Vocational Education and Training in Southern Africa A Comparative Study Edited by Salim Akoojee, Anthony Gewer and Simon McGrath RESEARCH PROGRAMME ON HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT HSRC RESEARCH MONOGRAPH Free download from www.hsrc p ress.ac.za Compiled by the Research Programme on Human Resources Development, Human Sciences Research Council Published by HSRC Press Private Bag X9182, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa www.hsrcpress.ac.za © 2005 Human Sciences Research Council, in this version First 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 publishers. ISBN 0-7969-2043-5 Cover by Fuel Design Copy editing by Laurie Rose-Innes Typeset by Christabel Hardacre Print management by comPress Distributed in Africa by Blue Weaver Marketing and Distribution PO Box 30370, Tokai, Cape Town, 7966, South Africa Tel: +27 +21 701-4477 Fax: +27 +21 701-7302 email: orders@blueweaver.co.za Distributed worldwide, except Africa, by Independent Publishers Group 814 North Franklin Street, Chicago, IL 60610, USA www.ipgbook.com To order, call toll-free: 1-800-888-4741 All other inquiries, Tel: +1 +312-337-0747 Fax: +1 +312-337-5985 email: Frontdesk@ipgbook.com Free download from www.hsrc p ress.ac.za Contents List of tables and figures vi Acknowledgements vii Abbreviations viii 1. The multiple context of vocational education and training in southern Africa Simon McGrath 1 Introduction 1 The historical legacy 1 International influences 2 This study 6 2. Botswana: united in purpose, diverse in practice Salim Akoojee 9 Introduction 9 The socio-political, economic and development context 9 The educational context 15 The TVET system 17 Recent developments 22 Conclusion 29 3. Lesotho: the uphill journey to development Thomas Magau 32 Contextual realities 32 The educational context 34 The VET system 36 Conclusion 44 Free download from www.hsrc p ress.ac.za 4. Mauritius: ‘the Singapore of Africa’? Skills for a global island Anthony Gewer 46 The country context 46 The educational context 49 The VET system 54 Summary and conclusions 63 5. Mozambique: towards rehabilitation and transformation Nimrod Mbele 65 Introduction 65 The country context 65 The educational context 68 The TVET system 71 Key issues in Mozambican TVET 74 Conclusion 79 6. Namibia: repositioning vocational education and training Mahlubi Mabizela 81 Introduction 81 Locating Namibia 81 The education system 84 The VET system 85 Current vision and changes in the VET system 95 Conclusion 98 7. South Africa: skills development as a tool for social and economic development Salim Akoojee, Anthony Gewer and Simon McGrath 99 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 112 A decade on: assessing and explaining successes and failures 115 Free download from www.hsrc p ress.ac.za 8. The Kingdom of Swaziland: escaping the colonial legacy Jennifer Roberts 118 Introduction 118 The social and economic context 118 The Swaziland education system 123 VET in Swaziland 126 Emerging policy issues and directions 137 9. Key issues and challenges for transformation Simon McGrath 139 Understanding the extent and limits of regional convergence in VET policy 139 A vision for VET? 140 VET and the bigger policy picture 142 The VET debates 144 Conclusion 151 References 152 v ©HSRC 2005 Free download from www.hsrc p ress.ac.za List of tables and figures Tables Table 2.1 Key economic indicators 10 Table 2.2 Botswana exports (P million), selected years and sectors 11 Table 2.3 Literacy rates 15 Table 2.4 Public education expenditure 16 Table 2.5 School enrolment ratios 16 Table 2.6 TVET provision in Botswana 17 Table 2.7 The cost of TVET (per student per year) 24 Table 3.1 Macroeconomic plan indicators, selected years 34 Table 3.2 Some social indicators 34 Table 3.3 Number of teachers and students by level in Lesotho’s education system, 1998 35 Table 4.1 Mauritius and the 2003 Human Development Index 47 Table 4.2 Human Development Index trends, 1975–2001 47 Table 4.3 Schooling statistics for 2002 51 Table 4.4 Post-secondary (polytechnic) statistics for 2002 53 Table 4.5 Post-secondary (higher education) statistics for 2002 54 Table 5.1 Qualifications of the labour force by location 69 Table 5.2 The public school population of Mozambique, 1998 71 Table 5.3 Qualification background of teachers in selected TVET institutions 76 Table 6.1 Percentage contribution of different sectors to the country’s GDP and employment 82 Table 6.2 Student headcount enrolments at VTCs 93 Table 7.1 The National Qualifications Framework 104 Table 7.2 Total headcount enrolments in education and training sectors, 1970s–2000 105 Table 8.1 Population statistics 119 Table 8.2 Human development indicators 120 Table 8.3 Paid employment by sector 122 Table 8.4 Employment by skills level 122 Table 8.5 Selected education statistics 124 Table 8.6 Aggregate enrolments by sector 124 Table 8.7 Budget allocations by educational sector, 2003 125 Table 8.8 VET enrolments by institution 129 Table 8.9 Accessing and exiting the VET system 129 Table 8.10 Ministerial responsibility for institutions 130 Figures Figure 4.1 The structure of education in Mauritius 50 Figure 6.1 The structure of the VET system in Namibia 88 vi ©HSRC 2005 Free download from www.hsrc p ress.ac.za Acknowledgements This volume represents the collective endeavours of a number of persons. I would like to thank my co-editors and the country chapter writers for their efforts. I would also like to thank our three co-funders and their representatives on the project’s steering committee: Barry Masoga (British Council), Andre Kraak (HSRC) and Nick Taylor (JET Education Services). Particular thanks must also go to Barry for his leadership in ensuring that this is not simply a report on an academic study but a step on a journey towards better regional co-operation in the area of vocational education and training. My appreciation also goes to Cilna de Kock and Leonorah Khanyile, who provided support to the research activities and to the final seminar in Mauritius. My thanks also go to Rosalind Burford and all her team at the British Council, Mauritius, and Roland du Bois and the Industrial and Vocational Training Board of Mauritius for co-hosting the regional seminar. This volume would not have been possible without the assistance of a large number of institutional leaders and senior officials who gave their time to the researchers in order to enrich our understandings of the systems in which they are working. You are too many to name individually but we hope that your investment of time in our research is compensated for by this report. Dr Simon McGrath Director: Research Programme on Human Resources Development, Human Sciences Research Council Pretoria August 2004 vii ©HSRC 2005 Free download from www.hsrc p ress.ac.za Abbreviations ABET Adult Basic Education and Training (South Africa) AGOA African Growth and Opportunity Act ANC African National Congress (South Africa) BDC Botswana Development Corporation BDP Botswana Democratic Party BNQF Botswana National Qualifications Framework BNVQ Botswana National Vocational Qualification BOTA Botswana Training Authority BTEP Botswana Technical Education Programme CBET Competency Based Education and Training (Namibia) CEO Chief Executive Officer CHSC Cambridge Higher School Certificate CIDA Canadian International Development Agency COSATU Congress of South African Trade Unions COSC Cambridge Overseas School Certificate COSDEC Community Skills Development Centre (Namibia) CPE Certificate of Primary Education (Mauritius) Danida Danish International Development Agency DFID Department for International Development (UK) DINET National Directorate for Technical Education (Mozambique) DIVT Directorate of Industrial and Vocational Training (Swaziland) DoE Department of Education (South Africa) DoL Department of Labour (South Africa) DVET Department of Vocational Education and Training (Botswana) E Emalingeni (Swaziland) ECOL Examination Council of Lesotho EPZ Export Processing Zone ESD Employment Services Division (Mauritius) ESSP Education Sector Strategic Plan (Mozambique) EU European Union FE Further Education (United Kingdom) FET Further Education and Training (South Africa) viii ©HSRC 2005 Free download from www.hsrc p ress.ac.za FINNIDA Finnish International Development Agency GDP Gross Domestic Product GEAR Growth, Employment and Redistribution (South Africa) GET General Education and Training (South Africa) GNP Gross National Product HDI Human Development Index HET Higher Education and Training (South Africa) HR Human Resources HRDS Human Resources Development Strategy (South Africa) HSRC Human Sciences Research Council (South Africa) ICT Information and Communications Technology IDT International Development Target ILO International Labour Office IMF International Monetary Fund INEFP National Institute for Work and Vocational Training Directorate (Mozambique) IVTB Industrial and Vocational Training Board (Mauritius, Swaziland) M Maloti (Lesotho) MBESC Ministry of Basic Education, Sport and Culture (Namibia) MDG Millennium Development Goal MESR Ministry of Education and Scientific Research (Mauritius) MHETEC Ministry of Higher Education, Training and Employment Creation (Namibia) MINED Ministry of Education (Mozambique) MLHA Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs (Botswana) MMM Mouvement Militant Mauricien MoE Ministry of Education MoET Ministry of Education and Training (Lesotho) MQA Mauritius Qualifications Authority MSM Mouvement Socialist Militant (Mauritius) MTTC Madirelo Training and Testing Centre (Botswana) N$ Namibian dollar NACA National Aids Co-ordination Agency (Botswana) NCC Namibia Chamber of Craft NCC National Craft Certificate (Lesotho) NDP National Development Plan (Botswana) NDS National Development Strategy (Swaziland) NEC National Education Commission (Swaziland) ix ©HSRC 2005 Free download from www.hsrc p ress.ac.za vocational education and training in southern africa NEPAD New Partnership for Africa’s Development NGO Non-governmental Organisation NIED National Institute for Educational Development (Namibia) NIMT Namibia Institute of Mining Technology NNTO Namibia National Training Organisation NPCC National Productivity and Competitiveness Council (Mauritius) NPVET National Policy on Vocational Education and Training (Botswana) NQA Namibia Qualifications Authority NQF National Qualifications Framework NSA National Skills Authority (South Africa) NSDS National Skills Development Strategy (South Africa) NSF National Skills Fund (South Africa) NSSB National Standards-Setting Bodies (Namibia) NTA National Training Authority (Namibia) NTB National Training Board (South Africa) NTC National Trade Certificate (Mauritius) NTL National Training Levy (Namibia) NTTCC National Trade Testing and Certification Centre (Namibia) NVQF National Vocational Qualifications Framework (Botswana) NVTA National Vocational Training Act (Namibia) OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development P Pula (Botswana) PRSP Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper PTES Professional Technical Education Strategy (Mozambique) RNPE Revised National Policy on Education (Botswana) RQF Regional Qualifications Framework SADC Southern African Development Community SAQA South African Qualifications Authority SCOT Swaziland College of Technology SETA Sector Education and Training Authority (South Africa) SMMEs Small, medium and micro enterprises TAC Trade Advisory Committee (Namibia) TAFE Technical and Further Education (Australia) TC Technical College (Botswana) TSMTF Technical School Management Trust Fund (Mauritius) TVD Department of Technical and Vocational Training (Lesotho) TVET Technical and Vocational Education and Training VET Vocational Education and Training x ©HSRC 2005 Free download from www.hsrc p ress.ac.za [...]...abbreviations Vocational and Commercial Training Institute (Swaziland) VTA Vocational Training Act (Botswana) VTB Vocational Training Board (Namibia) VTC Vocational Training Centre (Botswana, Namibia) VTF Vocational Training Fund (Namibia) WVTC Windhoek Vocational Training Centre (Namibia) Free download from www.hsrcpress.ac.za VOCTIM xi ©HSRC 2005 Free download from www.hsrcpress.ac.za vocational education and. .. vocational education and training in southern africa xii ©HSRC 2005 CHAPTER 1 The multiple contexts of vocational education and training in southern Africa Simon McGrath Free download from www.hsrcpress.ac.za Introduction This volume is intended to develop and share knowledge within the southern African region regarding the challenges faced by vocational education and training (VET) systems and the responses... specifically to establish the Botswana Training Authority as the statutory body ‘to coordinate and promote vocational training in Botswana’ This terminology implicitly excludes vocational education and training, suggesting that the BOTA does not cover areas of Department of Vocational Education and Training (DVET) responsibility, an issue that continues to be contentious (see below) In terms of the Act, the BOTA... of the Income Tax Act provides for the deduction of 200 per cent of expenses incurred by an employer on approved training of citizen employees, covering training costs, salaries of trainees, and the cost of equipment and other facilities utilised in training; • The Financial Assistance Plan: a training grant, as part of the Financial Assistance Plan, is provided to eligible companies for training of... certificate training and informal training Each is described below: • Trade certificate training programmes: These lead to a C, B or National Craft Certificate issued by the Madirelo Training and Testing Centre (MTTC) There is certification in 17 trades including auto mechanics, bricklaying, plastering, carpentry, electrical, forestry, general agriculture, plumbing and textiles/dressmaking • Skills... made in an attempt to increase articulation between formal training systems and the majority labour market (the so-called informal sector) and drew attention to the degree of training that took place away from the formal system in the informal sector itself The policy impact of the book lay in raising the profile of training in and for the informal sector – areas that saw a significant increase in agency... for US investors who intend setting up in sub-Saharan Africa 11 ©HSRC 2005 vocational education and training in southern africa identify emerging key social and economic priorities and challenges for the prescribed period The Ninth National Development Plan (NDP9) runs from 2003/4 to 2008/9 and is linked for the first time to Vision 2016, a statement of intent identifying key policy thrusts in anticipation... allowing them to rent workshops and equipment and by providing them with business advisory and accounting services Projects aimed at women include gardening, horticulture, sewing and knitting projects In addition, brigades are expected to provide literacy, non-formal education services, and craft and business skills to the community Brigades offer three levels of training: trade certificate training, ... computing and Institutions bookkeeping 53 Certificates and diplomas Botswana College of Agriculture Free download from www.hsrcpress.ac.za Technical Artisan training in a Colleges (TCs), variety of trades formerly Vocational Training Centres (VTCs) 1 Certificates, diplomas and degrees in agriculture 1 Modelled on BIFSA (Building Federation of South Africa) , this training facility focuses on training. .. education and training of the existing workforce, for their skills upgrading and re -training in the light of rapid technological change; • to provide opportunities for school leavers who have completed basic school education to learn skills that will improve opportunities for employment and selfemployment; and 19 ©HSRC 2005 vocational education and training in southern africa • to increase national . Department of Technical and Vocational Training (Lesotho) TVET Technical and Vocational Education and Training VET Vocational Education and Training x ©HSRC 2005 . VOCTIM Vocational and Commercial Training Institute (Swaziland) VTA Vocational Training Act (Botswana) VTB Vocational Training Board (Namibia) VTC Vocational