NATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS IN ADULT BASIC EDUCATION AND TRAINING (ABET) PRESENTED TO THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION APRIL 2002

Directorate: Adult Education and Training - Purpose To manage the development, evaluation and maintenance of policy, programmes and systems for adult education and training

Directorate: AET - Functions The development and maintenance of policy concerning programmes, qualifications and assessment for adult and community education and training The development, evaluation and maintenance of programmes and systems for adult education and training

ABET SECTOR: The ABET sector so far, has managed to mobilise both learners and educators to participate in adult education and training through campaigns such the Ithuteng, Adult Learners’ Week and International Learners’ Day.

GROWTH IN ABET SECTOR The following figures bear testimony to the rapid growth of the ABET sector: Educators: Between , the total number of adult educators grew to Learners - the total number of learners also grew to , Centers –a total of learning centres.

GROWTH IN ABET SECTOR Note: This growth occurred within a context of budgetary contraints 2000 data reflects the following: No. of learners grew to No. of educators grew to No. of learning sites grew to 2 318

PROGRESS TO DATE The Department has impacted on the lives of adult learners through the: Design, development and piloting of an integrated curriculum – linking learning to skills in two of the identified provinces – Northern Province and Eastern Cape This USAID sponsored pilot project created valuable partnerships between DoE and other relevant departments especially Labour, Agriculture and DTI as a result of SMME unit standard based programmes and curriculum development.

PROGRESS TO DATE Apart from the partnerships, the project created useful capacity that was transferred to learners, educators and centre managers. For example, out of the 3000 participants targeted, 2028 were trained. The project also created a firm basis for expansion and linkages to the poverty alleviation strategy of government in the nodal areas and in particular the 60 PALCs

POVERTY RELIEF: Objective The project aims at piloting new curricula which includes unit standards drawn from two elective areas for adult learners at ABET level 4 (the GETC level) that will provide skills development in Agriculture and SMME job creation.

Specific objectives: Structures To build management structures from national to provincial (to district) to centre level To support the establishment of a national forum for ABET policy and programme development in the form of a national ABET Advisory Board (NABABET) and its sub- structures, provincial management structures and governing bodies

Specific objectives: Capacity To train practitioners (managers, administrators, educators/ facilitators) and governing bodies

Specific objectives: Systems To put in place all the needed sub-systems, viz: Curriculum, including  Unit Standards  Learning Programmes  Assessment  Learning Support Materials  Practitioner Development  Monitoring and Evaluation  Project Management including Financial Management, Procurement, etc.  Research and Development  Advocacy

Specific objectives: Infrastructure and Delivery To pilot in selected Public Adult Learning Centres in each province, reaching at least learners and impacting directly on at least 300 educators. Total centres = 60 nationally.

POVERTY RELIEF - Preparatory steps : The Department undertook feasibility studies in all the nine provinces with a focus on those learning sites that were not affected by the pilot project Procurement and distribution of learning support material including agricultural equipment and sewing machines is underway

POVERTY RELIEF - Development of placement tools is in process Training of educators on SMME managemnt is on tender Training of Ikhwelo project managers is being organised Advertisement of posts for 240 educators and 10 coordinators have been placed, shortlisting is underway.

SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT Developed and gazetted ABET regulations in line with the ABET Act Formation of NABABET is under way Development of funding norms and standards has commenced Draft conditions of service have been developed Development of guidelines for the registration of private institutions is in progress

FUNDS SPENT Funder European union AllocationActivity Swedish International Development Agency R Production of the report on the first five years DoeR47 000Celebration of Adult Learners Week and International Learners’ Day

CONDITIONAL GRANT - FUNDS AVAILABLE FunderAllocationActivity Conditional Grant R110 million for three years 59 million for the year To carry out the Ikhwelo poverty alleviation project

Thank You Inkomu Siyabonga Re a leboga