South Africa finds itself on the threshold of new challenges taking place in virtually every :possible sphere of life, i.e. the political, technological, human, social, economic and cultural spheres. The education system is also faced with these changes and cannot be viewed in isolation, rut demands new outlooks by educational planners and educationists. Non-formal education f orns an integral part of the provision of a system of education in' South Africa and is also influenced by these challenges. In order to make reasonable reconnnendations on how the challenges - particularly those of education management - should be approached by education planners and educationists, the following were investigated: * the role of and need for non-formal education in a system of education provision in south Africa so as to detenltlne the need to manage and administrate non-formal education successfully * the institutions which make the biggest contributions to the provision of non-formal education in south Africa, in order to point out where problem areas exist, and the resultant duplication, overlapping and fragmentation of training regional development and the role of regional bodies such as the Regional Development Advisory Conunittees, Regional Development Conunittees of the National Training Board, Training Board for Iocal Government Bodies and Regional services Councils the utilisation of Regional services COUncils to co-ordinate non-formal education at regional and local levels Based on the findings, an educational strategy is proposed to co-ordinate non-formal education on recJional and local levels through Regional Services councils. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Educational Management)

D.Ed. / In South Africa the water and sanitation sector faces many problems in the delivery of services to ensure that all South Africans have access to safe and sufficient water resources and adequate sanitation to meet their needs. Local government, mandated to supply these services, has a lack of resources including trained human resources. Distance education learning programmes could be one way of addressing the lack of trained human resources. Distance education can reach a much wider spectrum of people, the costs to the employers can be greatly reduced, less work hours are lost, people, especially women, have the opportunity to study whilst still taking the caring role at home, and learners are also able to learn at their own pace and time. To address the problem it was identified that a framework for the development of outcomes-based distance education learning programmes for adult learners would be beneficial to the programme planners and educators who plan and design distance education learning programmes. The framework was developed based on the research literature explored. A literature study of three issues namely: outcomes-based education, facilitation of adult learning and distance education was undertaken. Theoretical underpinnings were extrapolated from the literature study which were used as the building blocks for the framework. To establish the theoretical underpinnings for the framework the evolution of competency-based education to outcomes-based education was investigated. It was concluded that competency-based education included core elements such as learning that is not time bound, learning that is stated as outcomes, various means can be used to achieve the outcomes, and assessment is based on the stated outcomes. These concepts have become the focus areas in all developments in competency-based as well as outcomes-based education. In the 1990s the education and training sector in South Africa was transformed, and an outcomes-based education system was adopted. A National Qualifications Framework has been introduced which offers a set of principles and guidelines for the education and training sector. These principles and guidelines were examined. Another issue that was scrutinised was the design of outcomes-based training material for the South African situation. Theoretical underpinnings for the framework were extrapolated from the findings of the literature study on the facilitation of adult learning and planning of adult learning programmes. The characteristics of the adult learner and the importance of these characteristics when planning a learning programme for the adult learner were examined. Two learning theories namely constructivism and transformative learning provided valuable insights into how adults learn in the learning situation. How to plan a learning programme for adult learners using the Critical Events Model, was explained. For the extrapolation of the theoretical underpinnings for the framework from distance education the evolution of distance education, from an informal style of correspondence education to a more formal style of single media correspondence education and eventually to a formal distance education system using multi-media methods was also explored. All these theoretical underpinnings were consolidated into the final product of this study namely a framework for the development of outcomes-based distance education learning programmes for the adult learners in the water and sanitation sector. The framework is designed as an independent document to be used by the programme planners and educators of distance education learning programmes. Within the framework the theoretical underpinnings are applied, guidance and advice on how to plan and design events in the distance learning programmes is given, and an example of how to design outcomes-based training material is included. Checklists are included at the end of every event in the framework. Programme planners and educators can use the checklist to determine if all the activities in the event have been completed. This makes the framework a guide that can be used by the most inexperienced programme planners and educators. It is hoped that this framework will guide many programme planners and educators as they are faced with the immense task of assisting in meeting the challenges of education and training in the water and sanitation sector in South Africa.

This study develops a model for university adult education to guide the Qwa-Qwa Campus of the University of the North in its quest to play a role in adult education practice. It explores the route that the Qwa-Qwa Campus could take in extending its resources to a wide range of individuals, special interest groups and targeted audiences in the North-Eastern Free State community that was historically marginalised from university education. In developing the envisaged model the study explores a number of international and local (South African) approaches in university adult education. This academic endeavour is intended to provide some guidelines for the Qwa-Qwa Campus’ envisaged role in university adult education. In pursuance of these aims (lie study investigates the typical role that a university plays in adult education by reflecting on the following issues: _ University outreach __ Distance education _ University Extension programmes / service _ University adult and ccntmuing education _ Universities and communities __ Sources o f funding for university adult education practice. A review of literature including a home-page survey are used as methodologies of unravelling typical University Adult Education approaches of four universities in Australia ii(La Trobe, Deakin, Ballarat and Charles'STtirt), one university in the United States of America (Tuskegee), two universities in Southe; s Africa (Botswana and Lesotho) and four Universities in South , . . Africa (Western Cape, Cape ToWd, Witwatersrand and Transkei). Key people at selected South African Universities actively involved in adult education practice were interviewed. Three people fi/nn the community were interviewed to assess the needs of surrounding people in the Qwa-Qwa area. The study brings these elements together in an attempt to develop a realistic model for the involvement of the Qwa-Qwa Campus in adult education.

The aim of this study was to develop a high-quality, experience-based, accredited training course that would bring black literacy workers into the ABET materials writing field. The report begins by setting the context of ABET in South Africa, then describing the literature on a wide variety of materials development projects in South Africa and other developing countries, some of which can be used as models for the proposed course. Training courses in fields outside ABET also inform the study. Through a combination of questionnaires and interviews, the study explores the needs of institutions concerned with ABET materials as well as the needs and skills of potential trainees. Ten specialists were interviewed: Seven were ABET practitioners representing a tertiary institution, NGOs and government and three were involved in educational publishing.They identified the need for relevant practical materials in all South African languages and learning areas, and said a training course should stress thinking skills, writing skills, visual literacy and a firm grasp of the process and economics of book production. Thirty eight potential trainees were contacted through questionnaires and focus groups. They were positive about the proposed course and alerted the researcher to logistical issues regarding finances and timing. All respondents said the course must be accredited in line with NQF requirements. The main tension that arose in the interviews was around priorities. While all the experts said training in the production of materials was important, it had to viewed as a luxury in light of extremely limited resources and urgent demands for delivery. Finally a proposed course is described, consisting of a 12-module, part-time course lasting approximately one year.

Thesis (M.Ed. (Community and Continuing Education)) -- University of Limpopo, 2014 / This research is about establishing the needs and assets of a public adult learning centre for the visually impaired. The research is important because South Africa, as a signatory to the Salamanca Statement on Principles and Practice in Special Needs Education (UNESCO, 1994) and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2006 (Väyrynen, 2008), has an obligation to ensure the provision of quality education and training through inclusion. This also includes adult learners. The research emanated from the assumption that Public Adult Learning Centres for the Visually Impaired are not well equipped to provide quality education as envisaged by the Salamanca Statement and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. In order to resolve this assumption, a qualitative case study with Bosele Public Adult Learning Centre (BPALC) for the Visually Impaired was designed. The research participants from this centre were purposely sampled due to the importance of their shared experiences and opinions in answering the research question. Multiple perspectives were applied in data collection by means of semi-structured and focus group interviews and documents were examined and analysed to obtain in-depth information about the research. The analysis of the participants’ shared experiences and opinions, combined with observation and data analysis, assisted in deriving at the conclusion that, although Bosele is a Public Adult Learning Centre for the visually impaired, it is still deficient in terms of the capacity to provide quality education as envisaged in the Salamanca Statement and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The learning and teaching support materials are inadequate and have not been modified for many years. The facilitators do not receive the necessary professional support and as such are inadequately prepared to provide quality education to the visually impaired adult learners. The available assets within and outside BPALC are not mapped and therefore not recognized for effective utilization. The teaching, learning and physical environment around BPALC is not conducive to the promotion of quality education for visually impaired adults. iii To respond to the findings of this research, several recommendations have been suggested and an empowerment programme has also been provided with a view to improve the quality of teaching and learning at BPALC. Suggestions for future research topics have also been made in order to close the gap that exists in research for the education of learners with visual impairment.

This study analyses the Growth Employment and Redistribution (GEAR) strategy with respect to social development, and adult basic education and training (ABET). Since its adoption as official economic policy, replacing the RDP policy in June 1996, the GEAR strategy has been a subject of much debate, and blamed for all social and economic ills, including job losses and high unemployment, poverty, problems in the education, health and welfare system, as well as poor delivery of social services. Motivated by these debates, the author set out to investigate how GEAR provides / does not provide for social development and ABET, both areas of interest to the author. This study investigates this question based only on a review of literature. While the GEAR strategy makes policy proposals in various aspects of the economy, and sets an economic growth target of 6% per annum by the year 2000, and the creation of 400 000 jobs per annum during the same period (all of which were not met), evidence shows no policy provisions in the GEAR strategy with respect to social development, and ABET. In fact, ABET is not mentioned at all in the GEAR strategy. However, the GEAR strategy makes specific mention of the Human Resources Development Strategy, as a vehicle for addressing education and training problems, thereby improving the skills base of the country. The Human Resources Development Strategy and the National Skills Development Strategy sponsored by the DoE and DoL respectively, all seem to be sound policies. There is however growing evidence that South Africa has developed sound policies which it fails to implement because of lack of capacity and financial resources partly due to the government's acceptance of the neoliberal agenda. This appears to be particularly true with respect to social development and ABET targets in the Human Resources Development and the National Skills Development strategies. This study concludes that the GEAR strategy is based on neoliberal assumptions of stimulating foreign investment, export-led economic growth, global trade and global competition, underpinned by the conception that the state must play a minimal role in the economy and is therefore not appropriate for the social development challenges (especially illiteracy) facing South Africa. If progress is to be made in addressing these challenges in South Africa, an alternative to the GEAR strategy must be found . / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2002.

In order to establish its status within the increasingly competitive global market South Africa needs to become a more active participant. In economic terms the current conjunction has often been characterised as a period of revitilised capital accumulation based on globalisation which in turn has helped bring about new forms ofproduction, distribution and consumption. Globalisation involves the integration of the economies of nation states through market mechanisms accompanied by increased transitional flexibility of capital, labour and new forms of technology. This insight of globalisation requires that we respond with greater competition and increased flexibility as we shift towards neo and post Fordist forms of work organisation rather than stick to outmoded practices of the past. One possible response to the requirement for greater labour flexibility lies in MultiSkilling, a system of skills flexibility recognised globally but still fairly new in South Africa. The current South Africa skills base is inadequate to meet global challenges and though change is becoming more so evident, existing education and training structures are doing little to ensure the higher degrees of skill flexibility required. This study focuses on Multi-Skilling and contextualise Multi-Skilling within the Automotive Manufacturing environment specifically where it has recently been implemented. This study shows that for Multi-Skilling to succeed, education, training and development of the workforce needs to be prioritised to uplift large numbers of employees who had been previously disadvantaged and limited to low levels of skill. Multi-Skilling will be shown to be of value and benefit to employer and employee alike as it offers opportunities for growth to particular sectors of employees, namely operatives who had previously been limited to routine and repetitive single focus tasks for years on end. lbis study shows that when the approach to Multi-Skilling involves the intention to encourage career development, improved grades and rates of pay for lower level employees, namely operatives through recognition of acquired skills, it has potential to assist the motor manufacturing industry achieve the world class manufacturing status provided that flexibility, quality and productivity of manning is accepted by the workforce as well. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2003.

Since 1994, South African education system has been undergoing continuous transformation which had an impact on the quality of teaching and learning. There appeared to be a huge underperformance in the High School and FET College learners which for many years forced Universities to embark on bridging courses in order to enroll new students. Furthermore, a misalignment of college’s National Technical Diploma (NATED) programmes that did not afford college graduates an opportunity to register with Universities nor Universities of Technology brought about the questioning of the quality of teaching and learning in the FET College sector. Tabling the unified quality improvement plans in education in South Africa, the Education Ministry introduced an integrated approach to measure teaching and learning with the view of identifying improvement strategies. However, the implementation of this integrated tool called the Integrated Quality Management System had educators and managers attaching ambiguous meanings to the system. The IQMS instrument is meant to be a dependable quality assurance tool to measure and improve the quality of teaching and learning. The ambiguity lies with educators and managers referring to IQMS as a means to acquire 1% pay progression and the possible return of the old apartheid systems’ inspectorate. This research study was promulgated by a concern on the effectiveness and efficiency of implementing the IQMS instrument to measure the quality of teaching and learning in South African FET sector. In exploring literature on the concept of quality teaching and learning in the FET sector in South Africa, the researcher identified that similar trends of integrating quality management systems in education are being followed globally. The difference to the South African system is the attachment of the salary progression of 1% as an incentive to performance. In view of the introduction of the new system of education and training, the researcher realized that ‘short cut’ processes were followed in preparing educators to be able to offer new education programmes using the OBE system of teaching and learning. That appeared to be another shortfall to the adequacy of implementing IQMS as a quality assurance instrument to measure the quality of teaching and learning in the FET sector in South Africa. In addition, there appeared to be conflicting trends in the FET sector where the same sector provided curriculum 2005 programmes for schools which differed from college programmes offering National Certificate Vocational {NC(V)}. Both sectors were expected to use IQMS as a tool to measure the quality of teaching and learning with the view of enhancing improvement thereof. Furthermore, the end product of the FET sector for both schools and colleges is the Further Education and Training Certificate (FETC). Unfortunately, it was difficult for the education department to achieve its objectives because time frames to prepare educators and the critical element of providing adequate human resources for the implementation of IQMS could not be met through Umalusi the national quality assurance body for the sector. The FET Sector which is expected to deliver Education and Training to produce quality students for HE sector and the world of work is faced with shortfalls of quality delivery. The driving force of this research study was to explore the dependability and adequacy of implementing IQMS as a quality assurance instrument to effectively and efficiently measure the quality of teaching and learning to meet the expected outcomes. It is in this regard that the researcher through empirical evidence realized that IQMS did not have theoretical grounding hence there are no principles, procedures or processes that govern the implementation of this very important system. In addition, the empirical evidence from the qualitative study proved that quality delivery of teaching and learning has been monitored using diverse assessment practices. A variety of assessment tools like the TQM and QMS which exist in FET Colleges with the summative IQMS in FET Schools of which the three practices are premised around Quality Management. Quality Management refers to a process where quality delivery in a school, college or any other organization is systematically managed to maintain the competence of the organization. It is in this regard that TQM, QMS and IQMS refer to Quality Assurance Practices in any organization that is geared to effective and efficient client relations. / Teacher Education / D.Ed. (Education Management)

South Africa finds itself on the threshold of new challenges taking place in virtually every :possible sphere of life, i.e. the political, technological, human, social, economic and cultural spheres. The education system is also faced with these changes and cannot be viewed in isolation, rut demands new outlooks by educational planners and educationists. Non-formal education f orns an integral part of the provision of a system of education in' South Africa and is also influenced by these challenges. In order to make reasonable reconnnendations on how the challenges - particularly those of education management - should be approached by education planners and educationists, the following were investigated: * the role of and need for non-formal education in a system of education provision in south Africa so as to detenltlne the need to manage and administrate non-formal education successfully * the institutions which make the biggest contributions to the provision of non-formal education in south Africa, in order to point out where problem areas exist, and the resultant duplication, overlapping and fragmentation of training regional development and the role of regional bodies such as the Regional Development Advisory Conunittees, Regional Development Conunittees of the National Training Board, Training Board for Iocal Government Bodies and Regional services Councils the utilisation of Regional services COUncils to co-ordinate non-formal education at regional and local levels Based on the findings, an educational strategy is proposed to co-ordinate non-formal education on recJional and local levels through Regional Services councils. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Educational Management)

D.Phil. / The purpose of this study is to design an RPL strategy for South African technikons which is based on international practices but customised to meet the needs of returningto- learning South Africans. It will open up access to or facilitate advanced standing in formal training for these learners. The strategy is based on: 1. an analysis of international perspectives on the nature of RPL and current international best practice 2. those aspects of the South African and technikon contexts which have a bearing on the customisation of RPL, and 3. responses and recommendations from two groups of RPL users which inform and refine the theory-based RPL strategy. Although the dominant research paradigm is qualitative, the study incorporates an empirical element: a descriptive cross-sectional survey and three focus group interviews held with groups of RPL users. The design for an RPL strategy is built around three specialised activities which must be carried out systematically within an institution: plan, implement and quality assure RPL. Each of these specialised activities comprises a set of functions containing a number of procedures depicting a step by step process to implement and manage an RPL strategy at three levels: at institutional, agency and candidate levels. The unique contribution of this study is that the RPL strategy can be used as a blueprint for implementing RPL and be customised to suit any context.