Transcript Document

IS THE BANKSETA EQUAL
TO THE TASK OF THE NEW
DISPENSATION?
BY
PROF M C MEHL
TRIPLE L ACADEMY
A SHORT HISTORY SINCE 1994
• A DYNAMIC POLICY ENVIRONMENT
• 1995 – SAQA ACT INSTITUTIONALIZING
THE NQF
• 1998 – THE SDA ESTABLISHING THE
SETAS
• 2002 – NQF REVIEW
• 2007 - JOINT STATEMENT: MINS E & L
• 2008 - NQF BILL & H.E. BILL
A LONGER HISTORY SINCE…
• THE ISSUE OF THE LEGACY WE HAVE
ALL INHERITED
• THE MATTER OF EFFECTING
EDUCATIONAL CHANGE
THE ISSUE OF THE LEGACY
The Legacy: a society that has
resulted from a State initiated
decimation of the capacity of the
majority of its citizens over
generations
DO YOU STILL REMEMBER?
• “No native will graze in the educational
pastures of the European”
• “Non-White People do not need
mathematics and science”
• Educational spend: White R4500;
Coloured R230; African R96.
• Extension of University Act: University in
primary school
SHOULD WE NOW FORGET
APARTHEID?
• THE LEGACY LIVES ON & WILL FOR MANY
YEARS
• NEED CREATIVE STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS
• MUST DEAL WITH RESULTANT
ENTITLEMENT
• “NO NORMAL SPORT IN AN ABNORMAL
SOCIETY” SACOS 1965
• 2008: NO NORMAL EDUCATION IN AN
ABNORMAL SOCIETY
THE CURRENT SITUATION IN
EDUCATION & TRAINING
• Not faring well as a nation
• Scores on international tests are poor in
comparison with less well resourced
nations
• The reality of the skills crisis e.g. Eskom
• Large numbers of unemployed graduates
• Scores by school leavers on standard
ABET tests are poor
• 7.2 million people illiterate
EFFECTING EDUCATIONAL
CHANGE
VISION, POLICY & INTENT
• AN UNPRECEDENTED, ELEGANT POLICY
ENVIRONMENT SINCE 1994
• BASED ON CUTTING-EDGE RESEARCH
• INTRODUCING THE NQF AS NATIONAL
POLICY
– ENABLING LEARNER PROGRESS FROM ANY
STARTING POINT TO ANY DESIRED OUTCOME
• A TRULY INSPIRATIONAL & ASPIRATIONAL
NATIONAL VISION
A SHORT HISTORY OF SAQA
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Well researched policy documents from 1995
1997: 12 National Standards Bodies
1998 onward: Standards Generating Bodies
1999/2000: Universities withdraw
2001: DoE withdraws
2002: Slow engagement with SETAs
2001 onward: NQF REVIEW
2007: Joint Statement Ministers of Education &
Labour
A SHORT HISTORY OF SETAs
• SDA PROMULGATED 1998
• SETAs ESTABLISHED ca 2000
• ETQA FUNCTION CONFERRED BY
SAQA
– UP TO NQF LEVEL 4
• 1% LEVY KICKS IN AROUND 2001
• PRESENT LEVY TOTAL ca R5B/ANNUM
AND NOW A SHORT REVIEW
QUIZ
• HAS ALL THIS PRODUCED THE SKILLS
REVOLUTION IN S.A.?
• WHY DO WE NEED THE NQF?
• DO WE REALLY NEED THE SETAs?
• DO YOU REGARD THE SETA AS THE
“AUTHORITY ON E & T IN YOUR
SECTOR”?
WHY HAS THE REVOLUTION
BEEN SO DIFFICULT TO
ACHIEVE?
THE CONDITIONS FOR A
REVOLUTION
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Who are the revolutionaries?
What are they revolting about?
What are the revolutionary structures?
How are these better than what exists?
What benefits are there to the
revolutionaries and their followers?
WHAT WE UNDERESTIMATED
• The power of institutionalized education
despite national acceptance of the NQF
• Inherent resistance to change in societies
• The impact of how we have all
experienced education
• How much has fundamentally changed in
education
• The perceived social value of formal
education
THE REVOLUTIONARY
ELEMENTS SINCE 1994
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OUR HRD STRATEGY: BEST IN WORLD
ELEMENTS: SAQA & NQF
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT ACT
ESTABLISHMENT OF SETAs
EMPLOYMENT EQUITY ACT
POLICY FRAMEWORK: REVOLUTIONARY
AND NOW THE NEW NQF ACT!
SO WHAT EXACTLY
SHOULD WE BE
REVOLTING AGAINST?
HISTORICAL
INTELLECTUAL ELITISM
WHICH MEANS WHAT EXACTLY?
• THE PREDOMINANCE OF ONE SECTOR
OVER OUR E&T SYSTEM
• THE LACK OF RECOGNITION OF LEARNING
ALONG DIFFERENT PATHWAYS
• NO EFFECTIVE RPL
• NON INTELLECTUAL EQUIVALENCE
BETWEEN A MINER WITH 30 YEARS
EXPERIENCE AND AN EDUCATION
GRADUATE
WHY HAS IT PROVED TO BE
SUCH A STRUGGLE?
BECAUSE AS A NATION WE HAVE
NEVER ACCEPTED OR UNDERSTOOD
THE INTELLECTUAL PARITY BETWEEN
ACADEMIC KNOWLEDGE & LEARNING
AND WORKPLACE KNOWLEDGE &
LEARNING
SO LET’S STOP TIPTOEING
AROUND THE EDUCATIONAL
ISSUES
• Universities are limited in high level skills
they can produce
• Universities of Technology are little better
• To develop workplaces as sites of
structured learning is difficult
• SETA’s need to develop intellectual
credibility
INTRODUCE A NEW
LEARNING ECOLOGY
Based on a different Epistemology
Nature and scope of knowledge
Theory of Knowledge
Universities
Knowledge Production
In a
Knowledge Economy
Work Places
[Intellectual Capital (1993)]
Social Environments
Not just knowing WHAT, but knowing HOW
(Skills)
Enter the NQF
The Need to
Codify
This Knowledge
Qualifications:
In the specific
Knowledge Production Arena
Unit Standards
The emergence
Of
Occupationally-Directed
Qualifications
And
Unit Standards
Related to work being done
Not job description
Qualification: deepen, broaden & enable
Experts are within the Knowledge Production
Environment
New Learning
Enablers Providers – are required
Learning “To Do” only in Active
Workplaces
Learning Facilitation :2 Components
•The Expert –In the workplace
•The Learning Enabling Expert
WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS
OF THE NEW ARCHITECTURE
FOR THE SKILLS REVOLUTION?
MoL STATEMENT
During August this year, I tabled, together with the
Minister of Education, a joint Statement on the National
Qualifications Framework. This was after a process that
– unfortunately - lasted for almost four years. We have
agreed on the establishment of a Qualifications and
Quality Council for Trades and Occupations to become a
counterpart of the Council on Higher Education's Quality
Committee and Umalusi. It will focus on providing
qualifications development and quality assurance over
trades and occupations. Whilst this development is
better late than never, its success will rely on all of us
REVOLUTIONARY ELEMENTS OF
THE JOINT STATEMENT
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Establishment of QCTO
Placement under Ministry of Labour
Quality Assurance from NQF Levels 1 – 10
Qualifications linked to Occupations
Recognition that various forms of learning are
required in an integrated education, training
and skills development system
THE VITAL ROLE OF THE QCTO
• Why did the NQF Review take 5 years?
• Because of the institutional power of the
formal educational system
• The QCTO challenges the intellectual
primacy of institutionalized education
• DoL now becomes the Department of
Learning: a Constructivist Epistemology
reigns!
THE MAJOR CHALLENGES
FACING THE QCTO (1)
• ESTABLISH THE INTELLECTUAL PARITY
BETWEEN WORKPLACE-BASED
QUALIFICATIONS AND LEARNING @:
– NQF 5 – 10 WITH THE CHE’s QUALIFICATIONS;
– NQF 1 – 4 WITH UMALUSI.
• ESTABLISH LEVEL 10 QUALIFICATIONS
• FACILITATE RAPID IMPLEMENTATION AND
ACCEPTANCE OF QCTO CONCEPT
THE MAJOR CHALLENGES
FACING THE QCTO (2)
• QUALIFICATIONS MUST BE DEVELOPED &
ALIGNED TO OCCUPATIONS:
REVOLUTIONARY!
• ORGANIZATIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR
OCCUPATIONS MUST BE REFINED AND
USED
• SCARCE & CRITICAL SKILLS MUST BE
ADDRESSED IN THIS CONTEXT
• QUALITY ASSURANCE MECHANISMS MUST
BE IN PLACE: QUO VADIS ETQA’s?
THE CHALLENGES IT PRESENTS
TO THE SETAs: WILL BANKSETA
LEAD?
THE FUTURE OF THE SETAs
• [54] SETAs will also play an important role, working with
the QCTO in the design and quality assurance of work
based learning processes. They will thus continue to
work with SAQA, occupational and professional bodies
and other QCs to advance the mobility and progression
of workers in learning and employment in accordance
with the NQF objectives.
• The ANC has proposed that in order for us to resolve
these institutional and national / sector strategy issues –
we should reduce the number of SETAs come 2010. We
need to reflect on this during commissions as we have
no excuse to continue shooting in the dark as we have
previously been doing.
THE CHALLENGE TO THE SETAs
• AS AUTHORITIES: INTELLECTUAL POWERHOUSES
• BE THE E&T REVOLUTIONARIES
– HAVE MONEY, RESOURCES AND NOW INTELLECTUAL
LEGITIMACY
• BOARDS PROPERLY PREPARED, INDUCTED &
AUDITED
• EVERY SETA SHOULD BE FRENETICALLY BUSY
DEFINING ITS OWN QUO VADIS
• ESTABLISH A DYNAMIC LEARNING SYSTEM FOR ITS
SECTOR FROM NQF 1 - 10
PROPOSALS TO
CONSIDER
PROJECT 1:
A major PR exercise on the QCTO
sketching the implications for
bringing the NQF alive in the
minds and hearts of all South
Africans by showing the
possibilities for every citizen.
PROJECT 2:
Let the SETAs stand up and be
counted (after all you don’t wait to
be invited to start a revolution!):
Define their new role;
Rationalize their number;
Launch QCTO-Related Initiatives
PROJECT 3:
Organize a high level
development program at NQF
LEVELS 8 – 10 for SETA top
management & stakeholders.
This will go a long way to
establishing the “academic”
credibility of the QCTO.
PROJECT 4:
START NATIONAL SERVICE OF ALL
UNEMPLOYED MATRICS TO BRING ENTIRE
NATION TO NQF LEVEL 1 IN 5 YEARS
ALONG THE CASTRO MODEL IN CUBA.
FUND IT BY INCREASING SKILLS LEVY BY
0.5 %
PROJECT 5:
Initiate a project that looks at how
a skills pathway can be created
for entrepreneurs in the 2nd
economy. This may involve a preABET, mother tongue literacy
initiative, through ABET 1 – 3, to
NQF Level 1 and beyond.
No excuse is made for the
extreme emphasis on the new
policy architecture. This is the
most significant development in
Human Resource Development in
the new Millennium. It gives
substance to our Skills
Revolution in a way that makes it
possible to win the battle.
THE CHALLENGES ARE
IMMENSE
BUT THE FUTURE OF THE
COUNTRY DEPENDS ON
“OVERTURNING STRONGLY
ENTRENCHED THINGS”