Die modellering van formules vir die ekwivalering van kursusinhoude uit formele en nie-formele onderwysvoorsieningsmeganismes in die RSA

Abstract

The creation of economically viable employment opportunities in the RSA depends on greater confidence in vocationally directed education as well as greater efficiency in utilizing non-formal mechanisms for the provision of education and training. The criteria according to which qualifications are evaluated for purposes of remuneration in many sectors of the South African labour market, imply a value system that is biased in favour of formal and academic education and is harmful to the recognition and status of vocationally directed education and of non-formal education and training. Consequently the development of the infrastructures for the provision of non-formal education and training, and eventually the country's total welfare and economic growth, are being hampered by this biased value system. In contrast to the normally uninterrupted time allocations available for formal education, non-formal education and training programmes are usually bound to part-time schedules, short-course agendas and/or time-restricted in-service programmes. Since the implied benchmark status of the well-known annual levels of formal education perpetuates the bias in favour of academic education, a new vocational qualification structure will be required as a universal and neutral benchmark for the evaluation, accreditation and certification all types of training and education programmes in the RS~. This could promote the status, recognition and utilisation of the full potential of all available infrastructures for the provision of education and training in favour of employability, and relieve the overburdened structures of formal education towards more efficient provision of essential general formative education. The creation of the envisaged vocational qualification structure for the RSA will necessarily demand long-term collaboration and democratic negotiations between a wide range of stakeholders. The aim of this thesis is therefore to provide some interim models whereby non-formal education and training as well as employment experience can be promoted to acceptance with equitable status next to formal education in local qualification credential evaluation. These models indicate that existing infrastructures, locally developed for technical colleges together with their system of "N" qualifications, could be used as a meaningful foundation for the national vocational qualification structure so urgently needed in the RSA.

Die skepping van ekonomies-lewensvatbare werkgeleenthede in die RSA noodsaak 'n groter mate van vertroue in beroepsgerigte onderwys en effektiewer benutting van die infrastrukture vir die voorsiening van nie-formele onderwys en opleiding. Tans toon die waardesisteem agter die kriteria waarvolgens kwalifikasies vir doeleindes van besoldiging ge~valueer word, in verskeie sektore van die arbeidsmark in die RSA nog steeds tekens van vooroordeel teen beroepsgerigte onderwys en nie-formele onderwys en opleiding. Hierdie vooroordeel benadeel die status en erkenning van beroepsgerigte onderwys en nie-formele onderwys en opleiding sodanig dat die infrastrukture vir die voorsiening daarvan nie optimaal ontwikkel kan word nie. Die totale welsyn en ekonomiese groei van die land word gevolglik benadeel. In teenstelling met rel atief lang en ononderbroke tye wat vir formele onderwys beskikbaar is, word nie-formele opleidingsprogramme gewoonlik beperk tot deeltydse skedules, kort kursusse en indiens-opleidingsgeleenthede binne die werksituasie waar slegs beperkte tyd beskikbaar is. Die algemene gebruik van die welbekende jaarvlakke van formele onderwys as yk-merk vir kwalifikasies, perpetueer vooroordeel ten gunste van forrnele akademiese onderwys. Hierdie vooroordeel sal waarskynlik net opgelos kan word deur die instelling van 'n omvattende beroepskwalifikasiestruktuur vir die RSA, wat sal kan dien as 'n neutrale yk-sisteem vir die evaluering, akkreditering en sertifisering van alle soorte onderwys en opleidingsprogramme, sodat die volle krag van alle onderwysvoorsieningsmeganismes sodanig aangewend kan word dat dit kan lei tot die ontwikkeling van meer lewensvatbare werkgeleenthede. Om 'n algemeen aanvaarbare beroepskwalifikasiestruktuur vir die RSA te skep sal noodwendig, in die lig van die heersende demokratiese tydsgees, uitgebreide en langtermyn onderhandelinge tussen 'n wye spektrum van belanghebbende partye vereis. Hierdie ondersoek stel dus enkele tussentydse modelle voor waarvolgens nie-formele onderwys en opleiding en toepaslike beroepservaring gelykwaardig saam met formele onderwys in kwalifikasies verreken kan word. Hierdie modelle lei tot die slotsom dat reeds bestaande infrastrukture en die gepaardgaande stelsel van N-kwalifikasies wat plaaslik vir tegniese kolleges ontwikkel is, 'n sinvolle hoeksteen kan vorm in die ontwikkeling van die nasionale beroepskwalifikasiestruktuur wat die RSA sonodig het.