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Subject Choices

Grade 9

“In His Grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well" 

(Romans 12:16)

Welcome

The opportunity to select subjects at the end of the Grade 9 year is an exciting and important step in the students' journey to discovering their destiny. In this website, we aim to give you all the information you will need to make an informed choice

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In order to qualify for a National Senior Certificate, a learner must achieve:

  • A minimum rating of 3 (i.e.  40% or more) in 3 subjects.

  •  One of the 3  subjects must be an official language at the Home Language level.

  • A minimum rating of 2  i.e. 30% or more, in 3 other subjects.

 

From the Principal

"Throughout the years of school, young people are equipped with subject knowledge and skill in a range of different subject areas. This equips them with WHAT they need to know. The integration of WHAT  they know, with HOW and WHY  they use their knowledge, will be determined by their values.

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 A BIBLICAL worldview will teach young people to think and act according to the values of God’s kingdom. The way of Jesus can be brought into every subject in every grade by integrating truth into the knowledge and skill required for each area of work. Our youth should develop a worldview where their faith is integrated with their work, using every opportunity to advance God’s kingdom on earth.

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Proverbs 7 encourages us to get all the education we can. Master as much of the intensive and extensive fields of knowledge as possible, but make wisdom your quest. Revelation knowledge is what you need—so invest in it!"

 

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Bev Chambler

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Why Subject Choices Are Important

Your child’s subject choices for Grade 10 and beyond impact what they can study, which in turn impacts their career path. 
 
For a Grade 9 student, decisions around tertiary studies and career paths may seem like a lifetime away. Your child will soon be making choices that may impact their options at tertiary level. 
 
Where to start?  
 
Know the basics 
At the end of Grade 9, your child will need to choose a minimum of 7 subjects. Four of these subjects are compulsory: English, Afrikaans or isiZulu, Life Orientation (LO) and Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy.
*In order to take Mathematics, we recommend that the Grade 9 students should achieve a minimum overall year mark of at least 50%.
**Students intending on taking Physical Sciences must choose Mathematics, rather than Mathematical Literacy

*The taking of an 8th subject
Should a student wish to take an 8th subject, the new subject would have to not interfere with the day-to-day lessons (e.g. a student who has Accounting as a subject and wants to take Geography as an extra subject). At this time, the only course that can be offered as an 8th subject by the school is IT since the subject is taught online through Hatfield Christian School (SSIR).
 
There are different Matric pass levels. The level your child achieves will impact their access to tertiary study options: 

  • A Bachelor’s Pass (previously known as a Matric with exemption) 

  • Can apply for a degree at a university 

  • Obtain at least 40% for Home Language (Crawford International offers English H.L.) 

  • Obtain at least 50% in 4 subjects (excluding LO) 

  • Obtain at least 30% in another 2 subjects (may include LO) 

  • Home language needs to be either English or Afrikaans in order to meet the language requirement for further study at a South African institution 

  • A Diploma Pass 

  • Can apply for a Diploma at a University of Technology (UT), some Universities as well as some private institutions 

  • Obtain at least 40% for Home Language (Crawford International offers English H.L.) 

  • Obtain at least 40 in 3 other subjects (excluding LO) 

  • Obtain at least 30% in 2 other subjects (may include LO) 

  • Home language needs to be either English or Afrikaans in order to meet the language requirement for further study at a South African institution 

 
Know your child 
Who your child is as an individual, their interests, and talents are key factors to consider in this momentous decision. Resist the urge to let them choose subjects just because they can easily do well in them, or because they like the teachers, or because their friends are choosing those subjects. This choice affects the rest of their lives, so consider and discuss the following questions with your child: 

  • What really interests you? If, for example, your child enjoys Life Sciences, a career in something to do with human anatomy or ecology may be suitable.  Someone who enjoys art or languages may be interested in pursuing something in the creative field. Knowing this general direction can help guide you and your child towards the right subject combinations for their fields of interest. 

  • What are the jobs of the future? A lot of the future job market is going to deal with career options and challenges that we can’t fully plan for. So, try to keep your child’s options open for these possibilities. 

  • What are the academic and time demands to consider? The subject set best suited to your child takes their abilities, interests, skills, and motivation into consideration. They must be able to thrive in their chosen field, so be realistic about what’s in their best interests. 

 
Know your options 
Without the right combination of subjects – and the required marks – your child may not have the minimum requirements to apply to the university or college of their choice, or to be able to pursue the career path they are interested in. 
 
Over and above the different pass requirements, each tertiary institution has their own minimum entry requirements – as do the courses they offer. When your child applies to university around April in Grade 12, they will have to produce their final Grade 11 promotion results, and these will be used to determine their APS (Academic Point Score). This will, in turn, determine what programme/s they can apply for. Research the requirements of each tertiary institution by visiting their websites. This will give your child a guide on what specific subjects are needed for the field of study your child is interested in. 

Find guidance 
Settling on a career choice is a big decision, especially for teenagers. Help your child through the process by keeping communication lines open and offering support and advice. Help them research different career options, tertiary institutions, and their requirements. 
 
Your child’s LO teacher may have already helped them explore subject choices and career aspirations. Consider consulting an educational psychologist or career guidance specialist for an assessment that may further assist you in making a decision. Attend Open days at the tertiary institutions in which your child is interested in attending or find a mentor in the field of study they are interested in and let them engage with this person. There are many online resources you can consider: 

 

Why Subject Choices are Important
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What Subjects Should You Choose?

It is true that the subjects you choose now, and how well you do in them over the next few years, will affect what and where you can study - as well as the future careers you’ll be able to go into or make for yourself in life.

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So instead of blindly choosing subjects, let’s try and make sense of career guidance by giving you some information on how to choose your Grade 10 to 12 subjects. Read on to find some helpful pointers.

 

Your subject choices matter

 

First things first, you will need to take and pass seven subjects from Grade 10 in order to matriculate at the end of Grade 12. Four of these subjects are compulsory, which means you HAVE TO take them. The compulsory subjects are:

  • English

  • Afrikaans or isiZulu

  • Maths or Maths Literacy (read more about these two subjects here).

  • Life Orientation (LO)

 

The other three subjects are up to you, and can include options like:

  • Accounting

  • Life Sciences

  • Business Studies

  • Physical Sciences

  • Engineering, Graphic & Design (EGD)

  • Geography or learn more here.

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It’s very tempting to choose subjects that you think you could do well easily or that feel like they’ll require less work from your side. But remember, whatever subjects you choose now, will need to align to the field of study and career that you ultimately want to pursue after Grade 12. Here’s a breakdown of the kinds of options open to you in tertiary education and their subject requirements.

 

How to choose a career

 

It’s always a good idea to chat to your LO teacher about your subject choices and aspirations, and to give you some career guidance that takes both your academic strengths and desires for your future into account.

 

Your parents are also great sources of information and support when it comes to career guidance. They have been at this crossroads in life before, and probably have some useful insights into how they made their subject choices, how they affected their study options and career choices, and what they would have done differently if they could go back and do it again. So, talk to your parents and ask for their input here too.

 

You could also seek career guidance from an educational psychologist, who would conduct an aptitude test and/or other techniques to help define what you could thrive in as a career. You could also use Career Help, which is a portal set up by Department of Education to help learners make this choice, or take the Fundi Connect Career Quiz. There are also tons of handy resources on the Fundi Connect website to help you.

 

What subjectsshould you choose?
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