Abstract

The historic introduction of the Life Orientation subject in South African schools is a product of a progressive and laudable educational policy that is very much needed in the evolution of the new people of South Africa. Unfortunately, the nation has, for several years been unable to derive the expected dividends from such a great venture in that since its inception the LO subject has continued to be let down by flawed implementation strategies. This study aimed at contributing towards addressing this challenge using a qualitative methodology. The findings showed that all five participants were unanimously satisfied with and endorsed the proposed educator’s guide intended to facilitate the implementation of the LO curriculum in South African schools. The study recommends the need for the DBE to make provision for training in the LO subject content as well as exposure to various social environments that could aid educators to establish a social ecology that promotes supportive and caring interactions. The study was considered significant. It has generated a validated educator’s guide for use in teaching the social issues component of the LO curriculum in post-Apartheid South Africa.

Keywords: Life Orientation, Grade 7 Curriculum, South African Schools, Story Reading Technique, African Centred