The National Curriculum Statements (NCS) for Grade R - 12 is the curriculum prescribed by the Department of Education for all schools, both public and independent.

However, independent schools are free to choose their own curricula and to organise teaching, learning and assessment in the school in any way they wish as long as the learners are able to achieve the minimum outcomes and standards of the NCS.

Independent schools are also free to choose foreign curricula but they must meet all learning outcomes and assessment standards prescribed in both the NCS for the General Education and Training (GET) and the Further Education and Training (FET) bands at the grade 9 and 12 exit points of the system where they are formally measured through external examinations across the country.

Only the outcomes and standards are prescribed, but not the content, sequence or methods of the learning programme of an independent school.