NATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS IN ADULT BASIC EDUCATION AND TRAINING (ABET)

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

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Directorate Adult Education and Training -
Purpose

• To manage the development, evaluation and
  maintenance of policy, programmes and systems for
  adult education and training

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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

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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.

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GROWTH IN ABET SECTOR

• The following figures bear testimony to the rapid
  growth of the ABET sector
• Educators Between 1995-2000, the total number
  of adult educators grew to 16 089
• Learners - the total number of learners also grew
  to 294 566,
• Centers a total of 2 226 learning centres.

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GROWTH IN ABET SECTOR

• Note This growth occurred within a context of
  budgetary contraints
• 2000 data reflects the following
• No. of learners grew to 439 185
• No. of educators grew to 18 447
• No. of learning sites grew to 2 318

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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.

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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

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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.

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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

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Specific objectives Capacity

• To train practitioners (managers, administrators,
  educators/ facilitators) and governing bodies

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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

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Specific objectives Infrastructure and Delivery

• To pilot in selected Public Adult Learning
  Centres in each province, reaching at least 3 000
  learners and impacting directly on at least 300
  educators.
• Total centres 60 nationally.

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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

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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.

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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

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FUNDS SPENT
Funder European union Allocation Activity
Swedish International Development Agency R280 000 Production of the report on the first five years
Doe R47 000 Celebration of Adult Learners Week and International Learners Day

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CONDITIONAL GRANT - FUNDS AVAILABLE
Funder Allocation Activity
Conditional Grant R110 million for three years 59 million for the year 2001-03 To carry out the Ikhwelo poverty alleviation project


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Thank You InkomuSiyabongaRe a leboga