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.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:wits/oai:wiredspace.wits.ac.za:10539/14684 |
| Date | 20 May 2014 |
| Creators | Maabane, Tswelopele A |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | application/pdf |
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