second disadvantage is that the curriculum does not fully consider the unequal
conditions of schools across South Africa. Stabback (2016) points out that a
curriculum should ensure equity and inclusion, yet in practice learners in rural or
under-resourced schools face severe challenges. Many schools lack libraries,
laboratories, and internet access, yet the same curriculum demands are placed on
them as in wealthy, well-resourced schools. This creates a situation where learners
in urban areas with access to technology, skilled teachers, and parental support are
advantaged, while those in disadvantaged contexts fall further behind (BPT1501
Lesson 4, 2024:28). For example, a Grade 10 learner in a township school may have
to study Physical Science without a proper laboratory, while a learner in a suburban
school has access to equipment, experiments, and online simulations. This shows
that the curriculum benefits learners in well-equipped schools but excludes those in
poor communities, reproducing existing inequalities.
Disadvantage 3 – Language barriers in teaching and learning
Another clear disadvantage is the language policy in education. Although the
curriculum recognises multilingualism, in practice English and Afrikaans still
