Gwarube flags 'misinformation' as deadline for comments on new history curriculum looms

Ahead of the deadline for public comment on the draft history curriculum, Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube has cautioned against misinformation, noting that some claims circulating about the draft curriculum are inaccurate.

The Department of Basic Education has invited public comments on the draft History Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements by April 19.

The draft document, Gwarube explained, aims to overhaul how history is taught, with a stronger focus on pre-colonial African history.

In 2019, former Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga, appointed a Task Team to develop a new history curriculum for Grades 4 to 12. That work resulted in the current proposed draft curriculum document.

Gwarube said she noted the public debate regarding the draft history curriculum and the concerns raised, urging stakeholders to engage with the document.

"The more inclusive this process is, the more inclusive our history curriculum will be. I therefore encourage as many people as possible to indicate where they believe the draft should be strengthened, corrected, expanded or refined," she said.

Gwarube also set out her view on the principles that should guide the development of the history curriculum.

"Our history curriculum should not exclude key events or perspectives on political grounds, nor should it impose any ideology on learners. I am committed to ensuring that the curriculum equips learners to think critically about our past, so that they may form their own opinions," she said.