The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has called on the public to urgently weigh in on its draft History curriculum for grades 4 to 12, with the comment window set to close on Sunday, 19 April 2026.
The draft Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements (Caps), published under Government Notice No. 7 285 on 20 March 2026, form part of a long-running effort to overhaul how History is taught in South African schools. The department stressed that the documents remain proposals and that public input will play a decisive role before any final policy is adopted.
Years-long review process
The DBE said the review has been underway since 2019, when a ministerial task team was appointed to rework the subject.
The team was mandated to “develop a new History curriculum for grades 4 to 12”, conduct nationwide consultations and incorporate public feedback.
“Provincial consultations were undertaken across all nine provinces during 2023 and 2024,” the department said.
“Inputs arising from those consultations were incorporated into the draft documents before they were presented to the minister in January 2025.”
The draft has since been scrutinised by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Basic Education, internal departmental bodies, the Heads of Education Departments Committee (HEDOM) and the Council of Education Ministers, which approved its release for public comment in November 2025. It has also been submitted to Umalusi for appraisal.
Focus on critical historical thinking
According to the DBE, the proposed curriculum aims to strengthen how pupils engage with the past by emphasising enquiry, evidence and interpretation.
“The curriculum is intended to develop disciplinary knowledge and skills in History across Grades 4 to 12,” the department said, adding that it defines school History “in terms of enquiry, evidence, interpretation and critical engagement with the past”.
The draft includes both ancient and modern histories and integrates sources such as archaeology and oral history. It also seeks to build “historical thinking, historical consciousness and historical culture”.
Importantly, the DBE said oral history is included “to broaden the evidentiary base and recover perspectives that were previously marginalised”, while maintaining that written records, including “the colonial and apartheid archive, read critically”, remain vital.
Concerns over content balance
The department acknowledged growing public debate over whether the draft sufficiently covers South African and global history.
“The Department is aware that some commentary has raised questions about whether elements of South African history or world history may be under-emphasised or omitted,” it said.
It urged stakeholders to use the formal process to raise these concerns, welcoming “substantive submissions on scope, balance, content coverage, sequencing, assessment, historical framing and any other aspect of the draft”.
How to submit comments
The DBE said submissions must clearly reference the relevant Caps document and page number. Comments can be sent by post to its Pretoria offices or via email to the designated official.
The draft curriculum documents and templates are available on the department’s website.
“The department encourages educators, subject specialists, higher education institutions, professional bodies, heritage institutions, civil society organisations, parents and members of the public to engage the draft documents carefully,” it said, calling for “focused, evidence-based comments”.
With the deadline looming, the DBE’s message is clear: the final shape of South Africa’s History curriculum will depend on who speaks up now.
