The basic education department is inviting public comment on the draft revisions to the history curriculum and assessment policy statement for grades 4 to 12.
This follows its release by basic education minister Siviwe Gwarube on March 20. The department said on Tuesday Gwarube had taken note of growing public debate and concern about the proposed curriculum.
The revised curriculum has been in development since 2019, when former minister Angie Motshekga appointed a task team to review and develop a new history curriculum.
The task team consulted provinces between 2023 and 2024 with feedback shaping the draft. The document was approved for public comment by key government bodies in November 2025 and has since been submitted to Umalusi for appraisal.
According to the department, the revised curriculum aims to strengthen history as a discipline by focusing on evidence, interpretation and critical thinking.
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
— Siviwe Gwarube, basic education minister
It expands pupils’ exposure to African, global and local historical perspectives and includes content on ancient and modern history, archaeology, oral history, labour history, gender studies, heritage studies and world history.
Department spokesperson Terence Khala said the approach is designed to deepen how pupils engage with historical knowledge.
“The proposed document indicates that the curriculum is intended to develop disciplinary knowledge and skills in history in grades 4 to 12. The draft defines school history in enquiry, evidence, interpretation and critical engagement with the past,” he said.
Oral history will play a key role in broadening perspectives.
“The framework underpinning the draft also considered a broad range of fields, including historiography, material culture and archaeology, African history, heritage and local history, labour history, language, gender and culture history, inland history, world history, pedagogy, historical skills and assessment and progression.”
Gwarube said the document is still a draft and encouraged South Africans to participate in shaping the final curriculum.
“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.
As South Africans we understand how complex our history is and how important the study of it is for reconciliation and nation-building. Robust and responsible engagement is essential to ensure that the outcome of this process has a positive impact on our learners and our country
— Gwarube
She also emphasised that the curriculum should remain balanced and not driven by ideology.
“Our history curriculum should not exclude key events or perspectives on political grounds, nor should it impose any particular 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.”
The release of the draft has sparked discussion on social media. The minister cautioned against misinformation, noting that some claims circulating online are not supported by the content of the draft.
“As South Africans we understand how complex our history is and how important the study of it is for reconciliation and nation-building. Robust and responsible engagement is essential to ensure that the outcome of this process has a positive impact on our learners and our country.”
Members of the public, educators and stakeholders have been invited to submit their comments on the draft curriculum before the deadline of April 19.
TimesLIVE
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