The NQF and the Standards Setting

1 Setting quality Standards isthe first step in the qualitycycleSBA IsaacsThe NationalQualificationsFramework andthe StandardsSettingWrite to us atPostnet Suite 248, Private Bag X06 WATERKLOOF, 0145 Visit us at:659 Pienaar Street (cnr. Waterkloof Road)BROOKLYN, PretoriaTelephone us at012 - 482 0800 Switchboard012 - 482 0802 Executive Office012 - 482 0836 Resource Centre and general information012 - 482 0810 Strategic Support012 - 482 0810 Communications012 - 482 0807 Standards Setting and Development012 - 482 0805 Quality Assurance and Development012 - 482 0858 Evaluation of Educational QualificationsFax us at012 - 346 5813 Executive Office012 - 346 5809 Secretariat012 - 346 5809 Communications012 - 346 5812 Standards Setting and Development012 - 346 5814 Quality Assurance and Developmente-mail us our website new telephone numbers will be in operation from 1 August date.

2 July 2000 Funded by the European Union under the European Programmefor Reconstruction andDevelopmentCONTENTS1. Introduction32. SAQA Vision, Mission and Structures33. Concepts in Standards Setting144. Respective Roles and Functions of NSB s and SGB s215. SGB Applications Process and Criteria336. Generating Standards and Qualifications36 GLOSSARY OF ABBREVIATIONSABETA dult Basic Education and TrainingADAssistant Director /NSB Co-ordinatorCSSC ommunications and Secretarial Services (Division)DSSDD irectorate Standards Setting and DevelopmentETQAE ducation and Training Quality Assurance (Bodies)FETF urther Education and TrainingFIFramework ImplementationGETG eneral Education and TrainingHETH igher Education and TrainingHODHead of DepartmentNQFN ational Qualifications FrameworkNSBN ational Standards BodySAQAS outh African Qualifications AuthoritySGBS tandards Generating BodySTANDARDS SETTINGTHE NATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORK2A publication of the South African Qualifications AuthoritySAQA s MissionTo ensure the development and implementation of aNational Qualifications Framework which contributes tothe full development of each learner and to the social andeconomic development of the nation at South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA)

3 Was establishedthrough the SAQA Act of 1995 to oversee the development and imple-mentation of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF). The NQF is ameans for transforming the education and training in South Africa and hasbeen designed to: create a single, integrated, national education and training frameworkfor the whole nation make it easier for learners to enter the education and training system andto move and progress within it improve the quality of education and training in South Africa enable learners to develop to their full potential and thereby support thesocial and economic development of the country as a NQF is essentially a quality assurance system with the developmentand registration of Standards and qualifications as the first important step inimplementing a quality education and training system in South Africa.

4 Thebodies responsible for generation and recommendation of qualifications andstandards are respectively called Standards Generating Bodies (SGBs) andNational Standards Bodies (NSBs). The bodies responsible for the qualityassurance of the Standards and qualifications are called Education andTraining Quality Assurance Bodies that will carry out their functions in co-operation with education training providers and moderating bodies. The purpose of the paper is to explain the role and function of standardssetting within the NQF. In order to understand the role of Standards settingit is important to understand the purpose of SAQA and its vision for educa-tion and training. This vision is explored in the first section of the paper,together with other important features of SAQA its role and function indeveloping and overseeing the NQF.

5 This section on SAQA will be fol-lowed by an outline of the main concepts of Standards Setting and how thestructures are operating as well as the underlying rationale for their func-tioning. After outlining the basic features of Standards Setting structures, therelationship of the structures to qualifications and Standards will be exploredas well as their relationship to other NQF structures and processes. SAQA Vision, Mission and South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA)The Minister of Education, in consultation with, the Minister of Labourappoints the 29 SAQA members for a period of three years. The 29 SAQA members represent the major education and training stakeholders includingrepresentatives from government, business and VisionSAQA s vision is to develop an education and training system that reflectsTHE NATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORKSTANDARDS SETTINGA publication of the South African Qualifications Authority3 The NQF is essentiallya quality assurancesystem with thedevelopment andregistration ofstandards andqualifications as thefirst important step inimplementing a qualityeducation and trainingsystem in South objectives of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF).

6 SAQA Mission StatementTo ensure the development and implementation of a National QualificationsFramework which contributes to the full development of each learner and tothe social and economic development of the nation at Functions The primary function of SAQA (also called the Authority ) is to oversee thedevelopmentandimplementationof the NQF (also called theFramework ).In terms of section 5(1) of the South African Qualifications AuthorityAct (1995), SAQA must: Oversee the development of the NQF. Formulate and publish policies and criteria for: registering bodies responsible for establishing education and trainingqualifications and Standards (NSBs and SGBs) accrediting bodies responsible for monitoring and auditing achieve-ments in terms of such qualifications and Standards (ETQAs) Oversee the implementation of the NQF, including: registering or accrediting the above mentioned bodies and assigningtheir functions registering national qualifications and Standards ensuring compliance with provisions for accreditation benchmarking Standards and registered qualifications internationally Advise the Minister on the registration of qualifications and Standards .

7 Be responsible for the control of the finances of the Qualifications Framework (NQF) ObjectivesThe objectives of the NQF as stated in the Mission Statement above andaccording to the SAQA Act are the following: Create an integrated national framework for learning achievements. Facilitate access to, and mobility and progression within, education,training and career paths. Enhance the quality of education and training. Accelerate the redress of past unfair discrimination in education, train-ing and employment opportunities, and thereby Contribute to the full personal development of each learner and thesocial and economic development of the nation at has adopted an eight-level framework.

8 Level 1 is the least complex,and Level 8 the most complex. Both Levels 1 and 8 are regarded as open-ended. This means that there is learning below Level 1 that will only beformally recognised by SAQA at Level 1. There is one exception, put in place to provide for the recognition ofSTANDARDS SETTINGTHE NATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORKThe primary function of SAQA is to overseethe development and implementation of the publication of the South African Qualifications Authorityadult learning that falls outside of the Framework. Level 1 has three certifi-cation levels for Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) - 1, 2 and 3 -which lead to the General Education and Training Certificate (ABET 4) atLevel 1 on the NQF.

9 These features are illustrated below:BandsWhat is also clear from the above table is that the 8 levels are grouped intothree (3) bands - General Education and Training (GET), covering Level 1 and below. Further Education and Training (FET), covering Levels 2 to 4. Higher Education and Training (HET), covering Level 5 to 8. These terms describe the different levels of education and training inSouth NATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORKSTANDARDS SETTINGA publication of the South African Qualifications Authority5 Levels: 5-8 Tertiary And ResearchHigherInitialNational andProfessionalResearchDegreesDegreesHig her NationalEmploymentDiplomasCORE and APPLIEDGENERIC and OPTIONSS eniorTechnicalPrivateIndustry TrainingLabour RTCsSecondaryColleges &Providers &Market SchemesSchoolsCommunityNGOsCollegesLevel s: 2-4to Higher National Certificate(s)Grade 9 Grade 7 Grade 5 Grade 3 Level: 1 CompulsoryCOMPULSORY SCHOOLING: Level 1 or the General Certificate of Education - GETCABET 4 ABET 3 ABET 2 ABET 1 ABE & TRAINING.

10 Level 1 or the GeneralCertificate of Education GETCEDUCAREKey Aspects of the NQFC ritical Cross-Field Education and Training OutcomesCritical cross-field outcomes are those generic outcomes that are useful for,and result from, all teaching and Fields and Sub-fieldsFor organisational purposes, the NQF divides all education and training inSouth Africa into 12 organising has established 12 National Standards Bodies, one per organising fields are not based on traditional discipline or subjectareas; nor are they based on economic sectors. SAQA recognises that reallife does not fall neatly into fields or sub-fields. These organising fields area convenient mixture of the two, to make Standards generation also published an initial framework of sub-fields for the twelveorganising fields of the NQF (this appears below).