Browsing by Author "Zungu, Zacheus Ngcebo Dumisani"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    A Critical analysis of the secondary school economic science curruculum
    (University of Zululand, 2002) Zungu, Zacheus Ngcebo Dumisani; Gawe, N.
    The economic sciences curriculum is supposed to equip learners with skills that would be readily recognised and acceptable to the corporate world. Yet it became obvious from the high unemployment rate of leamers with economic science background that the expected skills were less developed than expected. School leavers need to be retrained for them to be able to carry out elementary tasks like bookkeeping. It is the inadequacy of the present secondary school curriculum to produce employable school leavers that prompted this inquiry. The main objective of this study was to investigate the relevance of the economic science curriculum to the needs of the corporate world. The study revealed that lack of participation by all relevant stakeholders in the development of a curriculum creates the gaps between the schooling system and the corporate world. The lack of resources and poor communication between business and education also contributed to the unemployability of school graduates. There is, therefore, very little congruence between what is taught and the world of work. Several recommendations to address the problem were put forward. The most important of these recommendations is .the establishment of partnerships between education and vocational skills may be fused. Economic science education needs to be given prominence in all schools including those in rural environments where given subject advisors seldom visit
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The factors associated with economic literacy among black South Africans and the significance of teaching and learning the economic sciences
    (1994) Zungu, Zacheus Ngcebo Dumisani; Luthuli, P.C.
    The focus of this study is in the sphere of the Philosophy of Education. The research was conducted mainly in Black schools in the Mehlwesizwe and Nseleni circuits, within the juris- diction of the KwaZulu Department of Education and Cultureon order to investigate the performance of pupils in commercial subjects and the perception of pupils and teachers in these subjects. The researcher has established that the offer of a commercial subjects' package in Black schools has always been a privilege, not a necessity, for the purpose of fulfilling the objectives of the apartheid system. This has resulted in a lack of economic productivity among pupils. Pupils should be introduced to the commercial world by the private sector in order to give them more insight into its workings. There has been little involvement of this kind in schools; and the researcher believes this is essential for productivity and a sound understanding of an economic system. The authors of commerce text books, especially Accounting, Business Economics and Economics delay in updating information in textbooks; and pupils therefore study irrelevant material. This the researcher believes contributes substantially to the failure of education to meet the expectations of the business world. Education fails thus to attain its objectives in this field. Most Black entrepreneurs have an inadequate commercial background and thus their businesses are not smoothly run. It is therefore essential to prepare potential businessmen for the commercial world as it exists. This can be done by providing guidance in schools in the commercial stream. Methods of research included: literature study - the researcher consulted jrelevant books (both prescribed and recommended sources), periodicals, newspapers, magazines, addresses and speeches. Relevant data was extracted. The researcher consulted teachers and parents; and interviews were held with prominent figures in education. A questionnaire was designed and used. Furthermore, the researcher recommended among other things that the Department of Education should ensure that both general science and commercial subjects are offered and given equal status at post-primary school level. .fill schools should be provided with teachers who are well equipped with a high level of expertise to handle these subjects.