A research report submitted to the Faculty of Education, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education. / With the rise of the independent trade union movement since 1973, immense importance has been attached to worker education. The growth of the union movement created the space and provided the resources for workers to assert an independent cultural practice in which worker education plays pivotal role. Intense debate has raged within the union movement over the content, of this education, the way it is to be provided, who the recipients should be and whether it fulfils its perceived aim. There exists general consensus though that worker education has been integral to the development of the labour movement. Yet, there is no comprehensive study of worker education in South Africa. Such a study is even more necessary today as attempts are made to address the historical deficiencies in the South African education system, This report therefore is a small contribution toward understanding worker education and the importance of its role not only for the Labour: movement but for society at large. (Abbreviation abstract) / Andrew Chakane 2019

This study investigated implications of new education policies, the white paper on education and training and implementation of adult basic education and training (ABET) and the consequences thereof for education, training and development practitioners (ETDPs) and adult learners. The study also investigated how ETDPs implement new ABET policies and how these new policies affect adult learners. Adult education policies (in the democratic South Africa) were introduced to reduce inequalities in education. Despite these interventions, since 1994 the failure rate of adult education learners has continued to deteriorate. (This is partly confirmed by honours students (see Personal Communications) involved in teaching adult learners from 1993 to 1998.) The new adult education policies are intended to improve literacy and the quality of education for adults in South Africa. However, this does not seem to be happening. Three groups within adult education participated in this study. The groups consisted of twenty (20) adult learners, seven (7) ETDPs and seven (7) district education managers. All thirty-four (34) respondents were based in Soweto and the surrounding areas, which lie within Gauteng Province (see map contained in Appendix A). The information was gathered from respondents by telephonic interviews and by completing questic-nnaires. The literature review examined adult education policies; the Whit,- Pape" on Education and Training; successes and failures of ABET policies; and implementation and financial implications for adult education. “Quality education” based on a review of literature (world-wide and locally) was explored The information from the respondents supports the view that new ABET polices have had little impact in offering quality education. The results from the. interview and questionnaires show that the process of policy implementation is ineffective and inefficient, and is without clear direction. Workshops orgauised by the Department of Education reach only a few, and are not very effec j F i n a n c i a l constraints have rendered the process of policy implementation almost, impossible. The majority of learners and educators in this study were not iu'iy aware of the workshops. Based on world-wide and local literature, elements which might improve quality education were suggested. The study used both a qualitative and a quantitative approach. The concluding section of the research report suggested areas for future research relating to the process of policy implementation in adult education in South Africa.

Enduring levels of illiteracy point to a long-term failure to address one of society's more solvable problems. The conditions giving rise to illiteracy are systemic and complex, but also deeply personal. Such conditions are invariably linked to histories of neglect, domination and injustice. Lying in a small, marginal space between limited, ongoing provision of adult basic education and training (ABET) from the South African state and industry, on the one hand, and state-led mass literacy campaigns, on the other, is the ABET work of non-governmental organizations (NGOs). This thesis examines a case of ABET within this alternative NGO sector at a time of heightened attention to the challenges of illiteracy in the global arena and a time of major transition in South Africa. It focuses on the Human Rights, Democracy and Development (HRDD) project in rural KwaZulu-Natal as a case of NGO-Ied ABET provision in community settings. The HRDD project attempted to combine ABET with livelihood and citizenship education. Its vision was to foster communities of learning and action. Using case study methodology within a critical paradigm, this study set out to critically document, narrate, analyse and theorise the practices, learning, and identity development within the HRDD project. The entire HRDD project serves as the unit of analysis for the case study. Data collection included 28 in-depth interviews with learners, educators and project partners and analysis of more than 100 project documents. The HRDD project provides opportunities to study adult learning and to examine a range of different types and purposes for learning. In this regard, the theories of Paulo Freire (1970; 1994), Jack Mezirow (1975; 1991), and Lave and Wenger (1999) are explored in setting up theoretical frames through which to understand and theorise learning in the project. The HRDD project provides an excellent opportunity to examine the processes of educator development within a community-based project and to examine the early stages of a community of practice (Wenger, 1998; Lave & Wenger, 1999; Lave, 1993) in which educators could learn the practice of "adult basic education" and find a network of support. A further theoretical frame which emerged during the process of the study and which showed relevance and promise for theorizing the relational and social network aspects of the study is Social Capital theory (Bourdieu, 1986; Putnam 2000; Coleman, 1990). This frame suggested the notions of depleted social capital and fracture as significant characteristics of the post-conflict status of the HRDD context. This thesis highlights the importance of paying close attention to the lives of learners and educators in educational projects and for viewing the project within the lives of learners and educators rather than viewing learners and educators in the life of the project. The thesis illuminates and contrasts such multiple perspectives and also highlights the importance of context and history as primary shapers of learning and action. This thesis ends with discussion of an emergent conceptual model of the HRDD project. The model contains four project dimensions, namely, learning, identity, personal transformation and social change. In addition, it includes four pedagogical devices, which are, reflection, dialogue, action and relationships. Finally, the model also reflects four major contextual factors, namely, poverty, patriarchy, power struggles and a post-conflict status. The concepts integrated in the model emerge from analyses and discussions throughout the thesis. The model is discussed as a summative device, as a heuristic and as a dialectic to outline several purposes which it serves in this study and could serve in future studies. The levels of struggle and fear which emerge through this case study present a portrait of life circumstances and learning contexts which are distinctly antidialogical and oppressive. The portrait also depicts several tenacious women who continue to struggle and learn in hope! 11 / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

Bibliography: pages 181-189. / The construction of macro level policy is made more difficult by the absence of a reservoir of analytical accounts which raise issues which policy at that level must address. This study is concerned with the development of policy within a very specific context and as such it is a modest and limited contribution to the development of that reservoir of theorised practice of adult education in South Africa. In this it is both a documentary record of the development of adult education at the University of Natal and an exploration of the dynamics of the policies which were evolved to direct that development. The study is thus a descriptive and analytical account of the work of the Centre for Adult Education at the University of Natal over the 20 year period from 1971 to 1991 set against the context of the broad development of adult education in South Africa in general and developments in university based adult education development in particular.

Bibliography: pages 84-89. / Proponents of CB claim that the system can provide an effective and efficient framework for a large scale national ABE programme which articulates with national education and vocational training systems. This framework provides a particular kind of answer to the 'literacy for what' question. The emphasis is on development. In this research, this view is contrasted with a version of literacy which gives a different answer to the 'literacy for what' question. Researchers such as Street and Wagner and many of the Non-government organisations affiliated to the National Literacy Co-operative prefer to view literacy as a free standing programme concentrating on individual and local needs. These contrasting positions will be used to consider the relative strengths and weaknesses of CB for ABE. While the possibility of using a CB system for the ABE programme in the building industry will be considered, the research will also consider the opportunity of CB beyond the specific needs of the building industry.

Thesis (MEd) -- Stellenbosch University, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: It is estimated that some 12,5 to 15 million adults in South Africa have had little or no education. Since the first democratic elections in April 1994 the political, economical and social context in South Africa is in the process of transformation. In order to cope with this transformation phase, South Africa is creating structures where the culture of every citizen, irrespective of class, race or gender is acknowledged and respected. One of these structures is the provision of basic education to all South African adults who have historically been deprived of education and training. The changing political situation in South Africa has inevitably influenced the concept of what literacy is for and how it should be taught. This inevitably affects the role performance of facilitators (educators of adults) at grass roots level. Recent policy developments place heavy demands on facilitators without adequately considering the necessary inputs needed to cope with these demands. The purpose of this study is therefore to make a meaningful contribution to the understanding of the challenging and important role of the facilitator in ABET. A qualitative approach which provided a clear description of the roles facilitators are currently performing in a rural area in the Southern Cape was chosen. This revealed the factors having an impact on the role performances of a facilitator. This study revealed the following: • In keeping with international trends the teacher's role in adult basic education in South Africa has been redefined as that of a facilitator of learning. • The attitudes adopted by the literacy organization can directly influence the teaching approach adopted by facilitators during classroom practice. • Facilitators need to exhibit flexibility when using different teaching styles during classroom practice. • Training objectives should encompass the different learning and teaching styles of facilitators. In order to enable facilitators to perform their multiple roles in ABET the preparation and continuing support of facilitators at grass roots level is crucial, especially if ABET is to make a meaningful contribution towards solving the adult literacy problems as experienced in South Africa and to prevent littering the South African landscape with the debris of failed projects / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Na raming het ongeveer 12,5 tot 15 miljoen volwassenes in Suid-Afrika min of geen onderwysonderrig gehad nie. Sedert die eerste demokratiese verkiesing in April 1994, is die politieke, ekonomiese. en sosiale konteks in Suid-Afrika in 'n proses van transformasie. Ten einde hierdie transformasiefase te bowe te kom, is Suid-Afrika besig om strukture te skep waarin die kultuur van elke burger ongeag klas, ras of geslag, erken en gerespekteer word. Een van hierdie strukture is die voorsiening van basiese onderwys aan alle Suid-Afrikaanse volwassenes wat histories onderwys en opleiding ontbeer het. Die veranderende Suid-Afrikaanse politieke situasie het 'n uitwerking gehad op die begrip van die doel van geletterdheid en hoe dit onderrig moet word. Hierdie werklikheid het onvermydelik weer 'n uitwerking op die rolvervulling van fasiliteerders ( onderwysers v1r volwassenes) op grondvlak. Onlangse beleidsontwikkeling stel hoe eise aan fasiliteerders, sonder voldoende oorweging van die noodsaaklike insette wat fasiliteerders moet lewer ten einde aan hierdie eise te voldoen. Die doel van hierdie studie is dus om 'n sinvolle hydrae te lewer om die uitdagende en belangrike rol van die fasiliteerder in volwasse basiese onderwys (VBO) te verstaan. 'n K walitatiewe benadering is verkies wat 'n dui de like beskrywing gee van die rolle wat fasiliteerders tans in 'n landelike gebied van die Suid-Kaap vervul en wat die faktore weerspieel wat 'n uitwerking op die rolvervulling van 'n fasiliteerder het. Die studie het die volgende tendense aan die lig gebring: • In ooreenstemming met intemasionale neigings, is die rol van die onderwyser in volwasse basiese onderwys in Suid-Afrika herdefinieer as 'nfasiliteerder van die leerproses. • Die gesindhede wat deur die geletterdheidsorganisasie aanvaar word, kan die onderrigbenadering van die fasiliteerder in die klaskamer direk be"invloed. • Fasiliteerders moet buigsaamheid aan die dag le by die gebruik van verskillende onderrigstyle in die klaskamer. • Opleidingsdoelwitte moet die verskillende leer- en onderrigstyle van fasiliteerders omsluit. Ten einde fasiliteerders in staat te stel om hulle veelvuldige rolle in volwasse basiese onderwys te vervul, is die voorbereiding en deurlopende ondersteuning van fasiliteerders op grondvlak deurslaggewend, veral indien volwasse basiese onderwys en opleiding 'n sinvolle hydrae wil maak tot die oplossing van volwassenes se geletterdheidsprobleme soos dit tans in Suid-Afrika ondervind word en as dit wil verhoed dat die Suid-Afrikaanse landskap met die opdrifsels van mislukte projekte besaai word. / National Research Foundation (NFR)

South Africa is a developing country that contends with a serious skills deficit that hampers its economic growth prospects. To address this skills deficit particularly at intermediate level, the government identified the public Further Education and Training (FET) College sector to serve as a medium to counter the challenge. Subsequent to the aforementioned decision by the government, political and financial support was pledged to the sector. Legislation that is attributed to the sector was also enacted and amended to capacitate the sector to perform optimally. The focus of this research was the capability of the public FET College sector in the province of Gauteng to respond credibly and qualitatively to the skills needs of the province‟s labour markets. Thus, the primary purpose was to evaluate the role that the sector in the province plays to address the skills shortage. The research design for the study was triangulation in nature, encompassing qualitative and quantitative methods. Nine public FET colleges, six companies and the Indlela Training Centre were sampled for gathering information regarding the responsiveness, articulation and efficiency of the province‟s public FET College sector. Students, lecturers, HODs and company‟s skills development managers were interviewed and sampled for the completion of questionnaires. Some significant differences in perceptions relating to the role played by the province‟s public FET college sector in addressing the skills shortage were found. Findings indicated that the massive financial and political support pledged to the sector by the government did not translate into efficiency, credibility and responsiveness nor capacitate the sector. In terms of the findings employers are skeptical about the quality of graduates that the province‟s public FET colleges ect or produces. Further, it was found that the sector‟s lecturers are inappropriately qualified and this contributes to the inefficiency of the sector in performing optimally. The lack of a formal skills development partnership between the sector and the labour markets hampers the articulation and the responsiveness of the sector to the skills needs of labour market. However, the current development whereby all the skills development institutions have been placed under one department has the potential to add value to the skills development landscape, particularly the public FET College sector. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Educational Management)

South Africa is a developing country that contends with a serious skills deficit that hampers its economic growth prospects. To address this skills deficit particularly at intermediate level, the government identified the public Further Education and Training (FET) College sector to serve as a medium to counter the challenge. Subsequent to the aforementioned decision by the government, political and financial support was pledged to the sector. Legislation that is attributed to the sector was also enacted and amended to capacitate the sector to perform optimally. The focus of this research was the capability of the public FET College sector in the province of Gauteng to respond credibly and qualitatively to the skills needs of the province‟s labour markets. Thus, the primary purpose was to evaluate the role that the sector in the province plays to address the skills shortage. The research design for the study was triangulation in nature, encompassing qualitative and quantitative methods. Nine public FET colleges, six companies and the Indlela Training Centre were sampled for gathering information regarding the responsiveness, articulation and efficiency of the province‟s public FET College sector. Students, lecturers, HODs and company‟s skills development managers were interviewed and sampled for the completion of questionnaires. Some significant differences in perceptions relating to the role played by the province‟s public FET college sector in addressing the skills shortage were found. Findings indicated that the massive financial and political support pledged to the sector by the government did not translate into efficiency, credibility and responsiveness nor capacitate the sector. In terms of the findings employers are skeptical about the quality of graduates that the province‟s public FET colleges ect or produces. Further, it was found that the sector‟s lecturers are inappropriately qualified and this contributes to the inefficiency of the sector in performing optimally. The lack of a formal skills development partnership between the sector and the labour markets hampers the articulation and the responsiveness of the sector to the skills needs of labour market. However, the current development whereby all the skills development institutions have been placed under one department has the potential to add value to the skills development landscape, particularly the public FET College sector. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Educational Management)

The Directorate of Adult Education and Training of the national Department of Education views Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) not merely as literacy, but as the general conceptual foundation towards lifelong learning and development. This includes knowledge, skills, and attitudes which are needed for social, economic and political participation and transformation. These skills will assist learners in becoming more active participants in their communities, their workplaces and contribute towards the development of South Africa. This study aims to examine whether ABET programmes prepare learners to acquire the language which is needed to achieve this objective. It falls within one of the eight learning areas defined by the National Qualifications Framework (NQF), namely the language, literacy and communication learning area. In order to research the effectiveness of learning within this area, it is important to analyse the interaction which takes place within a classroom; the type of questions both educators and learners ask; the type of errors learners make in the classroom; and how the educators treat these errors. What is also of paramount importance is whether the language skills learnt in the classroom are transferred to outside the classroom. To examme this, various authors' views on classroom interaction; questions; errors; treatment of errors; and evaluating the effectiveness of learning are presented. Instruments were designed to analyse these aspects within an ABET programme, and include: • the framework used to undertake the classroom interaction analysis, • the instrument used to explore the type of questions educators and learners ask in the classroom, • how an error analysis is used to identify typical learners' errors which occur frequently, • the methodology used to uncover how educators treat their learners' errors, and • the various stakeholders' questionnaires which were used to ascertain the effectiveness of learning at an ABET Centre. The research findings are presented and interpreted in order to provide recommendations for the development of language learning and teaching within the ABET field. The findings also gave rise to recommendations for classroom practices for ABET educators, and particularly the need for educator training and development. Recommendations for curriculum designers of ABET materials are also presented. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Philosophy of Education)

The Directorate of Adult Education and Training of the national Department of Education views Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) not merely as literacy, but as the general conceptual foundation towards lifelong learning and development. This includes knowledge, skills, and attitudes which are needed for social, economic and political participation and transformation. These skills will assist learners in becoming more active participants in their communities, their workplaces and contribute towards the development of South Africa. This study aims to examine whether ABET programmes prepare learners to acquire the language which is needed to achieve this objective. It falls within one of the eight learning areas defined by the National Qualifications Framework (NQF), namely the language, literacy and communication learning area. In order to research the effectiveness of learning within this area, it is important to analyse the interaction which takes place within a classroom; the type of questions both educators and learners ask; the type of errors learners make in the classroom; and how the educators treat these errors. What is also of paramount importance is whether the language skills learnt in the classroom are transferred to outside the classroom. To examme this, various authors' views on classroom interaction; questions; errors; treatment of errors; and evaluating the effectiveness of learning are presented. Instruments were designed to analyse these aspects within an ABET programme, and include: • the framework used to undertake the classroom interaction analysis, • the instrument used to explore the type of questions educators and learners ask in the classroom, • how an error analysis is used to identify typical learners' errors which occur frequently, • the methodology used to uncover how educators treat their learners' errors, and • the various stakeholders' questionnaires which were used to ascertain the effectiveness of learning at an ABET Centre. The research findings are presented and interpreted in order to provide recommendations for the development of language learning and teaching within the ABET field. The findings also gave rise to recommendations for classroom practices for ABET educators, and particularly the need for educator training and development. Recommendations for curriculum designers of ABET materials are also presented. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Philosophy of Education)