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Unit 2

LEVELS OF ADULT LEARNING RELATED TO THE NQF

PROCESS ANDPROCEDURES FOR NQF 1 (ABET LEVELS 1-4)

1. LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK

(1) The Assessment Policy in the General Education and Training Band, Grade

R-9 and

ABET, published in Government Gazette No. 19640 of December 1998 was

revoked

in its entirety by the National Policy of Assessment and Qualifications for

Schools in

the General Education and Training Band, Government Gazette No. 29626 of 12

February 2007. The revoked assessment policy provided for policy and

procedures in

AET levels 1-4.

(2) The current regulations on National Policy on the Conduct of Adult

Education and

Training (AET) Level 4 Examinations, Gazette 23590, 05 July 2002 provides only

for conduct of examinations at AET level4.

(3) The Minister of Higher Education and Training must in terms of section 25B

(1) of

the Adult Education and Training Act, 2000 (Act No. 52 of 2000) determine

national

education policy for adult education and training at centres.

(4) The Minister of Higher Education and Training must determine a national

process
and procedures for the assessment of learner achievement in accordance with

section

18A (1) (a) (b) and (2) of the AET Act, 2000 (Act No. 52 of2000).

(5) The regulations set out in this determination must be given effect to by public

and

private centres offering assessment at AET levels 1-4, including the GETC- AET:

qualification at Level on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF).

(6) These regulations must be read in conjunction with the following:

STAATSKOERANT, 30 JANUARIE 2012 No.34988 9

a) National Policy on the Conduct of Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET)

Level 4 Examinations published in Government Gazette No. 23590 of 05 July

2002.

b) The General Education and Training Certificate (GETC)"Adult Basic Education

and Training (ABET) level 4, A Qualification at Level 1 on the National

Qualifications Framework (NQF) published in Government Gazette No. 32793 of

11 December 2009.

c) The National Qualifications Framework Act, 2008 (Act 67 of 2008) that

introduces the concept of qualifications and part qualifications.

(7) This document is also supported by the General and Further Education and

Training

Quality Assurance Act, 2001 (Act No. 58 of 2001) which clearly defines the

functions of the Quality Council for General and Further Education and

Training

(Umalusi), read with the NQF Act.

(8) The NQF Act provides for centres to offer qualifications and part

qualifications (if

Minister approves) registered on the sub-framework of the Quality Council for

Trades and Occupations (QCTO).

2. PURPOSE

The aim of these Regulations is to regulate the NQF level 1 assessment process

by the departments of education at national or provincial level to qualifications

and part

qualifications for which the department is assigned by the Act to be the

assessment bodyand accredited assessment bodies in terms of the General and

Further Education andTraining Quality Assurance Act, 2001 (Act No. 58 of2001).

3. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

(1) NQF level 1 will be offered to adults as prescribed in the Act who have not

had any

formal schooling or who may not have completed formal general education to

the

equivalence of NQF Level l, which provides access to qualifications on NQF

level2

and further.

(2) Learners registering to study at either public or private adult learning

centres are to

undergo placement assessment at the centres to determine at which level they

must

be placed.

(3) These Regulations are applicable to learners who are registered for:

a) AET programmes with public centres; or

b) AET programmes with private centres registered with the provincial

education

departments as stipulated in section 27 of the Act and accredited by Umalusi.

ABET/AET Product Range

Our available ABET / AET services and product range covers learning from

Level 1 Basic ( Pre ABET ) to Level 4 ( NQF 1 ).

RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) in South Africa is critical to the

development of an

equitable education and training system. As such a policy to develop and

facilitate

implementation of RPL across all sectors of education and training is critical

and should be

carefully constructed. An RPL policy should meet the needs of all the role

players, including

Education and Training Quality Assurance Bodies (ETQAs), providers1 of

education and

training, constituents of Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) and

most
importantly, the main beneficiaries of the process, the learners. This policy

document has as

its main audience the ETQAs who must facilitate the implementation of RPL and

quality

assure assessment policies of their constituent providers.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is defined in the National Standards Bodies

Regulations

(No 18787 of 28 March 1998, issued in terms of the SAQA Act 58 of 1995) as

follows:

This definition makes clear a number of principles in the development and

execution of RPL:

• Learning occurs in all kinds of situations – formally, informally and non-

formally;

• Measurement of the learning takes place against specific learning outcomes

required for a

specific qualification; and

• Credits are awarded for such learning if it meets the requirements of the

qualification.

Therefore, the process of recognising prior learning is about:

• Identifying what the candidate2 knows and can do;

• Matching the candidate’s skills, knowledge and experience to specific

standards and the

associated assessment criteria of a qualification;

• Assessing the candidate against those standards; and

• Crediting the candidate for skills, knowledge and experience built up through

formal,

informal and non-formal learning that occurred in the past.

“Recognition of prior learning means the comparison of the previous learning

and experience of a

learner howsoever obtained against the learning outcomes required for a

specified qualification, and

the acceptance for purposes of qualification of that which meets the

requirements”.

1 “Providers” refers to all types of institutions offering education and training,

including formal universities, technikons, colleges, examination and

assessment bodies, workplace-based training centres and single purpose and

SMME providers.

2 “Candidate” is the term used for a person who is claiming credits against a

particular unit standard or qualification and is therefore not enrolled in a

formal programme, as opposed to ‘learner’, who is assumed to be involved in a

formal education or training programme.

As the body responsible for the development of the National Qualifications

Framework

(NQF), the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) articulates some of the

key

objectives of the NQF in this policy. The NQF objectives particularly relevant to

RPL include:

• Facilitate access to, and mobility and progression within education, training

and career paths; and

• Accelerate redress of past unfair discrimination in education, training and

employment opportunities.

These two objectives highlight the two main purposes of RPL, namely access and

redress. The RPL policy explains these purposes in the differing contexts within

which Recognition of Prior Learning may take place.

UNIT 3

ASSESSMENT AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING

1. Conceptualisation

The assessment and recognition of prior learning (ARPL) is described by the

South African

Qualifications Authority (SAQA, 1997) as the assessment of learning that has

already taken place by an individual (learner) (whether through prior formal

studies, work and/or life experience). This learning is evaluated by experts as

being valid and reliable when measured against the learning outcomes of a

specific qualification, learning programme or module/learning unit for the

purpose of access to or acknowledgement within a learning programme. A more

formal definition (National Standards Body Regulation no. 18787 of 28 March

1998) is: “Recognition of prior learning means

the comparison of the previous learning and experience of a learner howsoever

obtained against

the learning outcomes required for a specific qualification, and the acceptance for

purposes of

qualification of that which meets the requirements”.

QUALIFICATIONS

The SAQA General Education and Training Certificate (2001) policy document

spells out the requirements of the GETC. This document includes details of

SAQA’s definition of a qualification, articulation, integration, a GETC typology

with rules for accumulation of credit and combination, liaison with Education

and Training Quality Assurance Bodies, rules for learners not meeting

requirements to be awarded, maintaining the integrity of the GETC, and

recognition of prior learning. All the GETCs available for adult learners, both

the industry-related qualifications under the auspices of the Setas, and the GETC

issued by Umalusi, conform with the stipulations of this policy document.

Seta Qualifications

SAQA NQF Level 1 (ABET Level 4) qualifications available on the SAQA website

(www.saqa.org.za, visited 23/08/2007) are all documented in comparable

formats and the ways in which they differ are therefore clear. These differences

could affect the quality of the qualifications since they relate to aspects such as

the degree to which the qualifications are internationally comparable and the

extent to which they articulate with other qualifications. Each has a title and

SAQA identification number, and is contextualized in one of 12 learning fields

into which SAQA has divided the NQF. The formatting of each is under identical

sub-headings. Each of the sub-headings is bolded in inverted commas below,

and the way in which entries differ is noted.

- The “Purpose and rationale of the qualification” is given, detailing the

characteristics of learners for whom the qualification is suitable, what it

provides, and potential opportunities for those who obtain it. Purpose

descriptions differ in their relative emphases on access for those outside the

field, or on further training for those already in

12

the field; and on specific skills versus laying the basis for further education and

training in the field.

- This description is followed by “Learning assumed to be in place and

recognition of prior learning”, a brief list of course requirements and prior

learning for which learners can obtain credit. Requirements range from “no

specified prior learning”, to Literacy and Numeracy at ABET level 3. In most but

not all instances, there is mention of recognition of prior learning.

- “Qualification rules” are given in 25 of the 42 qualifications: these rules are

over and above general SAQA rules to which all qualifications must adhere.

- “Exit level outcomes” and associated “assessment criteria” are then listed,

and more detail about these is provided in the constituent unit standards listed

towards the end of the qualification description.

- General recommendations are made for “Integrated Assessment”. These

suggestions are phrased generally, so there is ample room for interpretation.

- Under “International comparability” descriptions of comparable

qualifications in other parts of the world are provided. Attempts to ascertain

comparability differ in the number of countries in which similarity was sought.

Comparability differs in terms of the specific countries with similar

qualifications, and the degree to which qualifications are comparable.

Descriptions differ in their degree of specificity: some list internationally

comparable qualifications, while others state generally that there are

comparable qualifications.

- “Articulation options” are given where horizontal links to related courses on

the same level, or vertical links to courses at higher levels, are pointed out.

There are sometimes but not always articulation options. Articulation can be

horizontal or vertical, or both. Descriptions here differ also in their degree of

specificity: some give the particular qualifications for which the current

qualification is preparation; others mention very generally, that the current

course provides mobility across various fields and levels.

- Under “Moderation options” and “Criteria for the registration of

assessors”, general rules for assessment and moderation are given. Assessors

and Moderators need to be more highly qualified for some qualifications than
others; there are more assessment and moderation rules for some qualifications

than others.

- At the end of the qualification, a list of “fundamental, core, and elective unit

standards” is given. Details for each of these unit standards can be found on

the SAQA website. The numbers of fundamental, core, and elective unit

standards listed under qualifications differs widely, as do the credit values of

individual unit standards. When looking at individual unit standards, it is

apparent that their specific outcomes differ in the degree to which they are open

to interpretation. The same can be said for assessment criteria: those with range

statements are easier to interpret, although even here there is always room for

differing interpretations.

A table showing more information for each of these categories for each of the

qualifications on the SAQA website is available at www.umalusi.org.za, as an

appendix to this report.

The 42 qualifications are spread unevenly across the 12 organizing fields of

learning adopted by SAQA: the numbers of qualifications in specific fields vary

between one and 14, and in some fields there are no qualifications at all. 13
These qualifications are generally worth 120 credits each. These credits are

made up of a number of different unit standards, worth differing numbers of

credit, and organized into SAQA’s prescribed categories of fundamental, core,

and elective.

The Umalusi qualification

Umalusi issues one qualification for adults: the GETC (ABET). This qualification

is obtained by learners in public adult learning centres who write Department

of Education examinations, and learners in private organizations who write IEB

examinations.

The qualification is comprised of unit standards. Only one province was able to

give the date of the unit standards being used, and the date given was 2002

despite the existence of newer versions of these standards.

Umalusi was unable to obtain any document which outlines the qualification as

a whole, despite repeated discussions with a variety of officials in the

Department of Education. The most official document obtained as a set of

minutes of the Heads of Education Committee (HEDCOM), which recommends

the development of a qualification. Umalusi officials then confirmed that these

minutes were used to develop a set of directives, which Umalusi uses as the basis

of issuing the certificate to adult learners. While both Department of Education

and Umalusi officials suggested that there is a qualification registered on the

NQF, the only qualification that broadly corresponds with that issued by

Umalusi is listed on the SAQA website as quality assured by the Education,

Training, and Development Practices Seta, and, the unit standards making up

this qualification do not entirely correspond with those in the various

documents of the Department of Education discussed below. This state of affairs

in itself is reflective of the chaotic state of the intended curriculum for ABET.

It must also be noted that when trying to obtain ABET curriculum documents,

there were difficulties at national, provincial and local levels. Not all national
officials had copies of the national documents. Provincial officials within single

ABET directorates gave differing information, and were not always sure of the

exact titles, dates, and availability of documents. It appears that local people are

using a variety of materials, and that these are not always what provinces have

provided or intended to provide. In addition, there is considerable development

of curriculum material: the national Department of Education upgrades and

circulates draft documents from time to time; SAQA periodically updates and

circulates unit standards; provinces develop extensive documentation around

the interpretation of unit standards, and the development of learning

programmes; many public adult learning centres develop their own learning

programmes.

There are several other national Department of Education documents which

underpin the GETC for adults. Four of these documents were obtained for this

review.

The first of these documents is the Department of Education Policy Document on

ABET of 2000, which gives general information such as background information

for ABET, good practice, and levels and fields of learning.

The second and third documents are the ABET Act No.52 of 2000, and the

Assessment Policy in the General Education and Training Band gazette

(Government Gazette No.6397; Vol. 402, of 1998), which has since been revised

for Grades 4-9 in formal schooling, but not for ABET. 14

Finally, there is the Learning Programme Guidelines for ABET, an undated 76-

page booklet distributed by the Directorate of Adult Education and Training in

the national Department of Education. The latter booklet contains information

described in broad terms, including broad definitions of ABET learning

programmes; learnerships; learning pathways; notes on designing, planning,

and implementing learning programmes; and assessment, with some

exemplars of the types of activities that could be used for assessment.

THE INTENDED CURRICULUM: SETA QUALIFICATIONS

In terms of the intended curriculum for these qualifications, as discussed below,

there are no prescribed intended curricula attached at a policy level to any of

these qualifications. The only mechanism for specifying the intended

curriculum is the unit standards. The assumption is that any provider can then

design a course, teach a course, and/or assess a course, as long as the provider

is accredited by a quality assurance body, the course is approved as one likely

to lead to the specified learning outcomes, and the assessment gets moderated

and verified against the learning outcomes by a quality assurance body

(Umalusi 2007b).

Thus, there are as many curricula as there are providers, and each provider will

have its own interpretation of the unit standards and qualification

requirements. Umalusi was not able to obtain any of the actual learning

programmes offered by providers, as they are regarded as trade secrets.

THE INTENDED CURRICULUM: THE UMALUSI-ISSUED GETC CURRICULUM

The GETC issued by Umalusi consists of 120 credits. These credits are, like the

Seta qualifications, organized into fundamental, core, and elective categories.

However, unlike the Seta qualification, the unit standards are also clustered into

‘learning areas’. These learning areas mirror the 8 learning areas of the GETC

offered in schools. This is illustrated in Table 1, on page 13 below.

Public provision
Similarly for this qualification, the unit standards, which specify learning

outcomes, were assumed to hold the standard, and thus specify the intended

curriculum. There is no national core curriculum for this qualification, as there

is, for example, for the GETC offered in schools, or the Senior Certificate and

new National Senior Certificate, and the old National Senior Certificate and new

National Certificates (Vocational).

There is a small number of national documents which lend the intended

curriculum a greater degree of clarity than the above documents, although

guidelines within them remain broad and open to interpretation. Most of these

documents are only aimed at ABET level four (level one on the NQF).

The array and versions of these national documents used by different provinces

varies. Eight of the nine provinces said that they were using national Learning

Area Assessment Guidelines for each of the learning areas. In three of the

provinces the date given for this document was 15

Generating Standards and Qualifications.

I n this section we elaborate the definitions of standards and qualifications

and give an indication to the reader what is required when generating
standards and qualifications.
STANDARDS SETTING T H E N A T I O N A L Q U A L I F I C A T I O N S F R A M E W O R K
SEND APPLICATIONS TO:
Director: DSSD
Postnet Suite 248
Private Bag X06
WATERKLOOF, 0145
MARKED:
Standards Generating Body
Application
Attention: Head, Division of
Standards Setting
36 A publication of the South African Qualifications Authority
What is a Unit Standard?
A unit standard can be described as a set of registered statements of desired
education and training and their associated assessment criteria, together
with administrative and other information.
In other words, a unit standard is an end-statement of the achievement
of a certain competence, as well as being a building block for possible qualifications.
Definition:
A unit standard is a document that describes:
• a coherent and meaningful outcome of learning (title) that we want
recognised nationally,
• the smaller more manageable outcomes that make up the main outcome
(specific outcomes),
• the standards of performance required as proof of competence (assessment
criteria), and
• the scope and contexts within which competence is to be judged
The information on the following pages must be specified for every unit
standard:
Parts of a Unit Standard
1. Unit standard title
Form:
This document was truncated here because it was created in the Evaluation Mode.