North-West University (NWU) senior lecturer and chartered accountant Kurt Naicker will be part of a panel of experts that will present at the Curriculum Development and Planning Summit, which is set to take place on 18 and 19 April 2024.

The summit aims to bring together academic leaders and researchers to exchange and share their experiences and research results on all aspects of curriculum development and planning.

This event is also an excellent opportunity for curriculum development practitioners, curriculum designers, academics and researchers, heads of departments, directors and deputy directors, and TVET principals and officials to discuss recent innovations, trends, and concerns, as well as practical challenges encountered by higher institutions in Africa in the field of curriculum development and planning.

Kurt says higher education institutions in Africa face a growing gap between their curriculum and the demands from employers and other stakeholders. He explains that in the past, academics have been solely responsible for developing the curriculum and consulting stakeholders for feedback only after the curriculum was ready. However, today's curricula should be a combination of what the industry, employers, and other stakeholders are looking for in an employee and the learning interests of students.

"It is imperative that higher education institutions deliver what is expected of graduates in practice. However, curriculum development is often disintegrated, neglecting important elements such as leadership, social trends, industry factors, and government roles. It is also important to be cognisant of the rapid advancement within the digital technology space," he explains.

He adds that traditional approaches fall short, but that a contemporary approach to curriculum development allows for collaboration with targeted stakeholders as part of the development process.

“This approach allows for a broader holistic view of curriculum development. It enables the development of a curriculum that meets the needs of students, employers, government, and other stakeholders and allows our students to bridge the expectation gap between higher education and industry.”

Kurt says taking into account the fourth Industrial Revolution, high unemployment, and new demands of the workplace, it is necessary to consider afresh what knowledge is most worth learning in higher education and how this knowledge might be organised in higher education programmes.

 Kurt Naicker.