Appendix 6 - International Music Council

There was a resulting report of November 1997 and then a final report, published in
February 1998 for public comment and advice (Report of National Commission on
Special Needs in Education and Training and National committee on Education Support,
Department of Education 1997). Findings listed included:
1. Specialized Education and support have predominantly been provided for a small
percentage of learners with disabilities within special schools and classes
2. Where provided, specialized Education and support were provided on a racial
basis, with the best human, physical and material resources reserved for whites
3. Learners with disability have fallen outside the system or were mainstreamed by
default
4. The curriculum & education system have generally failed to respond to the
diverse needs of the learner population, resulting in massive numbers of dropouts,
push-outs and failures, etc.
In the light of these findings, the joint report of the two bodies recommended that the
Education and Training system should promote education for all........
Principles guiding these broad strategies:
1. Human rights & social justice for all learners
2. Participation and social integration
3. Equal access to a single, inclusive education system
4. Access to the curriculum, equity and redress
5. Community responsiveness
6. Cost-effectiveness.
In the Curriculum Adaptation Guidelines of the Revised National Curriculum (RNCS)
Statement of June 2005, we find the suggestion that the National Curriculum Statement
should be adapted for learners with barriers who cannot achieve NCS outcomes. In
Section 1: An Introduction to barriers to learning and development are mentioned
1. Disability as a barrier
2. Language and Communication
3. Lack of parental recognition and involvement
4. Socio-economic barriers
5. Negative attitudes
6. Inadequate Programme-to-work linkages.
Marianne Feenstra notes, in response to the question “Are there regulations requiring
education in local music traditions, or in a diversity of musical genres?”, “Yes, clearly
spelled out in the FET National Curriculum Statement: Music and also in the Revised
National Curriculum Statement: Music Grades 7 – 9 and earlier”. (FET refers to the
Further Education and Training Band, the last three years of schooling, corresponding
with the internally known system of grades 10-12. GET, prior to FET, is the acronym for
the General Education and Training Band.) The Revised National Curriculum Statement
for GET and the National Curriculum Statement for FET include assessment standards
for indigenous music. The RNCS (GET) for example requires
*for LO (i.e. Learning Outcome) 1 'Blends the styles of own choice from immediate
cultural environment and those used in West, East, Central or North Africa'
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