Ask AI: Explain curriculum, CAPS and NCS in a South African context using APA 7 referencing style

Curriculum refers to the comprehensive set of planned learning experiences offered to students by an educational institution (Brady & Kennedy, 2020). It involves a blend of knowledge, skills, and attitudes that learners should acquire during their schooling experience (Odendaal & Jita, 2020). In the South African education context, the National Curriculum Statement (NCS) was a previous curriculum that aimed to integrate knowledge and skills to enable learners to contribute to the socio-economic development of the country (Department of Education, 2002). CAPS, an acronym for Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement, is a revision of the NCS (Department of Basic Education, 2011). Introduced by the South African Department of Basic Education in 2011, CAPS outlines the teaching, learning, and assessment for grades R-12. It provides educators with detailed guidelines on what they should teach and assess on a grade-by-grade and subject-by-subject basis (Msila, 2018). CAPS was implemented to improve the quality of education in South Africa. It provides clearer specifications of what is to be taught and assessed at each grade level and supports teachers in their teaching and assessment practices (Department of Basic Education, 2011). References Brady, L., & Kennedy, K. (2020). Curriculum Construction. Pearson. Department of Basic Education. (2011). CAPS Overview. Retrieved from https://www.education.gov.za/Curriculum/CurriculumAssessmentPolicyStatements/tabid/419/Default.aspx Department of Education. (2002). Revised National Curriculum Statement Grades R-9. Retrieved from https://www.education.gov.za/Curriculum/CurriculumAssessmentPolicyStatements/tabid/419/Default.aspx Msila,V. (2018). From Apartheid Education to the Revised National Curriculum Statement: Pedagogy for Identity Formation and Nation Building in South Africa. R. Nord & G. Webb (Eds.), Global Perspectives on Human Rights and Peace Education (pp. 51-72). Palgrave Macmillan. Odendaal, R., & Jita, L. (2020). Inclusive education in South Africa: Teachers' experiences and understandings. The Palgrave Handbook of Inclusive Education in Sub-Saharan Africa (pp. 235-259). Palgrave Macmillan.