ERIC Number: ED292235
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1984-Jun
Pages: 19
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Revolutionising the Tried and Trusted (An Examination of the Magnet Class System).
Alston, Ken S.
A school system in Cape Town, South Africa, developed a program called the "Combined Magnet Class" to serve gifted pupils from standards (grades) 3-5 in one classroom. Changes to the standard curriculum were made, and a pupil-determined pace was adopted. The pupils studied English, Afrikaans, and mathematics using a syllabus, for examination purposes. Geography, history, and science were integrated into projects, general discussions, and individual research. Such nonacademic subjects as art, woodworking, singing, physical education, and speech were done with age peers in other classes. In the program development process, careful attention was given to social factors, parental concerns, the need for physical space, and pupil selection procedures. The success of the program is evidenced by the pupils' academic achievement in English, Afrikaans, mathematics, history/geography/science, and integrated projects, along with their outstanding social development and their ease of transfer to high school. An evaluation of the program's applicability to other school systems concludes the paper. (JDD)
Descriptors: Ability Grouping, Ability Identification, Academic Achievement, Acceleration (Education), Curriculum Development, Elementary Education, Foreign Countries, Gifted, Grouping (Instructional Purposes), Integrated Activities, Mainstreaming, Multigraded Classes, Outcomes of Education, Program Development, Social Development, Student Placement, Teaching Methods
Publication Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: South Africa (Cape Town)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A