national qualifications frameworks in the sadc region ... in sadc - adea addis nov 200… ·...

Association for the Development of Education in Africa

Original Version in English

National Qualifications Frameworks in the SADC Region Impacts and Achievements in Mauritius, Namibia and South Africa

by Jakes Swartland

in collaboration with Hamidou Boukary and Hans Krönner based on contributions from:

the Namibia Qualifications Authority, the South African Qualifications Authority, and

the Mauritius Qualifications Authority

Document prepared to be presented at the UNESCO Regional Seminar on Secondary Education in Africa

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 21 to 24 November 2005

Working Document Draft, last modified on 18 November 2005 Please do not disseminate

National Qualifications Frameworks in the SADC Region ADEA

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This document was prepared for ADEA to be presented at the UNESCO Regional Seminar on Secondary Education in Africa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 21 to 24 November 2005. The views and opinions expressed in this volume are those of the authors and should not be attributed to ADEA, to its members or affiliated organizations or to any individual acting on behalf of ADEA.

The document is a working document still in the stages of production. It has been prepared to serve as a basis for discussions during the UNESCO Regional Seminar on Secondary Education in Africa and should not be disseminated for other purposes at this stage.

© Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) – 2005

Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) International Institute for Educational Planning

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Tel.: +33(0)1 45 03 77 57 Fax: +33(0)1 45 03 39 65

[email protected] Website: www.ADEAnet.org

ADEA National Qualifications Frameworks in the SADC Region

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Contents

List of Tables and Figures ........................................................................................3

List of Acronyms .......................................................................................................4

1 Summary..............................................................................................................5

2 Background .........................................................................................................7

3 Rationale and Objectives....................................................................................7

4 The Role of Qualifications Frameworks............................................................8

5 Case Studies on the Impact and Achievements of NQFs..............................12

6 Concluding Observations.................................................................................30

References and Bibliography .................................................................................36

List of Tables and Figures

Tables Table 1: Set of criteria to determine progress in NQF development ..........................11

Table 2: Engagement of SADC Member States in NQF development.......................11

Table 3: Set of questions that guided the case studies..............................................12

Table 4: Qualification Framework level descriptors: examples (Namibia)..................18

Table 5: Impact of the NQF: summary of cycle 2 results (South Africa) ....................29

Table 6: Common characteristics of NQFs in South Africa, Namibia and Mauritius ..32

Figures Figure 1: Members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).........10

Figure 2: Structure of the National Qualifications Framework (South Africa).............15

Figure 3: Structure of the National Qualifications Framework (Namibia) ...................17

Figure 4: Structure of the National Qualifications Framework (Mauritius)..................19

Figure 5: NQF levels in South Africa, Namibia and Mauritius ....................................31


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List of Acronyms ABET Adult Basic Education and Training (South Africa) ADEA Association for Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) ANC African National Congress (South Africa) CHE Council on Higher Education (South Africa) COSATU Congress of South African Trade Unions CPE Certificate of Primary Education (Mauritius) DNEA Directorate of National Examinations and Assessment (Namibia) DoE Department of Education DoL Department of Labor ETQA Education and Training Qualification Authorities (South Africa) FET Further Education and Training (South Africa) GATS General Agreement on Trades and Services GET General Education and Training (South Africa) HET Higher Education and Training (South Africa) IOB Institute of the Bankers (Namibia) IVTB Industrial and Vocational Training Board (Mauritius) LAAN Life Assurance Association of Namibia MHEVTST Ministry of Higher Education, Vocational Training, Science and Technology (Namibia) MQA Mauritius Qualifications Authority NCHE National Council on Higher Education NEPAD New Partnership for Africa’s Development NIED National Institute of Educational Development (Namibia) NQA Namibia Qualifications Authority NQF National Qualifications Framework NSB National Standards Bodies NTA National Training Authority (Namibia) NTB National Training Board (South Africa) NTB Namibia Tourism Board QMS Quality Management System (South Africa) RPL Recognition of Prior Learning RQF Regional Qualifications Framework SADC Southern African Development Community SADCQF SADC Qualifications Framework SAQA South African Qualifications Authority SCQF Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework SGB Standard Generating Bodies SQA Scottish Qualifications Authority TCCA Technical Committee on Certification and Accreditation (SADC) TVET Technical and vocational education and training UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNESCO-UNEVOC UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training WGPPE ADEA ad hoc Working Group on Post-Primary Education


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1 Summary 1. This study was commissioned under the Work Plan of the ADEA ad hoc Working Group on Post-Primary Education in response to one of its thematic areas entitled “Localization, Decentrali-zation and Qualifications Frameworks”.

2. As decided by the ADEA Steering Group, this sector of education is being approached holistically, examining both general academic education and technical and vocational education and training (TVET), with emphasis on skills development at this level. Experience has shown that general education typically prepares learners for progression within the education system, while TVET prepares them for the world of work.

3. The Working Group’s mandate was to identify ways to link these two ‘ladders’ of progression. Therefore the main question that needs to be answered is: Do National Qualifications Frameworks fulfill this role? Is there a link between “learning to know” and “learning to do?”

4. The main objective of this analytical work is to contribute to the shaping of policies in post-primary education through the sharing of experiences and best practice. The study focused on the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, where South Africa, Namibia and Mauritius were chosen because they were the only countries with National Qualifications Frameworks (NQFs) in place that are complete and functional.

5. The methodology used was the ‘question and answer’ model and a questionnaire was sent to the National Qualifications Authorities in the three countries. Their responses form the basis of this document.

6. The following is a summary of some of the main findings:

Why NQFs? They are social constructs that are put place to achieve social justice, to improve access and equity and to regulate education and training systems.

Definitions of NQFs: Structures with guidelines and principles by which records of learner achievements are registered to enable recognition of acquired skills and knowledge.

Developing NQFs: The involvement of major stakeholders in the development of NQFs is very important. This is the key to public acceptance.

Scope of NQFs: They are comprehensive frameworks covering a whole spectrum of both general education and vocational education and training.

NQFs and lifelong learning: One of the greatest benefits of NQFs is that they facilitate lifelong learning, and therefore progress in work and social life.

The role of regulatory bodies: All three countries have established regulatory authorities to administer the NQFs.

Responses to changes in policies and in industry: Through the involvement of major stakeholders and other related organizations both within government and in the private sector, the review of NQFs is ongoing.

The provision of localized needs in the NQF: The outcomes stipulated at various levels of the NQF are intended to guide curriculum designers, who develop learning and teaching materials; education and training providers at the local level have the opportunity to include content compatible with local conditions.


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Major impacts and achievements: The NQFs in the three countries are still too recently established to get a good picture of their impacts. But for the public, they have provided clarity in terms of nomenclature of qualifications and their value, and possible pathways between various sectors of the economy.

In conclusion, the studies have indicated that the establishment of a Regional Qualifications Frame-work should be easy since there are many similarities between these countries. For example, there are discussions to increase the eight levels of the South African model to ten, as is the case in both Mauritius and Namibia.


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2 Background 7. In early 2005, the Steering Committee of the Association for Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) decided to develop a work plan for the newly established ad hoc Working Group on Post-Primary Education (WGPPE). Its focus is on secondary education and skills development.

8. Six thematic areas have been identified for research and analytical work for the first year of its operation:

1. Extending the length of basic education to include lower secondary level;

2. Accelerated expansion of secondary education;

3. Reforms of technical and vocational education and training (TVET);

4. Public/private participation in the provision of secondary education and TVET;

5. Localization, decentralization and the role of national qualifications frameworks;

6. Review of labor market and employer surveys to identify skills and competencies that are most in demand.

9. The following case studies focus the role of national qualifications frameworks (NQFs) within the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

3 Rationale and Objectives 10. The 1996 Report to UNESCO of the International Commission on Education for the Twenty-first Century, chaired by Jacques Delors, entitled “Learning: The Treasure Within”, noted that while basic education, whatever its duration, should aim to meet the common needs of the population as a whole, secondary education, which is referred to as the crossroads of life, should be the time when most varied talents are revealed and flourish. This level of education is also regarded as the gateway to social and economic development.

11. Common core elements such as languages, science and technology, and including skills development, should be enriched and brought up to date so as to reflect the challenges of globalization, but without ignoring the specific capacities for innovation and creativity needed within the local context. In many developing countries, where wage-earning occupations are not the rule, the great majority of the population is involved in the traditional subsistence economy, including the informal sector. Therefore, post-primary human resource development in education faces two major but apparently conflicting challenges:

Globalization of trade and labor markets, coupled with rapidly changing technologies, make it necessary to re-examine the aims, contents, qualifications and methods of all educational systems;

Localization, an essential pre-requisite to enable citizens to acquire skills and knowledge that can be instrumental in the improvement of their living conditions, and in the generation of income in their immediate local environments. This requires education and training to be adjusted to local needs, which integrate the curricula of both vocational and general education in schools and vocational institutions. National standards need to allow for adaptation to local economic and labor market conditions.

12. This is where qualifications frameworks can play a useful role, and in the case studies that follow, examples and experiences will be identified that interrelate these two challenges.


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13. This study is expected to contribute to the shaping of policies in post-primary education through

the development of an indicative framework that will consist of lessons learnt from past experiences;

the identification of good practices and reforms in post-primary and secondary education, including skills development;

the identification of cost-effective policy options for the development of post-primary education that will enable Africa to face the challenges of its socio-economic development and those of the 21st century in an era of globalization.

14. The study reviews the impacts and achievements of NQFs in Mauritius, Namibia and South Africa, as these are the only countries to have moved ahead in this specific area. The progress made with respect to a regional qualifications framework may be examined at a later stage, and is not part of the present analysis.

4 The Role of Qualifications Frameworks 4.1 International perspective: United Nations Educational,

Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) 15. At its 31st Session in 2001, the General Conference of UNESCO agreed that policies for the structural improvement of technical and vocational education should be established within the frame-work of broad policies designed to implement the principle of lifelong education through the creation of open, flexible and complementary structures for education, training and educational and vocational guidance, regardless of whether these activities take place within the system of formal education or outside it. It recommended that governments should consider establishing a system of equivalencies whereby credit is given for completion of any approved program, and recognition is granted to educational and/or professional qualifications and work experience. (UNESCO 2001, para 13)

16. National authorities should establish criteria and standards, subject to periodic review and evaluation, applying to all aspects of technical and vocational education, including, to the greatest extent possible, non-formal education, for all forms of recognition of achievement and consequent qualification. (UNESCO 2001, para 15)

4.2 International Labour Organization (ILO) 17. The General Conference of the ILO recommended that “Members should … develop a national qualifications framework to facilitate lifelong learning, assist enterprises and employment agencies to match skill demand with supply, guide individuals in their choice of training and career and facilitate the recognition of prior learning and previously acquired skills, competencies and experience; this framework should be responsive to changing technology and trends in the labor market and recognize regional and local differences, without losing transparency at the national level.” (ILO, 2004, para 5)

4.3 Conclusions and recommendations of international meetings, seminars, conferences and workshops

18. Several international meetings and seminars came up with conclusions and recommendations for the establishment of NQFs as means of building bridges between technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and general academic education. Some examples are given below:


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19. The Second International Congress on Technical and Vocational Education, organized by UNESCO and held in the Republic of Korea in 1999, gave due importance to an NQF, and recom-mended that:

“The development and expansion of TVET as continuing education, both within and outside the formal education system…and within the framework of lifelong learning, should be a priority of all educational strategies. Broad provision should be made for allowing everyone, whatever their prior qualifications, to continue with their profes-sional and general education by facilitating seamless pathways for learners through articulation, accreditation and recognition of all prior learning and relevant work experience.”

“The NQF is based on a system of credits for learning outcomes achieved. A learning outcome is essentially a capability developed in the learner reflecting an integration of knowledge and skill, which can be understood, applied and transferred to different contexts. The achievement of a qualification in such a system is not dependent on attendance at particular courses, but by a learner accumulating credit on an agreed cluster of learning outcomes defined by full-time, part-time or distance learning, by work-based learning or by a combination together with the assessment of prior learning.” Articulation is a cornerstone of qualifications frameworks: it facilitates the transfer of the individual's prior learning achievements and credits across hetero-geneous education and training systems. Ideally, articulation is not limited to credits acquired in the formal education system.

The NQF is designed to:

• Introduce a fair assessment system, which measures achievements against clearly stated national standards;

• Establish a dynamic and flexible system able to adapt quickly to new develop-ments in the labor market, workplace, education and training;

• Encourage more people to participate in further education and training;

• Develop learning which is relevant and responsive to the needs of the individual, the economy and society;

• Promote access to learning;

• Provide a variety of routes to qualifications; and

• Provide national quality assurance.” (UNESCO 2001a:14)

20. At the 9th SADC Meeting of the Technical Committee on Accreditation and Certification, Pretoria, 2002, Professor Kader Asmal MP, Minister of Education of South Africa, said:

“The NQF is a bold and new approach to education and training. It represents an important step forward in our vision for the restructuring and re-organisation of our education and training system. It has created a framework for learning achievements, as well as enhanced access to mobility and quality within education and training. It is intended to provide opportunities for people whose careers have been blocked because their prior knowledge, acquired informally or through work experience, has not been recognised for admission to further learning opportunities, or for employ-ment purposes.”


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4.4 Towards a Southern African Development Community Qualifications Framework

21. National qualifications frameworks are also considered a prerequisite for regional qualifi-cations frameworks, particularly in regions like the SADC countries with a high rate of migration across the countries.

Mozam bique

Z im babw e

UnitedRepubli c of

Tanzania

B otswana Nam ib ia

Angola Z am bia

M alawi

Lesotho

Swaziland

M auritius

Dem ocraticRepublic o fthe Congo

S outhA fr ic a

Figure 1: Members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC)

22. In the Protocol on Education and Training of 1997, SADC Member States1 agreed to cooperate in the “…development of national examinations and accreditation systems to move vocational education and technical training systems towards harmonized, equivalent and eventually standardised certification.” (SADC 1997: Article 6 3. b iv)

23. It was agreed that this process might well require a period for implementation of up to twenty years.

24. The Technical Committee on Certification and Accreditation (TCCA) was set up to facilitate the development of mechanisms that would facilitate this harmonization. These mechanisms included, inter alia, the development of NQFs, which would lead to the development of a Regional Qualifi-cations Framework (RQF).

25. In 2001 the TCCA developed the following set of criteria that could be used to determine the progress made with NQF development and implementation in Member States:

1 The Southern African Development Community (SADC) currently includes Angola, Botswana, the Democratic

Republic of the Congo, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe


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Stage 0 No progress made and no reports received Stage 1 Background work under way and initial discussions with politicians, education and training officials

and advocacy in progress Stage 2 Initial development, task teams/steering committees established, conceptual papers and

implementation plans developed Stage 3a Draft legislation formulated, some structures already in place Stage 3b Legislation formulated and passed, authority and structures established, development of procedures

and processes, development of standards, quality assurance systems and management of information system

Stage 4a Advanced implementation and system already functional for five or more years Stage 4b Continuous reviews conducted and evaluation and adjustments applied

Table 1: Set of criteria to determine progress in NQF development

26. The South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) has played an important supportive and facilitatory role in the development of the SADC Qualifications Framework (SADCQF) that was approved by the SADC Integrated Council of Ministers in June 2005 (SADC, 2005). Included in this approval was a unanimous decision that development and implementation of the SADCQF would proceed in tandem with NQF development in SADC Member States – in other words, the work on the SADCQF would proceed even if the NQFs in Member States were still in earlier stages of develop-ment.

27. At present all Member States are engaged in NQF development as illustrated by table 2 (See the concept document for a more detailed discussion. SADC, 2005:17-18):

Stage 0 Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3a Stage 3b Stage 4 Angola Botswana

D.R. Congo Lesotho Malawi Mauritius Mozambique Namibia South Africa Swaziland U.R. Tanzania Zambia Zimbabwe

Table 2: Engagement of SADC Member States in NQF development2

28. In an attempt to further expedite the implementation of the SADCQF between 2005 and 2010, and on request of the SADC Secretariat, SAQA will be hosting a “Q-Africa 2005” conference in November 2005. At the conference, key role players will have the opportunity to discuss a more detailed implementation plan for the SADCQF that will thereafter be presented to potential funding agencies.

29. The table above shows that, so far at least, only South Africa, Namibia and Mauritius have moved ahead with the development of NQFs. Although, within SADC, qualifications frameworks

2 Since the release of the concept document in June 2005, both Angola and Mozambique have engaged in

more concrete NQF developments and have therefore been moved up one stage.


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have frequently been referred to in the context of TVET and skills development only, it is obvious that they need to cover the whole of the education and training systems to ensure a holistic approach across education and training, allowing for progression of the individual horizontally as well as vertically.

5 Case Studies on the Impact and Achievements of NQFs

30. The methodology for these studies was to formulate a set of questions to guide the responses from South Africa, Namibia and Mauritius:

1 Why were the NQFs developed? 2 How are NQFs defined? What are their purpose and objectives? 3 How was the framework developed and who were considered as major stakeholders in this process? 4 What is the scope of qualifications covered? Does it include both general education and vocational systems?

Informal, continuing out-of-school education? Training at the workplace? 5 How does the NQF encourage lifelong learning, including learning in the workplace? Are there life skills and

entrepreneurship skills? 6 What regulatory bodies exist to ensure compliance with the objectives of the NQF that standard-setting and

quality assurance systems are in place? Do these bodies have comprehensive information systems? 7 Is the qualifications framework responsive to changes in education and training policies at the national level,

and which mechanisms are in place to react to rapid changes in qualifications required at the workplace? 8 To what extent do the qualifications provide room for localized vocational content? Do national standards

allow for adaptation to local economic and labor market conditions? 9 What are other major impacts and achievements of the NQF regarding, for example, learners’ motivation,

and various training programs ranging from certificate to diploma/degree level? Table 3: Set of questions that guided the case studies

The questions are reproduced in turn below and followed by each country’s response.

1. Why were the NQFs developed?

South Africa

31. Although the development of the NQF in South Africa was largely based on the earlier thinking associated with the competency approach to vocational education in England and Scotland (SAQA, 2005b), its establishment in 1995 through the promulgation of the SAQA Act (SA, 1995) was preceded by a period of both political and educational preparatory work that was rooted in the difficulties faced by black people to earn better wages:

“The origin of the NQF can be traced back to the late 1970s and early 1980s. This was a South Africa ruled by the apartheid regime with a racially fragmented education system, one in which black people faced severe difficulties when attempting to move to more senior levels within organisations. The only way that they were able to get better salaries was to improve their educational status, hence the characteristic and significant involvement of labour unions, most notably the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), in these early days of NQF development.” (Keevy, 2005:11.)

32. Another significant influence in the early days of NQF development was the reaction to policy developments of the then Nationalist Government. In the period leading up to South Africa’s first


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democratic elections in 1994, the then Department of Manpower and representatives from the trade union movement were able to find consensus in one of their working groups on the ‘broad objectives of a new integrated framework’ (SAQA, 2004:23). At that stage there was common agreement on a number of key features of the proposed national qualifications framework, including that the NQF would be the vehicle for an integrated approach:

“[A] NQF is seen as providing the vehicle for the development of coherence across the predominantly theoretical/ applied learning divide.” (National Training Board 1994:91, 93).

33. The transition from apartheid to democracy in 1994 provided the ideal conduit for the establishment of the NQF – to the extent that the SAQA Act was the first education and training legislation passed by the new African National Congress (ANC) government. The passing of the Act was followed by constructive engagement from both government and the education and training communities for the implementation of the NQF.

34. A critical feature of NQF development and implementation in South Africa was the relentless pressure from various stakeholders, including government, to make modifications to the NQF. Starting in 1999, only two years after NQF implementation had started, the NQF was reviewed – the trend continued with two more reviews taking place, one in 2002, the other in 2003. At present many of the recommendations that follow from the review processes remain inconclusive. In all probability the SAQA Act of 1995 will be amended and a new NQF Act promulgated in 2007.

Namibia

35. Similarly in Namibia, the development of the NQF was initially predominantly politically motivated. Before independence, the education system in Namibia was fragmented and lacked coordi-nation in quality, certification duration and standards.

36. At independence in 1990, it was characterized by:

The return of about 50,000 Namibians who were in exile since the early sixties, seventies and eighties. This implied that many Namibians who returned with qualifications from about sixty different countries were looking for opportunities to participate in the existing Namibian workforce.

The severing of the education system from the South African one and the introduction of a number of educational reforms which resulted in new qualifications being delivered and awarded in the country.

The growth in the number of institutions awarding qualifications of varying standards, resulting in employers being unable to determine the relative value of qualifications, and the public being exploited by unscrupulous entrepreneurs (Thomas, 1993).

37. As a result, in 1995 the Ministry of Education undertook research to find ways of addressing these problems. External visits were undertaken to countries which had already established such frameworks to learn from their experience. A document entitled “Proposal for a National Qualifi-cations Authority” was produced to develop and administer a national qualifications framework based on competence standards (MHEVTST, 1995).

38. The forces that shaped the NQF in Namibia were therefore educational, social-economic and political. The development of the NQF was timely, especially in terms of developments in the region; countries such Namibia and South Africa were gaining independence from decades of colonial rule, and can be regarded as endorsing full and total liberation through the democratization of the education system.


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Mauritius

39. In the late 1990s the current certification system was identified as a hindrance to the effective realization of national goals in the field of human resource development. There were a large number of providers of education and training, offering courses in varied fields and at different levels and of varying duration and quality. Many certificates offered by these providers recognized attendance only, with little or no information about outcomes of learning achieved as a result of such attendance. There were limited qualification and career pathways available to qualification holders, with many of the pathways constrained by historic patterns and regulations.

40. Portability of qualifications was also limited, with articulation often dependent on the ruling of the then National Accreditation and Equivalence Council. This system was seen by many as elitist and favoring a few fortunate enough to gain entry into reputable institutions. Moreover, since it did not provide for lifelong learning, it was not sufficiently stimulating. For most people, this current certifi-cation landscape, with its multitude of distant structures and features, created a world of confusion and frustration.

41. With a view to resolving and remedying the many real and perceived weaknesses of the existing certification system, in 1998, the then Ministry of Education and Human Resource Develop-ment, in collaboration with the Industrial and Vocational Training Board (IVTB), commissioned a study by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) to advise on the setting up of a National Qualifi-cation Framework. The SQA had extensive discussions and consultations with representatives of rele-vant Ministries/Department, parastatal bodies, the private sector, trade unions and training institutions.

42. A Project Steering Committee chaired by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Training, Skills Development and Productivity was established in order to work out the framework and develop the NQF in line with international standards.

2. How are NQFs defined? What are their purpose and objectives?

South Africa

43. SAQA (2001:1) defines the South African NQF as: a set of principles and guidelines by which records of learner achievements are registered to enable recognition of acquired skills and knowledge, and thereby using an integrated system that encourages lifelong learning.

44. The purpose of the South African NQF is summarized by its five objectives, namely to

1. create an integrated national framework for learning achievements;

2. facilitate access to and mobility and progression within education, training and career paths;

3. enhance the quality of education and training;

4. accelerate the redress of past unfair discrimination in education, training and employ-ment opportunities;

5. contribute to the full personal development of each learner and the social and economic development of the nation at large.

45. The principles of the NQF include:

integration (to form part of a system of human resource development which provides for the establishment of a unifying approach to education and training);

relevance (to be and remain responsive to national development needs);


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credibility (to have national and international value and acceptance);

coherence (to work within a consistent framework of principles and certification);

flexibility (to allow for multiple pathways to the same learning ends);

standards (to be expressed in terms of a nationally agreed framework and internationally accepted outcomes);

legitimacy (to provide for the participation of all national stakeholders in the planning and co-ordination of standards and qualifications);

access (to provide ease of entry to appropriate levels of education and training for all / prospective learners in a manner which facilitates progression);

articulation (to provide for learners, on successful completion of accredited prerequisites, to move between components of the delivery system);

progression (to ensure that the framework of qualifications permits individuals to move through the levels of national qualifications via different appropriate combinations of the components of the delivery system);

portability (to enable learners to transfer their credits of qualifications from one learning institution and/or employer to another);

recognition of prior learning (to give credit, through assessment, to learning which has already been acquired in different ways, e.g. through life experience); and

guidance of learners (to provide for the counseling of learners by specially trained individuals who meet nationally recognized standards for educators and trainers) (SAQA, 2000:5-6).

46. The architecture (or design features) of the South African NQF include an eight-level frame-work (currently being amended to ten levels), three bands, a range of qualification types and credits (where one credit is based on ten notional hours of study).

47. The structure of the NQF is illustrated below.

NQF Level Band 8 7 6 5

Higher Education and Training (HET)

4 3 2

Further Education and Training (FET)

1 General Education and Training (GET) Figure 2: Structure of the National Qualifications Framework (South Africa)

48. Closely linked to the NQF’s design features is a specific purpose of social transformation and redress that is largely unique to South Africa. According to Tuck et al (2004) the main purposes for developing an NQF can include:

addressing issues of social justice;

improving access to the qualifications system and progression within it;


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establishing standards, achieving comparability and intra-national or international bench-marking.

qualifications as instruments of communication; qualifications as instruments of regulation.

49. Although it can be argued that most NQFs include at least some aspects of each of the five purposes, the South African NQF stands out as focusing primarily on addressing issues of social justice, and secondly on improving access and progression. The following statement from French (2005:3) summarizes the social purpose of the South African NQF:

“…the South African NQF was set up to redress the effects of a hated order, and to promote new paths to recognition and access that would be real, and not merely symbolic corrective acts. The NQF was to be an instrument for human dignity and human rights. It was to encompass the whole provision of education and training, not merely post-secondary preparation for work. It was intent on revolutionising both the curriculum and the institutions of provision.”

Namibia

50. In Namibia, the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) is a framework that classifies and registers qualifications according to a set of nationally agreed standards/criteria for levels of learning/ skills obtained. It sets out the levels at which a qualification can be recognized and links together all qualifications and awards offered in Namibia.

51. The objectives of the NQF are to:

provide a simple, smart, sensible and coherent basis upon which to develop, publicize, and determine the correspondence of qualifications; to help learners make informed decisions on the qualifications they need, by comparing the levels of different qualifications and identifying clear progression routes to chosen careers;

represent a logical, unified system of qualifications and associated learning pathways;

recognize learning attainment;

instill public and international confidence in the integrity of qualifications and awards available in Namibia;

promote the relevance of learning to the transformation and growth needs of Namibia and advancing the aspirations of its citizens;

enable and promote the recognition of all learning, whether from formal or informal situations, current or from the past;

encourage people to learn throughout their lives;

optimize the progression of learners and the transfer of their attainment to other contexts and situations; enable creativity, innovation, diversity and flexibility in teaching, learning and assessment;

be accessible in terms of both engaging with and comprehending the system of qualifi-cations and each qualification contained therein;

award qualifications;

encompass rigorous and transparent quality assurance against clear standards and criteria; only qualifications offered by accredited institutions are included on the NQF;

establish comparability of learning attainment within Namibia with that in other nations, thereby strengthening international competitiveness;


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involve efficient and effective systems for the development, management and awarding of qualifications.

52. The NQF consists of ten (10) levels, each defined by a set of descriptors detailing the complexity of outcomes of learning attained, the context in which knowledge, understanding and skills are likely to be applied, and the level of autonomy for such application or responsibility for the application by other persons covered by a qualification or unit standard.

123456789

10

NQ

F Le

vel

Ce

rt

ific

at

es

Dip

lom

as

Doctoral Degree

Masters DegreeBachelor

Bachelor Degree

Professional

Figure 3: Structure of the National Qualifications Framework (Namibia)

53. Level descriptors make levels coherent because they focus on essential outcomes and achieve the following key purposes:

help the writers of unit standards to achieve consistency in relation to levels;

facilitate integration and coherence across the different components of a qualification;

provide interdisciplinary links and encourage transferability.

54. Table 4 gives examples of descriptors for these ten levels.

55. The NQF further comprises qualifications recognized by the Namibia Qualifications Authority (NQA) as being of registration quality and that meet the criteria for any one of the following quali-fication types:

i) Certificates

ii) Diplomas

iii) Bachelor Degree

iv) Bachelor Honours Degree

v) Professional Bachelor Degree

vi) Masters Degree

vii) Doctoral Degree


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Level Descriptor

10 Comprehensive, systematic and in-depth mastery of a discipline/field’s knowledge, research, analytical and/or creative requirements. Highest level of research capabilities and/or in the creation of new knowledge, art or work.

9 Capacity for self-directed study and the ability to work independently. Planning and carrying out of a substantial piece of original research or scholarship and involving a high order of skill in analysis and critical evaluation.

8 Deepened, comprehensive and systematic expertise in a particular discipline. Developed research capacity using a coherent and critical understanding of the principles, theories and methodologies of a particular discipline.

7 Knowledge of a major discipline with areas of specialization in depth. Carry out processes that require a command of highly specialized technical or scholastic and basic research skills across a major discipline

6 Demonstrates focused knowledge and skills in a particular field using general principles and application. Carry out processes that require a command of wide-ranging highly specialized technical or scholastic skills.

5 Broad, general knowledge based on general principle in a specific area with substantial depth in some aspects. Carry out processes that require a wide range of specialized technical or scholastic skills involving a wide choice procedures. Employed in a variety of routine and non-routine contexts.

4 Employing a broad knowledge base incorporating some theoretical concepts or in-depth applied knowledge and skills in a specific area. Carry out processes that require a wide range of technical or scholastic skills involving a considerable choice of procedures. Often employed in a variety of familiar and unfamiliar contexts.

3 Employing some relevant theoretical knowledge and interpretation of available information. Uses discretion and judgment over a range of known responses to familiar problems. Carry out processes that require a range of well-developed skills and offer a significant choice of procedures within a range of familiar contexts.

2 Employs basic operational knowledge using readily available information. Uses known solutions to familiar problems with little generation of new ideas. Carry out processes that are moderate in range, are established and familiar and offer a clear choice of routine responses.

1 Employs recall and a narrow range of knowledge and cognitive skills. No generation of new ideas. Carry out processes that are limited in range, repetitive and familiar, and employed within closely defined contexts. Applied in directed activity under close supervision with no responsibility for the work or learning of others.

Table 4: Qualification Framework level descriptors: examples (Namibia)

56. It also contains unit standards recognized by the NQA as being of registration quality, and consists of a number of fields of learning as determined by the Council and subfields and domains as expressed in an outcome of learning taxonomy known as the NQF Classification System.

Mauritius

57. The NQF is defined as a system in which there is an understandable coherence and relation-ship between qualifications. It defines levels of achievement associated with a variety of qualifications and shows their position in relation to each other. Furthermore, it provides clear linkages and pathways across the framework between the qualifications, both horizontally and vertically.

58. The main objectives of the NQF as stated in the report by the Mauritius Qualifications Authority (MQA) are to:


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gradually take charge of the actual problems of certification and accreditation and also give international recognition for vocational qualifications awarded in Mauritius;

facilitate entry and exit between the education and training systems, hence widening the scope of career development;

enhance lifelong learning;

provide parity of esteem between academic and vocational qualifications;

increase employers participation in producing the right skills for industry;

provide a vigorous regulatory framework to ensure quality of training supplied.

The NQF was also set up to facilitate regional benchmarking in the SADC region.

59. The structure of the framework: The NQF in Mauritius aims at integrating academic and vocational awards and consists of 10 levels, which include all stages of education and training, starting with Certificate of Primary Education (CPE) at level 1 and ending with PhD at level 10. It is made up of unit standards and qualifications.

Level Primary / Secondary Education

TVET / Workplace Tertiary Education Level

10 Doctorate 10

9

Masters Degree e.g. MA, MSc, M.Phil,

Postgraduate Certificates, Postgraduate Diplomas

9

8 Bachelor with Honours, Conversion Programmes 8

7 Bachelor (ord. Degree) 7 6 Diploma Diploma 6

5 HSC / GCE ‘A’ Level / BAC / IBAC Certificate Certificate 5

4 4 3 SC / GCE ‘O’ Level 3 2 2 1 Certificate of Primary Education 1

MAURITIUS QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY

Figure 4: Structure of the National Qualifications Framework (Mauritius)

60. Level descriptors provide broad descriptions of learning outcomes at a given level of knowledge, skill and competence. A NQF ensures greater articulation between education, training and the world of work. It guarantees that training responds to standards set up by industry, and at the same time encourages lifelong learning through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and flexible delivery of training.

61. It is expected that the NQF will address the following issues:

(i) rationalization of the TVET sector

(ii) regional/international recognition of qualifications

(iii) flexible training pathways

(iv) benchmarking with qualifications from other countries


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(v) development of a path for lifelong learning through the recognition of prior learning

(vi) articulation between school, training centers, industry and tertiary education

(vii) parity of esteem for technical and vocational training

(viii) quality assurance of training provision

(ix) development of competency-based rather than process-oriented training.

3. How was the framework developed and who were considered as major stakeholders in this process?

South Africa

62. The South African NQF process has consistently embraced the Freirean-inspired notion of empowering all stakeholders despite their class or position. At times SAQA has been severely criticized for becoming overly reliant on stakeholder consultation, perceived as leading to lack of ability to provide adequate leadership. Despite the criticism, SAQA has continued to follow the stake-holder-involvement model. Examples of stakeholder representation and involvement include:

SAQA Board

National Standards Bodies (NSBs)3 and Standard Generating Bodies (SGBs) – i.e. in the development of qualifications

Publication of draft qualifications in the South African Government Gazette to encourage public comment

Regional discussion forums

Workshops to convey policy positions and processes

63. Stakeholder involvement has however also been on a deeper level than only the more operational examples mentioned above. Based on the understanding that the fundamental nature of the NQF is a social construct that is shaped by stakeholder involvement SAQA has continued to encourage intellectual scrutiny and democratic participation (Isaacs, 2001) in every aspect of NQF development and implementation.

Namibia

64. In October 1999 a conference was held on the National Qualifications Framework. It was attended by a number of international, regional and national stakeholders from New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa, Mauritius, Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Zambia. In the National Qualifications Framework suggested in 1999, eight Qualification Framework Levels were proposed. These levels were characterized by a series of descriptors that essentially reflected an occu-pational orientation and work level hierarchy.

65. Subsequent to this conference, it was agreed that the National Qualifications Framework for Namibia should be based on the following principles:

Comprehensiveness in its recognition of all learning and all qualifications attained in the country;

Recognition of the individual’s right and desire to access lifelong learning by providing for different pathways to achieve success;

3 From July 2005 the NSBs are being replaced with Consultative Panels to facilitate increased involvement from

subject matter experts


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Quality education and training through the development of standards-based qualifi-cations that recognized outcomes, no matter how achieved;

Redress for past injustices through, amongst other methods, the recognition of prior learning;

Relevant education and training by relating standards to the competencies required to ful-fill the roles and/or functions of a job on a certain level in a career structure;

Democratization of education and training by providing for the stakeholders in education and training to participate in the system in a meaningful manner;

Integration of the education and training systems to facilitate the movement of learners both horizontally and vertically in the framework, and to prevent learners being locked into dead-end programs.

66. Several stakeholder workshops attended by all the main stakeholders in education and training in Namibia, training providers, the industry, labors organizations and student representatives were convened during July and August 2004 to explore characteristics of qualification types, level descrip-tors, and good practice in qualification development. The outcomes of these workshops were supple-mented by relevant materials from desk research sourced and analyzed from Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, South Africa, Botswana, and France.

Mauritius

67. A study tour was undertaken to Australia and New Zealand because the models of these countries appeared to be closest to what was needed in Mauritius. The report of these visits formed the basis of the consultative process that followed, which included the following Ministries and organi-zations that were considered to be main stakeholders directly concerned with development and estab-lishment of the NQF:

Ministry of Training, Skills Development and Productivity Industrial and Vocational Training Board Mauritius Employers’ Federation Joint Economic Council Ministry of Labor and Industrial Relations Tertiary Education Commission Ministry of Civil Service Affairs and Administrative Reforms Ministry of Information Technology and Informatics.

4. What is the scope of qualifications covered? Does it include both general education and vocational systems? Informal, continuing out-of-school education? Training at the workplace?

South Africa

68. Based on a classification system developed by Howieson, Raffe and Tinklin (2000), three systems, each based on a different relationship between education and vocational systems, are used to describe the scope of an NQF:

unified - all systems are integrated

linked - separate systems but with common structures for transferability

tracked - separate systems with limited transferability.


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69. Compared to other NQFs across the world, the South African NQF is probably the NQF with the most unified scope; it is however uncertain to what extent this will remain as the proposed changes (as mentioned earlier) come to fruition. At present both educational and vocational qualifications are included on the NQF without any distinction being made between them, as noted by Oberholzer (1994:3):

“…a further reason for the establishment of [the South African] NQF is to provide a coherent structure for education, a means by which divisions between sectors of learning and the variety of providers of education can be bridged and the division between “theory” associated with general education and “application” associated with vocational education and training can be diminished.”

Namibia

70. The Namibian NQF is a comprehensive framework covering the whole spectrum of general education and vocational training activities offered by variety of providers, including training at the workplace in industry. It has built bridges between general academic education and vocational training.

71. The Namibia Qualifications Authority (NQA) registers onto the NQF any qualification and/or unit standards submitted to it, by these providers in compliance with technical criteria approved by Council and published by the NQA as Criteria for the Registration of Qualifications on the NQF, and Criteria for the Registration of Unit Standards on the NQF, following notification of the availability of such criteria through the Government Gazette.

Mauritius

72. Although the scope of the NQF in Mauritius is similar to that of Namibia and South Africa in that it includes general academic education, technical and vocational education and training at the workplace, the concentration is on the harmonization of the vocational training in the institutions and in industry, i.e. the workplace.

73. To facilitate this process, the MQA established an Industry Training Advisory Committee whose membership includes representatives of a variety of vocations and industries. The sectors include Agriculture and Fisheries, Automotives, Building Construction and Civil works, Electrical and Electronics Engineering and Information and Communication Technology.

74. The following functions of the MQA, whose main objective is to develop and maintain the NQF, clearly illustrate the scope of the NQF:

Formulate and publish policies and criteria for the registration and accreditation of all training institutions;

Generate and register national standards for any occupation;

Register qualifications obtained from primary to tertiary level;

Recognize and validate competencies for purposes of certification obtained outside the formal education and training systems.


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5. How does the NQF encourage lifelong learning, including learning in the workplace? Are there life skills and entrepreneurship skills?

South Africa

75. Lifelong learning and the South African NQF: As mentioned earlier, the South African NQF was influenced by similar developments in the United Kingdom; most notably by the focus on lifelong learning that accompanied the development of the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The emphasis on lifelong learning was evident throughout the early development of the NQF that preceded the SAQA Act in 1995. Largely due to the frag-mented nature of the pre-NQF education and training system in South Africa, the NQF was seen to be an important tool through which lifelong learning would be made possible, as was noted in February 1996 with the release of a discussion document, Lifelong Learning through a NQF:

The NQF reflects at the macro-level of national policy the conceptual shift towards the provision of opportunities for lifelong learning for everyone (South Africa, 1996: 15).

Namibia

76. Lifelong learning encompasses learning for personal and social purposes as well as for employment-related purposes. It takes place in a variety of environments in and outside the formal education and training systems. It implies investing in people and their knowledge, promoting the acquisition of basic skills, including digital literacy, and broadening the opportunities for innovative forms of learning.

77. The aim is to provide people of all ages with equal and open access to high quality learning opportunities and to a variety of learning experiences throughout Namibia. The NQF has a key role to play in making this a reality as it stresses the need to transform education and training systems in order to break down the barriers between different forms of learning.

78. As mentioned earlier, one of the principles underlying the NQF in Namibia is the “recognition of the individual’s right and desire to access lifelong learning by providing for different pathways to achieve success”. Skills recognition (life skills or entrepreneurial skills) is built into the NQF through its levels, which recognize:

increasing complexity of knowledge, understanding, and practical and cognitive abilities;

application of these abilities in increasingly new or abstract contexts;

the scope and degree of autonomy and responsibility for one’s own actions and/or the actions of others.

Mauritius

79. The NQF has been established to bring about major reforms of the education and training system. As in the case of South Africa, its establishment was influenced by the Scottish system. The then current certification system in Mauritius did not recognize prior learning, that is, skills and knowledge acquired as a result of informal training.

80. One of the major benefits of the NQF is that it ensures greater articulation between education, training and the world of work, and that training responds to standards set up by industry and at the same time encourages lifelong learning through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and flexible delivery of training.


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6. What regulatory bodies exist to ensure compliance with the objectives of the NQF that standard-setting and quality assurance systems are in place? Do these bodies have comprehensive information systems?

South Africa

81. Governance of the South African NQF: SAQA, a statutory agency, is tasked with the respon-sibility to oversee the development and implementation of the NQF. SAQA answers to both the Ministers of the Departments of Education and Labour, but is legally responsible to the Minister of Education. In turn SAQA delegates quality assurance responsibilities to some 33 Education and Training Qualification Authorities ETQAs), two of which have the status of being “band-ETQAs” with additional responsibilities for particular bands:

The Council on Higher Education (CHE) for higher education (NQF Levels 5 and above)

The Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further Education and Training (Umalusi) for basic education, schooling and further education and training.

82. The roles and responsibilities of the Departments, SAQA and the ETQAs have continually been debated and are expected to change with the promulgation of the new NQF Act. It is expected that the CHE and Umalusi would then acquire additional responsibilities, while SAQA itself would work in closer collaboration with the Department of Education.

83. With regard to funding, the EU has been extremely committed to the South African NQF implementation and has offered both financial and technical support between 1999 and 2005:

It is beyond question that the implementation of the NQF has been made possible by European Union funds, whose local value has increased as the exchange value of the Rand has declined (South Africa DoE and DoL, 2002:120).

Namibia

84. An Act of Parliament, Act 29 of 1996, established the Namibia Qualifications Authority (NQA) to develop and administer the NQF. The NQA is governed by a Council of about 36 members representing almost all industry in the country including government officials of appropriate ministries and institutions, for example, the Directorate of National Examinations and Assessment (DNEA) and the National Institute of Educational Development (NIED).

85. In 2004 the NQA developed regulations and criteria to

administer the NQF “Draft Regulations Setting Up a National Qualifications Framework for Namibia”;

accredit institutions providing training and education (quality assurance): for the Accredi-tation by the Namibia Qualifications Authority of Institutions to Offer Courses of Instruc-tion and/or Training”;

register qualifications: “Criteria for the Registration of Qualifications on the National Qualifications Framework in Namibia”

register unit standards onto the NQF: “Criteria for the Registration of Unit Standards on the National Qualifications Framework in Namibia”.

86. The NQA’s responsibilities include, inter alia:

creating a forum for matters pertaining to qualifications;

setting the occupational standards for any occupation, job post or position in any career;


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accreditation of persons, institutions and organizations providing education and training courses that meets certain requirements;

evaluation and recognition of competencies learnt outside the formal education and training systems.

Mauritius

87. The Mauritius Qualifications Authority has been set up with a view to regulating training in Mauritius and has been operational since May 2002. Its objectives are to:

develop, implement and maintain a National Qualifications Framework;

ensure compliance with provisions for registration and accreditation in the MQA Act;

ensure that standards and registered qualifications are internationally comparable.

88. Functions of the MQA are to:

1. Formulate and publish policies and criteria for registration and accreditation of training institutions/organizations responsible for establishing national standards and qualifi-cations, and for monitoring and auditing such standards and qualifications;

2. Generate and register national standards for any occupation;

3. Recognize and validate competencies for purposes of certification obtained outside the formal education and training systems;

4. Evaluate qualifications;

i) Keep a database of learning accounts;

ii) Publish an annual list of registered unit standards, qualifications and training institutions;

iii) Advise the government on matters pertaining to the NQF.

7. Is the qualifications framework responsive to changes in education and training policies at the national level, and which mechanisms are in place to react to rapid changes in qualifications required at the workplace?

South Africa

89. As mentioned before, the South African NQF has been an important government lever not only to transform the South African education and training system, but also to contribute to broader social transformation of the country as a whole. Together with the NQF, a National Skills Develop-ment Strategy has been implemented that including a Skills Levy (paid as a tax4 to the South African Revenue Service): companies that develop the skills of their employees are able to reclaim most of this levy. The NQF has provided the broad framework wherein the skills development training has taken place, enabling formal training to be offered against NQF-registered unit standards and qualifications. Even informal training (i.e. not against NQF-registered qualifications), which also qualifies for tax rebates, has benefited through the increased focus on quality assurance and the quality of the delivery of training.

90. As another example of responsiveness the South African NQF has included a strong emphasis on the development of the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), resulting in the publication of an RPL Policy (SAQA, 2002) and guidelines to implement RPL (SAQA, 2004b). More recently SAQA has

4 1% of annual turnover (small businesses are exempted)


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been requested by the ILO to develop a generic RPL guideline document that can be used in SADC countries (SAQA, 2005c).

Namibia

91. The need for continued involvement of stakeholders is a requirement in qualification develop-ment, standard setting, and program design and delivery. Their inclusion in the qualification 'world' and in the program 'world' will enhance the relevance of learning and attainment to the economic and social needs of Namibia and the work-place. Stakeholder involvement in the review of programs also enhances responsiveness to the needs of the learner as well as to those of the economy in general.

92. The NQA engages in many debates at national level and is proactive in identifying and high-lighting legislation, which might have an impact on the NQF before the policies are implemented. For example, when the Ministry of Higher Education took the Higher Education Bill to Parliament in 2002, the NQA submitted a document highlighting the impact of the National Council on Higher Education (NCHE) on the NQF, and agreement was reached that the NCHE would accredit institutions in conjunction with the NQA. It also submitted proposals for potential areas of cooperation with the currently envisaged National Training Authority (NTA) and a memorandum of technical cooperation would be signed in November 2005.

93. Most qualifications offered in the workplace are best addressed through the development of unit standards that are registered onto the NQF. The Criteria for developing unit standards are the guiding principles for workplace qualifications. A number of industry bodies in Namibia have started with the development of unit standards for identified occupational classes (and the proposed NTA will be involved in this process). For example:

The tourism industry through the Namibia Tourism Board (NTB) has currently finalized draft unit standards for tour guides and most of the hospitality occupations for levels 1-4;

The Life Insurance Industry through the Life Assurance Association of Namibia (LAAN) has submitted unit standards for registration onto the NQF for brokers and underwriters;

The banking industry through the Institute of the Bankers (IOB) has completed draft unit standards for identified occupational classes;

The NQA has provided a number of industries with capacity building workshops in the training of assessors. Currently the NQA is working on the revised policy on standards-based assessment with the involvement of the representatives of the industry.

Mauritius

94. The NQF was developed to ensure greater articulation between education, training and the world of work and that training responds to standards set by industry. Hence the setting up of the Industry Training Advisory Committee mentioned above, which ensures that the content of the training courses as well unit standards are regularly revised to reflect the changing needs of industry.

95. Recognition of vocational qualifications awarded in Mauritius is a continuing preoccupation of the Mauritius Qualification Authority (MQA) and the National Accreditation and Equivalence Council, which were created to look after the aspects of quality and accreditation, in the wake of the rapid developments taking place in the private sector.


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8. To what extent do the qualifications provide room for localized vocational content? Do national standards allow for adaptation to local economic and labor market conditions?

South Africa

96. Development of national standards does not exclude localization: even though some standards might need to be elaborated locally because they refer to local specificities, they need to be com-parable. They help to link different sub-systems of the education and training system. Qualification frameworks are particularly important for heterogeneous education and training systems with a variety of subsystems. Localization of education and training programs, content and certificates, unless accompanied by NQFs, may hamper the mobility of individuals within education and training systems.

97. Although the South African NQF has undoubtedly been influenced by international trends, most notably globalization (but also the competency-based movement, commodification of education and even neo-liberalism), the NQF has ultimately been designed to suit the local context.

98. Emerging from the pre-1994 period of racially based and disparate provisioning, the South African NQF was designed to transform the education and training system. Included in this original vision was the notion that curriculum content and programs be separated from qualifications – in so doing it was envisaged that greater parity of esteem could be created between historically disadvantaged and advantaged institutions. It was also agreed that delivery and assessment methods would be recommended but not prescribed. Providers would therefore have the freedom to develop their own learning programs (based on nationally registered qualifications), plan the delivery methods according to their context and preference, and also conduct the assessment as preferred.

99. Supporting this decentralized approach is a quality assurance system that ensures that providers meet the minimum accreditation criteria to be able to offer such learning programs; including having the following:

Quality management system (QMS);

Appropriately qualified trainers and lecturers;

Adequate record keeping systems;

Registered assessors.

100. Qualifications are developed through a standards setting system that includes extensive stake-holder (and expert) representation. Final registration of such qualifications are dependent on approval by SAQA and although international comparability is considered, most attention is given to national suitability, including:

Articulation with other qualifications;

Position within a career path;

Alignment with the objectives of the NQF;

Weighting of core, elective and fundamental outcomes.

101. The involvement of subject matter experts in Standards Generating Bodies (SGBs) and Consultative Panels ensure that qualifications are appropriately suited to the contexts wherein which they would be offered.

102. In addition to the attempt at improving the parity of esteem between institutions, the South African approach to qualification development has also included efforts to improve the parity of esteem between vocational education and training (VET), usually placed on the lower levels of the NQF, and more academic education, usually placed on the higher levels. Although this “unified”


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approach has been moderately successful, it has been severely contested and will most probably evolve into a more “linked” approach, where VET and academic qualifications are seen as equal but different.

103. Language barriers remain equally contested. South Africa has eleven official languages. Enshrined in the South African Constitution is also the right to basic education in any one of these languages (see the SAQA submission to the South African Human Rights Commission hearings on the right to basic education, October 2005). In practice this has not been achieved and will most probably not be achieved in the near future.

104. In summary qualification development in South Africa has a strong focus on national needs (as required for registration on the NQF) and sector-specific needs (mainly through the SGBs). International comparability is also important but is subservient to local needs. 5

Namibia

105. The key to localization is that qualifications and unit standards are expressed as outcomes of learning: how much the learner knows and can do after learning. The pathway is not necessarily pre-scribed (though in some cases, national curricula are being developed to guide teaching and learning). The quality (relevance and fitness) of the programs as pathways to qualifications is checked through the accreditation processes and requirements. The NQF and the Accreditation Standard represent an integrated quality assurance model.

106. There is a requirement that all qualifications and programs have a clear rationale that is inclusive of links to identified national, regional or local needs.

107. The involvement of all stakeholders in the process of developing unit standards and qualifi-cations ensures localization of the content.

Mauritius (Contribution not yet available at time of finalization of paper)

9. What are other major impacts and achievements of the NQF regarding, for example, learners’ motivation, and various training programs ranging from certificate to diploma/degree level?

South Africa

108. Starting in 2003, SAQA has embarked on a longitudinal comparative study to measure the impact of the South African NQF on the transformation of the education and training system. The reports are available on the SAQA website:

Cycle 1 (SAQA, 2004) – this report focuses mainly on the development of the method-ology.

Cycle 2 (SAQA, 2005) – this report contains the baseline date that was gathered during 2004 and included interviews with stakeholders and a national survey.

109. Although it will only be possible to make a definitive judgment on the impact of the NQF once Cycle 3 (to be done in 2006) has been concluded, the Cycle 2 results have shown that on average

5 The de-accreditation of a number of international MBA providers in 2004 by the Council on Higher Education

(CHE) is a good example. Despite having a good international track record, some providers were de-accredited for lacking suitable local (South African) contextualization.


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the NQF has after only eight years of existence made at least a moderate positive impact (Blom and Keevy, 2005). Table 5 is a summary of the Cycle 2 results and the reader is referred to the report for a more detailed explanation:

Level of Impact Impact Indicator High

Positive Impact

Moderate Impact

Minimal/ Mixed Impact

Negative Impact

Set 1: The extent to which qualifications address the education and training needs of learners and the South African society

#1 Number of qualifications X #2 Effectiveness of qualifications design X #3 Portability of qualifications X #4 Relevance of qualifications X #5 Qualifications uptake and achievement X #6 Integrative approach X

Set 2: The extent to which the delivery of learning programmes addresses the education and training needs of learners and the South African society

#7 Equity of access X #8 Redress practices X #9 Nature of learning programs X

#10 Quality of learning and teaching X #11 Assessment practices X #12 Career and learning pathing X

Set 3: The extent to which quality assurance arrangements enhance the effectiveness of education and training #13 Number of registered assessors and moderators X #14 Number of accredited providers X #15 Quality assurance practices X

Set 4: The extent to which the NQF has had a wider social, economic and political impact in building a lifelong learning culture #16 Organizational, economic and societal benefits X #17 Contribution to other national strategies X

Table 5: Impact of the NQF: summary of cycle 2 results (South Africa)

Ratings used in Table 5: High Positive Impact: The research evidence shows a marked positive change across most

of the education and training system as it pertains to the NQF. Moderate Impact: The research evidence shows moderate positive change across the

education and training system. Minimal/Mixed Impact: The research evidence shows minimal positive and/or a mix of

positive and negative change across the education and training system. Negative Impact:

The research evidence shows a marked negative change across most of the education and training system as it pertains to the NQF.


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Namibia

110. The NQF has provided clarity to everyone in the country because for the first time in the history of Namibia, there is nomenclature of all qualifications to be offered in the country. Before there was so much confusion regarding the level and complexity and the depth of learning of any qualification. Learners have a better understanding of the quality of the qualifications they need, employers also have a better understanding of the levels and value of qualifications offered in the country.

Mauritius (Contribution not yet available at time of finalization of paper)

6 Concluding Observations 6.1 Why National Qualifications Frameworks? 111. In Namibia and South Africa, the development of National Qualifications Frameworks was initially politically driven. It was a social construct put in place to correct the imbalances created by the previous racist regimes. The existing education and training systems were fragmented and lacked proper coordination for improvement of quality and certification. The development of the NQF was therefore seen as a vehicle that would address issues such as access and equity. The labor movement also played a significant part in this process, because employers repeatedly rejected its demands for a living wage on the grounds that its workers were unskilled, even though they had gained some experience in the workplace. Returning refugees with qualifications from several countries faced problems of finding appropriate jobs.

112. The de-linking of the education system in South Africa and the growing number of training institutions awarding qualifications with various standards in Namibia also underlined the need for a qualifications framework. This latter reason is also applicable to the Mauritian situation, where there were a large number of providers of education and training offering courses in various fields, at different levels and of varying duration and quality. Certificates offered by these providers recognized attendance only with little or no information about the outcomes of learning achieved as a result of such attendance.

113. It may therefore be concluded that the reasons for the establishment of NQFs were essentially to achieve social justice, to improve access and equity and to regulate education and training systems.


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6.2 Definitions of NQFs, including their purpose and objectives 114. All three countries define NQFs as structures with guidelines and principles used to assess and register learner achievements to enable recognition of acquired skills and knowledge. They consist of levels of qualifications, each of which is defined by a set of descriptors detailing the outcomes of learning obtained, as well as the linkages between them. Therefore an integrated system is used to encourage lifelong learning.

Figure 5 presents an overview of levels as currently defined for South Africa, Namibia and Mauritius. As mentioned in para 46, South Africa intends to migrate to ten levels as well.

South Africa Namibia Mauritius Level Band Qualifications Level Qualifications Level Qualifications

8 Doctorate 10 10 Doctorate

7 Higher Degrees 9

9 Higher Degrees / Honors Degrees

6 Degrees / Higher Diploma 8

8 Higher Diploma

5

Higher Education

and Training

Diploma / Occupational Certificate 7

Doctorate Higher Degrees

Honors Degrees Ordinary Degrees 7 Ordinary Degrees

4 College / Training Certificate 6 6 Diplomas

3 College / Training Certificate 5

Diplomas

5 Certificates

2

Further Education

and Training College /

Training Certificate 4 4

1.4 Schools / ABET 4 3 3

1.3 Senior / ABET 3 2 2 1.2 Intermediate / ABET 2 1

Certificates

1 1.1 Foundation / ABET6 1

Primary

General Education

and Training

Pre-School

Figure 5: NQF levels in South Africa, Namibia and Mauritius

6 ABET: Adult Basic Education and Training


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115. The purpose of the NQF is summarized by its objectives. Common objectives and principles between the three countries are given below:

Common Characteristics of National Qualifications Frameworks

Integration – they form a basis for integrated approach to education and training such as

integrating theory with practice, and the academic general education with technical and vocational education and training.

Relevance – be, and remain, responsive to socio-economic development needs.

Credibility – have national, regional and international value and acceptance.

Coherence – have a consistent framework of principles and certification which allows learners to clearly link credits into a meaningful learning or career pathway.

Flexibility – allow for multiple pathways leading to the same learning outcomes/ ends.

Quality – expressed in terms of nationally agreed outcomes and performance/ assessment criteria.

Legitimacy – have authorities empowered by government to accredit and issue qualifications.

Access – provide ease of entry to appropriate levels of education and training for all prospective learners to facilitate progression.

Progression – ensure that learners are able to move through the levels by accumulating appropriate combinations of credits.

Portability – enable learners to transfer their credits from one context to another.

Articulation – provide for learners to move between components of the delivery system.

Recognition of prior learning – through assessment, give credit to learning which has already been acquired in non-formal ways, e.g. through life/work experience.

Table 6: Common characteristics of NQFs in South Africa, Namibia and Mauritius

6.3 The development of NQFs 116. The involvement of major stakeholders is evident is all three countries. This is facilitated by their inclusion in various bodies and organizations established to develop and implement the NQF. They include representatives of training institutions, the private sector, employers’ organizations and labor movements. Both South Africa and Namibia show evidence of the continued encouragement of intellectual scrutiny and democratic participation in every aspect of NQF development and implementation. This is achieved through seminars, workshops and conferences.


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6.4 The scope of the NQF 117. This is adequately covered under the definition of the NQF, including its purpose and objectives. In South Africa and Namibia, the NQF is a comprehensive framework covering the whole spectrum of general education and vocational training activities. It “provides a coherent structure for education and training, a means by which divisions between sectors of learning and the variety of providers of education and training can be bridged and the division between ‘theory’ associated with generals education and ‘application’ associated with vocational education and training can be diminished” (Oberholzer 1994:3).

118. Although the Mauritian model is similar to that of South Africa and Namibia, the concentration at the moment is on harmonization of the vocational qualifications offered by vocational training institutions and industry.

6.5 NQF and lifelong learning, learning at the workplace, entrepreneurship skills

119. The inclusion of lifelong learning in the structure of NQFs in all three countries has been influenced mainly by international experiences, particularly the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework, and in the case of Namibia, also by the New Zealand model. Lifelong learning encompasses learning for personal, social and employment-related purposes. It implies investing in the people and their prior knowledge, and promoting the acquisition of basic skills, including entrepreneurial skills.

120. “The concept of an NQF has a direct connection with lifelong learning which ‘encompasses all learning activities undertaken throughout life for the development of competencies and qualifications’. One of the greatest benefits of an NQF is that it facilitates a reference for lifelong learning and for progress in work and social life” (Zuniga, F.V. 2003. Lifelong Learning: Experiences towards the Development of NQFs in Latin America and the Caribbean).

6.6 Regulatory bodies which ensures compliance with the objectives of the NQF

121. All three countries have put in place National Qualification Authorities through an Act of Parliament, with responsibilities to oversee the development and implementation of the NQF. They formulate and publish policies and criteria for registration and accreditation of training institutions and organizations. The South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) has delegated quality assurance responsibilities to some 33 Education and Training Qualifications Authorities (ETQAs).

122. The Namibian Qualifications Authority (NQA), which is governed by a Council of about 36 members representing almost all industry, and the Mauritius Qualifications Authority (MQA) are directly responsible for quality assurance and ensure compliance with provisions for registration and accreditation in the Act.

123. SAQA has developed and installed a National Learners’ Record Database.

6.7 The NQF’s responses to changes of policy and emerging needs of industry

124. Since NQFs have the broad role of socio-economic transformation of the country as a whole, they should take cognizance of strategies, policies, parastatals and other principal role players in the education training system involved in this transformation. For example, most SADC countries have


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Human Resources Development Strategies and Curriculum Development and Evaluation Departments; Namibia also has its National Institute of Educational Development (Namibia) and South Africa the National Skills Development Strategy.

125. The involvement of all these organizations in the implementation of NQFs will ensure that revisions and reviewing of policies will be captured in their structure. The outcomes which are stipulated in the various levels of the NQF are intended to direct the thinking of policy makers, curriculum designers, facilitators of learning as well as of the learners themselves.

126. Another example of responsiveness is that NQFs have included a strong emphasis on the development of the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). In South Africa it has resulted in the publication of an RPL Policy (SAQA, 2002) and guidelines to implement RPL (SAQA, 2004).

6.8 The provision for localization of vocational content in the NQF 127. There is an implicit requirement that all qualifications, and therefore all training programs, have a rationale that is inclusive of links to identified national needs. All three countries involve all stakeholders in the process of developing unit standards and qualifications to ensure localization of the content; however, even though some standards might need to be elaborated locally because they refer to local specificities, they still need to be comparable nationally.

128. National curricula are being developed to guide teaching and learning, and education and training providers at the local level should include content which is compatible with local conditions; the quality (relevance and fitness) of this content as a pathway to qualifications is checked through accreditation processes and requirements.

6.9 Major impacts and achievements of the NQF 129. It is not realistic to make a comparative analysis of the three countries, but it may be observed that the NQFs have provided clarity and understanding to parents, employers, learners and providers about the following issues:

the nomenclature of all qualifications;

their relative levels and values;

the pathways between them.

130. Furthermore, there are now regular interactions between teachers, trainers, employers and curriculum designers in the development of the national curricula.

131. In conclusion, the experiences from these countries confirm the notion of an NQF as a socially determined and dynamic object that is widely supported because of the democratic participation of stakeholders. It is also meant to serve as a comprehensive, nationally consistent yet flexible framework for all qualifications, in this case, at post-primary education and technical and vocational education and training. The South African model succinctly demonstrates this function: “It is a set of principles and guidelines by which records of learner achievements are registered to enable national recognition of acquired skills and knowledge, thereby ensuring an integrated system that encourages life-long learning.”

132. NQF development and implementation is not without challenges. The extent to which stake-holders contribute to and form the NQF as a social construct, as well as the delineation of roles and responsibilities of agencies that govern the NQF, not to mention the extent to which both vocational and education qualifications are included in attempts to improve parity, are just a few examples of the challenges that need to be faced. Despite such challenges, even as a result of them, the thinking and


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conceptual development that form part of the broader NQF discourse is developing at a significant pace.

133. Mauritius, Namibia and South Africa and the SADC region have learnt much from qualifi-cations framework developments across the world in the past twenty years. Today they stand at the forefront of these internationally, as the countries reaffirm their commitment to the Education for All International Development Goals set for 2015; to the attempt by the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) to bridge existing gaps in priority sectors, thereby helping the continent catch up with developed parts of the world; to the Arusha Convention, and to the Accra Declaration on the General Agreement on Trades and Services (GATS).


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