,TMS3709 PORTFOLIO ANSWERS
DUE DATE: 25 AUGUST 2025
Learning Unit 1 – Extended Answers
1.1 The CAPS for Economics came into being in 2012.
YES.
The Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) was formally introduced in South
African schools in 2012 as part of a broader curriculum reform process. Before its
introduction, schools implemented the National Curriculum Statement (NCS), but challenges
such as over-complicated assessment guidelines, lack of clarity, and inconsistent
implementation led to the streamlining of the curriculum. CAPS was therefore designed to
provide greater structure, standardisation, and clear content coverage for each subject,
including Economics. For Economics in particular, CAPS offered a more structured annual
teaching plan and precise allocation of topics across terms to ensure national uniformity in
teaching and assessment. The introduction of CAPS in 2012 was meant to enhance quality,
improve teacher guidance, and address curriculum overload, making learning outcomes
more transparent for both teachers and learners.
Source: Department of Basic Education (DBE). 2011. National Curriculum Statement (NCS)
Grades 10–12: Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement – Economics, p. 3.
1.2 The teaching time allocated for Economics grades 10, 11 and 12 is three (3) hours,
three and a half (3,5) hours, and 5 hours, respectively, per grade.
NO.
The statement is incorrect because the CAPS for Economics prescribes a consistent
teaching allocation of four (4) hours per week for each of the FET grades (10, 11, and 12).
This uniformity ensures that teachers have sufficient time to cover the broad content scope
across all three grades while allowing learners an equal opportunity to build foundational
knowledge progressively. The uniform allocation also reflects the DBE’s emphasis on
continuity, since Economics is a content-heavy subject requiring both theoretical
understanding and applied knowledge through assessments. The incorrect suggestion of 3,
3.5, and 5 hours would result in uneven time distribution, which could undermine curriculum
coverage. The CAPS policy specifically states that each subject in the FET phase is
, allocated fixed contact time, with Economics being standardised at four hours.
Source: DBE. 2011. CAPS Economics, p. 8.
1.3 The PRODUCTION POSSIBILITY CURVE is a grade 10 topic in Economics to be
covered in Term 2.
NO.
The Production Possibility Curve (PPC) is part of the introductory section on Basic
concepts in Economics, and according to the CAPS document, it is scheduled for Term 1
in Grade 10, not Term 2. The PPC is an essential foundational concept in Economics
because it introduces learners to the idea of scarcity, opportunity cost, and efficiency, which
underpin almost all later topics. It forms part of the tools of economic analysis that learners
must grasp early in the year before advancing to more complex topics such as the circular
flow of markets and production. The incorrect placement of this topic in Term 2 would disrupt
the logical sequencing of economic knowledge, as learners would lack the fundamental
conceptual grounding needed for subsequent topics. Therefore, the correct answer is that
the PPC is taught in Grade 10, Term 1.
Source: DBE. 2011. CAPS Economics, p. 12.
1.4 The CIRCULAR FLOW is a topic that is taught in both grades 10 and 11.
YES.
The Circular Flow model is indeed addressed in both Grade 10 and Grade 11, but at
different levels of complexity. In Grade 10 (Term 2), the topic is introduced at a basic level,
where learners explore the simple two-sector model of households and firms, including the
basic interactions of production, income, and spending. In Grade 11 (Term 1), the topic is
revisited in more detail with the introduction of additional sectors such as government and
foreign trade, as well as the inclusion of the financial sector, creating a more comprehensive
four- or five-sector circular flow model. This progression illustrates how Economics is
scaffolded within CAPS, with concepts first introduced in a simplified form before being
expanded upon at higher grade levels. Revisiting the topic also strengthens learner
understanding by deepening analytical and interpretative skills regarding the functioning of
the economy.
Source: DBE. 2011. CAPS Economics, pp. 14 & 22.
DUE DATE: 25 AUGUST 2025
Learning Unit 1 – Extended Answers
1.1 The CAPS for Economics came into being in 2012.
YES.
The Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) was formally introduced in South
African schools in 2012 as part of a broader curriculum reform process. Before its
introduction, schools implemented the National Curriculum Statement (NCS), but challenges
such as over-complicated assessment guidelines, lack of clarity, and inconsistent
implementation led to the streamlining of the curriculum. CAPS was therefore designed to
provide greater structure, standardisation, and clear content coverage for each subject,
including Economics. For Economics in particular, CAPS offered a more structured annual
teaching plan and precise allocation of topics across terms to ensure national uniformity in
teaching and assessment. The introduction of CAPS in 2012 was meant to enhance quality,
improve teacher guidance, and address curriculum overload, making learning outcomes
more transparent for both teachers and learners.
Source: Department of Basic Education (DBE). 2011. National Curriculum Statement (NCS)
Grades 10–12: Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement – Economics, p. 3.
1.2 The teaching time allocated for Economics grades 10, 11 and 12 is three (3) hours,
three and a half (3,5) hours, and 5 hours, respectively, per grade.
NO.
The statement is incorrect because the CAPS for Economics prescribes a consistent
teaching allocation of four (4) hours per week for each of the FET grades (10, 11, and 12).
This uniformity ensures that teachers have sufficient time to cover the broad content scope
across all three grades while allowing learners an equal opportunity to build foundational
knowledge progressively. The uniform allocation also reflects the DBE’s emphasis on
continuity, since Economics is a content-heavy subject requiring both theoretical
understanding and applied knowledge through assessments. The incorrect suggestion of 3,
3.5, and 5 hours would result in uneven time distribution, which could undermine curriculum
coverage. The CAPS policy specifically states that each subject in the FET phase is
, allocated fixed contact time, with Economics being standardised at four hours.
Source: DBE. 2011. CAPS Economics, p. 8.
1.3 The PRODUCTION POSSIBILITY CURVE is a grade 10 topic in Economics to be
covered in Term 2.
NO.
The Production Possibility Curve (PPC) is part of the introductory section on Basic
concepts in Economics, and according to the CAPS document, it is scheduled for Term 1
in Grade 10, not Term 2. The PPC is an essential foundational concept in Economics
because it introduces learners to the idea of scarcity, opportunity cost, and efficiency, which
underpin almost all later topics. It forms part of the tools of economic analysis that learners
must grasp early in the year before advancing to more complex topics such as the circular
flow of markets and production. The incorrect placement of this topic in Term 2 would disrupt
the logical sequencing of economic knowledge, as learners would lack the fundamental
conceptual grounding needed for subsequent topics. Therefore, the correct answer is that
the PPC is taught in Grade 10, Term 1.
Source: DBE. 2011. CAPS Economics, p. 12.
1.4 The CIRCULAR FLOW is a topic that is taught in both grades 10 and 11.
YES.
The Circular Flow model is indeed addressed in both Grade 10 and Grade 11, but at
different levels of complexity. In Grade 10 (Term 2), the topic is introduced at a basic level,
where learners explore the simple two-sector model of households and firms, including the
basic interactions of production, income, and spending. In Grade 11 (Term 1), the topic is
revisited in more detail with the introduction of additional sectors such as government and
foreign trade, as well as the inclusion of the financial sector, creating a more comprehensive
four- or five-sector circular flow model. This progression illustrates how Economics is
scaffolded within CAPS, with concepts first introduced in a simplified form before being
expanded upon at higher grade levels. Revisiting the topic also strengthens learner
understanding by deepening analytical and interpretative skills regarding the functioning of
the economy.
Source: DBE. 2011. CAPS Economics, pp. 14 & 22.
