Vocational Education and Training in Southern Africa

1 Vocational Education andTraining in Southern AfricaA Comparative StudyEdited bySalim Akoojee, Anthony Gewer and Simon McGrathRESEARCH PROGRAMME ONHUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENTHSRC RESEARCHMONOGRAPH Free download from Compiled by the Research Programme on Human Resources Development,Human Sciences Research CouncilPublished by HSRC PressPrivate Bag X9182, Cape Town, 8000, South 2005 Human Sciences Research Council, in this versionFirst published 2005 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the 0-7969-2043-5 Cover by Fuel DesignCopy editing by Laurie Rose-InnesTypeset by Christabel HardacrePrint management by comPressDistributed in Africa by Blue Weaver Marketing and DistributionPO Box 30370, Tokai, Cape Town, 7966, South AfricaTel: +27 +21 701-4477 Fax: +27 +21 701-7302email.

2 Worldwide, except Africa , by Independent Publishers Group814 North Franklin Street, Chicago, IL 60610, order, call toll-free: 1-800-888-4741 All other inquiries, Tel: +1 +312-337-0747 Fax: +1 +312-337-5985email: Free download from ContentsList of tables and figures viAcknowledgements viiAbbreviations viii1. The multiple context of Vocational Education and Training in Southern Africa Simon McGrath1 Introduction 1 The historical legacy 1 International influences 2 This study 62. Botswana: united in purpose, diverse in practice Salim Akoojee9 Introduction 9 The socio-political, economic and development context 9 The educational context 15 The TVET system 17 Recent developments 22 Conclusion 293.

3 Lesotho: the uphill journey to developmentThomas Magau32 Contextual realities 32 The educational context 34 The VET system 36 Conclusion 44 Free download from 4. Mauritius: the Singapore of Africa ? Skills for a global island Anthony Gewer46 The country context 46 The educational context 49 The VET system 54 Summary and conclusions 635. Mozambique: towards rehabilitation andtransformation Nimrod Mbele65 Introduction 65 The country context 65 The educational context 68 The TVET system 71 Key issues in Mozambican TVET 74 Conclusion 796. Namibia: repositioning Vocational Education and Training Mahlubi Mabizela81 Introduction 81 Locating Namibia 81 The Education system 84 The VET system 85 Current vision and changes in the VET system 95 Conclusion 987.

4 South Africa : skills development as a tool for social and economic development Salim Akoojee, Anthony Gewer and Simon McGrath99 Introduction 99 Setting the scene: economic and development contexts 99 The educational context 103 The unfinished business of building a new integrated VET system 106 Attempts to strengthen the integration of Education and Training 112A decade on: assessing and explaining successes and failures 115 Free download from 8. The Kingdom of Swaziland: escaping thecolonial legacy Jennifer Roberts118 Introduction 118 The social and economic context 118 The Swaziland Education system 123 VET in Swaziland 126 Emerging policy issues and directions 137 9.

5 Key issues and challenges for transformationSimon McGrath139 Understanding the extent and limits of regional convergence in VET policy 139A vision for VET? 140 VET and the bigger policy picture 142 The VET debates 144 Conclusion 151 References 152v HSRC 2005 Free download from List of tables and figuresTablesTable Key economic indicators 10 Table Botswana exports (P million), selected years and sectors 11 Table Literacy rates 15 Table Public Education expenditure 16 Table School enrolment ratios 16 Table TVET provision in Botswana 17 Table The cost of TVET (per student per year)

6 24 Table Macroeconomic plan indicators, selected years 34 Table Some social indicators 34 Table Number of teachers and students by level in Lesotho s Education system, 1998 35 Table Mauritius and the 2003 Human Development Index 47 Table Human Development Index trends, 1975 2001 47 Table Schooling statistics for 2002 51 Table Post-secondary (polytechnic) statistics for 2002 53 Table Post-secondary (higher Education ) statistics for 2002 54 Table Qualifications of the labour force by location 69 Table The public school population of Mozambique, 1998 71 Table Qualification background of teachers in selected TVET institutions 76 Table Percentage contribution of different sectors to the country s GDP andemployment 82 Table Student headcount enrolments at VTCs 93 Table The National Qualifications Framework 104 Table Total headcount enrolments in Education and Training sectors.

7 1970s 2000 105 Table Population statistics 119 Table Human development indicators 120 Table Paid employment by sector 122 Table Employment by skills level 122 Table Selected Education statistics 124 Table Aggregate enrolments by sector 124 Table Budget allocations by educational sector, 2003 125 Table VET enrolments by institution 129 Table Accessing and exiting the VET system 129 Table Ministerial responsibility for institutions 130 FiguresFigure The structure of Education in Mauritius 50 Figure The structure of the VET system in Namibia 88vi HSRC 2005 Free download from AcknowledgementsThis volume represents the collective endeavours of a number of persons.

8 I would like tothank my co-editors and the country chapter writers for their efforts. I would also like tothank our three co-funders and their representatives on the project s steering committee:Barry Masoga (British Council), Andre Kraak (HSRC) and Nick Taylor (JET EducationServices). Particular thanks must also go to Barry for his leadership in ensuring that this isnot simply a report on an academic study but a step on a journey towards better regionalco-operation in the area of Vocational Education and Training . My appreciation also goesto Cilna de Kock and Leonorah Khanyile, who provided support to the research activitiesand to the final seminar in Mauritius.

9 My thanks also go to Rosalind Burford and all herteam at the British Council, Mauritius, and Roland du Bois and the Industrial andVocational Training Board of Mauritius for co-hosting the regional volume would not have been possible without the assistance of a large number ofinstitutional leaders and senior officials who gave their time to the researchers in order toenrich our understandings of the systems in which they are working. You are too manyto name individually but we hope that your investment of time in our research iscompensated for by this Simon McGrath Director: Research Programme on Human Resources Development, Human Sciences Research CouncilPretoriaAugust 2004vii HSRC 2005 Free download from AbbreviationsABETA dult Basic Education and Training (South Africa )AGOAA frican Growth and Opportunity ActANCA frican National Congress (South Africa )BDCB otswana Development CorporationBDPB otswana Democratic PartyBNQFB otswana National Qualifications FrameworkBNVQB otswana National Vocational QualificationBOTAB otswana Training AuthorityBTEPB otswana Technical Education ProgrammeCBETC ompetency Based Education and Training (Namibia)

10 CEOC hief Executive OfficerCHSCC ambridge Higher School CertificateCIDAC anadian International Development AgencyCOSATUC ongress of South African Trade UnionsCOSCC ambridge Overseas School CertificateCOSDECC ommunity Skills Development Centre (Namibia)CPEC ertificate of Primary Education (Mauritius)DanidaDanish International Development AgencyDFIDD epartment for International Development (UK)DINETN ational Directorate for Technical Education (Mozambique)DIVTD irectorate of Industrial and Vocational Training (Swaziland)DoEDepartment of Education (South Africa )DoLDepartment of Labour (South Africa )DVETD epartment of Vocational Education and Training (Botswana)EEmalingeni (Swaziland)ECOLE xamination Council of LesothoEPZE xport Processing ZoneESDE mployment Services Division (Mauritius)ESSPE ducation Sector Strategic Plan (Mozambique)EUEuropean UnionFEFurther Education (United Kingdom)FETF urther Education and Training (South Africa )viii HSRC 2005 Free download from FINNIDAF innish International Development AgencyGDPG ross Domestic ProductGEARG rowth, Employment and Redistribution (South Africa )