Implementation of a curriculum project : a case study of the Primary Education Upgrading Programme (PEUP)

Abstract

The study is about the implementation of a project aimed at upgrading the quality of education in the primary schools of the North West Province (former Bophuthatswana). Specifically, the study focussed on community participation and in-service teacher education as the main variables for study. Self-constructed questionnaires were used to establish ways in which PEUP (Primary Education Upgrading Programme) benefited from community involvement and in-service training of teachers and vice versa. The investigation covered 216 stakeholders in the primary education project, consisting of principals, teachers, parents and officials of the Department of Education. The study report showed that the administrative posts, which demand high qualifications of teachers were often occupied by male teachers. In-service teacher education changed from not being available to its becoming a pre-requisite for getting onto the PEUP. PEUP awakened teachers ' awareness of the contribution of in-service education to their ability to cope with the implementation of PEUP, and by implication, to cope with change. In-service training courses were seen to have re-inforced the managerial skills of principals and the department officials. Parents and the entire community have developed a disposition to help improve the learning conditions for their children. The provision of better physical structures and the supply of teaching materials benefited clearly from the efforts of PEUP as a notable spin-off. It was concluded that parental participation during the implementation of PEUP did not change the attitudes of parents regarding parental visits and participation in school activities. Further research has to be done to identify the most effective way to involve parents and to institutionalize staff development.