Transformation of Further Education and Training

Progress Report to the Portfolio Committee on Education

25 June 2002

Public provisioning infrastructure for delivering intermediate skills

The 152 Technical Colleges (now reduced to 50 FET Institutions) represents a basic infrastructure for technical/vocational education and training;

5 500 Senior Secondary Schools focus predominantly on academic and vocationally-oriented qualifications;

68 Colleges of Education which were not incorporated into Higher Education

Lessons from implementation

The transformation process has brought the following issues into sharp focus:

Public interest in schooling, coupled with resource constraints, both fiscal and human, has skewed the focus of provincial departments to focus almost exclusively on formal schooling;

The complexities of running demand-led institutions require much more higher levels of governance, funding and quality assurance;

However, given the capacity constraints both at national and provincial levels, the system is unable to allocate sufficient resources to drive change in the college sector

Lessons from initial implementation

The position of Technical Colleges next to schools has an impeding effect on their status;

A funding framework linked to national skills targets, retention and completion rates is critical to drive accountability and responsiveness;

A structured relationship with High Education to facilitate seamlessness is important for promoting greater access to high level skills;

The new strategy

Institutional governance and funding must be discrete for school or colleges;

A common framework for learning and teaching will be the National Qualifications Framework;

To meet the HRD needs of the country at this level, we need a differentiated system of providers with specific roles and focus;

The transformation process require differentiated interventions between schools and colleges;

Defined institutional autonomy is a prerequisite for colleges to be responsive;

The new strategy for colleges should be driven within a framework of co-operative governance.

A differentiated system

Senior Secondary Schools Schools will cater predominantly for learners

between the ages of 16 - 18; Schools will be governed and funded in terms of

the South African Schools Act, 1996; The restructuring of the institutional landscape

with regard to schools will be achieved through a process of consolidation and conversion;

Selected schools will be identified as centres of specialisation (SMT, Economic Sciences, Art);

Selected technical high schools will be identified for development into FET colleges where such institutions do not.

A differentiated system

Colleges Colleges will cater predominantly for young and

mature adults; Colleges will access multiple sources of funding

based on programmes offered; Colleges will be restructured in terms of the

process of declaration of FET institutions (FET Act, 1998);

Colleges will range from centers of specialisation to multi-purpose sites of delivery;

Colleges will be expected to develop mix modes of delivery to expand educational opportunities for local communities and workers.

The inherited context

A separate framework for schools and colleges (Report 550 & 191);

The quality of learning outcomes are unequal across the ex-departments and between subjects (e.g. languages);

Hence the unequal learning experiences; Throughput and success rates are very low; In the vocational/technical sector, training

is narrow and task specific; An absence of clearly defined generic core

competences, and therefore an absence of a core curriculum;

The inherited context

Curriculum comprises of 124 subjects, with the multiplier effect of HG, SG & LG, it accumulates to 264;

However, 90% of candidates in Grade 12 offer 10 “popular” subjects, the rest are “exotic”

The majority of subjects are outdated and irrelevant to the HRD needs of a new democratic South Africa;

Assessment is not linked to curriculum development.

Limited Programme offerings - RSA

1%

37%

3%

49%

2%8%

Art/ MusicEngineeringEducare/ Soc. ServicesBusinessGeneralUtility

The purpose of the framework

A common framework to facilitate mobility across the band and between FET and HE;

Link assessment more closely with curriculum;

Promote new emphasis in fields of study which are important to the country’s health & growth;

State the principles which give direction to learning and teaching;

Qualifications (FETC)

Comprise of three components: Fundamental Learning Languages (20 x 2 = 40 credits) Mathematics (20 credits) Core Learning Defines the purpose of the qualifications Two subjects (20 x 2 = 40 credits) Elective For depth or enrichment (20 credits)

Different pathways FETC academic FETC vocationally oriented FETC occupational specific

Current situation Low enrolments

The inverted Triangle

Technikons, 1999141 000 Full-time students

Universities, 1999245 000 Full-time students

Technical Colleges122 740 Full-time

students

The new institutional landscape - Attributes

Large multi site Colleges Greater authority Niche and multi purpose colleges Quality assurance framework Greater use of open and distance learning Articulation and collaboration with HE Student support services

Funding

Sector requires additional funding

Internal & External efficiency of the system critical

75%

2%14%

9%

Public Schools

TechnicalcollegesUniversities /TechnikonsOthers...

Recommendations 50 FET colleges under the FET 98 Act 1998 by 2003 No sites of teaching and learning will automatically

be closed in the creation of the new institutional landscape

State-aided and State colleges combined National FET implementation plan adopted Interim resourcing and funding be allocated to

support the establishment and implementation of the new landscape

Develop a new funding formula FET Colleges named following a geographical basis

where possible

Schools

Establish a Ministerial Task Team to advise on: Consolidation; Conversion

What have we achieved so far?

With regard to schools Increased the overall pass rate to 61% Reduced the number of schools performing

below 20% from 1 034 to 440 Introduced CCAS which has had a positive

impact on learning and teaching Introduced national question papers to

promote common standards(English Second Language; Mathematics, Physical Science, Biology, Accounting). Introducing History in 2003

What have we achieved so far?

With regard to colleges Successfully merged the 152

colleges into 50 FET Institutions Developed institutional plans Gained the support of the private

sector in supporting institutional development

What are the challenges Phasing in OBE in 2004 Finding appropriate leadership to

reposition colleges for the skills revolution

Raising the profile of vocational/technical education and training

Facilitating the interface between FET and HE

Encourage millions of youth and adults to return to learning and continue to learn

Conclusion

“More complex reforms, such as re-structuring, represents even greater uncertainty; first, because more is being attempted; second, because the solution is not known in advance. In short, anxiety, difficulties, and uncertainty are intrinsic to all successful change. “

Fullan, M.G and Miles, M.B - Getting Reform Right: What Works and What Doesn’t, Phi Delta Kappan, June 1997.