intro body

Chapter One

Setting the Scene: the Current Situation

Introduction

The brief of the Research Group requested to prepare this Discussion Document was to compile a set of standards for distance education and to recommend processes to facilitate implementation and continuous enhancement of the standards. In setting out to complete this task, the Group felt that the most appropriate first step would be to conduct some research into key policy statements and research papers, some of the key events affecting distance education provision in South Africa, and international approaches to quality assurance in distance education.

This chapter will focus on some of the most recent local policy processes and developments which are of greatest relevance to distance education, while the following chapter will consider various international approaches to quality assurance in distance education. In doing this, particularly given the limited time available for this project, the Research Group has necessarily had to limit its focus in different ways. Consequently, the various issues highlighted below are indicative of the environment in which this document has been compiled and do not constitute an exhaustive list. Nevertheless, the research done has been comprehensive enough to form a solid foundation for the project. In addition, an overview of current provision of distance education in South Africa is contained in Appendix B to supplement the observations on policy, legislation, research, and key developments contained in this chapter.

Importantly, this document is an extension of existing policy research documents. Most directly, it falls within the framework of the First White Paper on Education and Training,[1] and the National Education Policy Act which ensued from it. In particular, we have used the principles contained in that White Paper as a founding basis for what is contained in this report. We have also elected not to outline again the current state of education generally in South Africa, as this has already been done succinctly in the White Paper and well documented elsewhere.

In addition, this report is guided by, and attempts to build on, the work done by the Ministerial Committee on Technology-Enhanced Learning. The final report of that committee[2] provides fairly detailed descriptions of the following:

    the policy environment in which it was written;

    possibilities of using outcomes-based education as a lever for change;

    different components and sectors of the existing education and training system and some of the most pressing educational needs;

    challenges of integrated planning between different government departments and other parties;

    introducing a new culture of learning;

    changing role of education and training personnel; and

    pressures emanating from the global environment.

Most of these descriptions are of direct relevance to this project. In order to prevent repetition, therefore, what is contained below is intended to complement the opening chapters of that committee’s final report. The report of the Technology-Enhanced Learning Investigation process itself is described in more detail below.

Educational policy background

General policy statements

A number of policy documents have emphasized the efficacy of distance education in the provision of learning opportunities for all. In tracing the history of this growing emphasis, a good starting point is the document A Policy Framework for Education and Training, which emanated from the Education Department of the African National Congress (ANC) in 1995. It devotes a chapter to open learning and distance education under the section entitled ‘Resources for Learning’. The document recognizes that radical transformation is imperative: ‘To meet the challenge of lifelong learning successfully, we need to reorganise the delivery of education and training within an open learning framework’.[3]

In its vision statement, the document is unequivocal:

The development of a well-designed and quality Distance Education system based on the principles of open learning is the only feasible approach to meeting the needs of the vast numbers of our people who were systematically deprived of educational opportunity in the past, while at the same time providing opportunities for the youth coming up through the educational system at present. It will allow people access to education and training and the ability to determine where, when, what and how they want to learn.[4]

Pointing to limitations in the current provision of distance education, the text lists some of the criteria for its effective implementation: ‘For Distance Education to function effectively, there are a number of criteria to be met, including well-designed courses, learner support, efficient administrative processes and appropriate organisational structures and evaluation procedures’.[5]

The White Paper on education and training

This approach to distance education was reinforced by the White Paper on Education and Training of March 1995, the first of its kind by South Africa’s first democratically elected government. The white paper is based on a set of key principles, many of which are directly related to the notion of open learning and lifelong learning, which in turn are seen as the basis for educational transformation. It recognizes the need for a ‘completely fresh approach...to the provision of learning opportunities’,[6] and identifies distance education as a crucial mechanism of change. Furthermore, the white paper considers distance education methods as appropriate and cost effective in a wide range of educational sectors, as well as instrumental in attaining the ideals of open and lifelong learning. In a chapter entitled ‘Developmental Initiatives’, the white paper addresses the formation of the National Open Learning Agency (NOLA), employing as motivation the comprehensive quality of open learning:

The Ministry of Education is anxious to encourage the development of an open learning approach, since it resonates with the values and principles of the national education and training policy which underpin this document, and has applicability in virtually all learning contexts.[7]

Report of the International Commission

The principles underpinning open learning and distance education adumbrated in the Policy Framework and the White Paper on Education and Training are also clearly evident in the report of an international commission published in 1995. The commission’s report, Open Learning and Distance Education in South Africa, was the first comprehensive professional evaluation of distance education in this country. It reviews current provision and makes recommendations for the promotion of good practice in the interests of human resource development.

The commission was organized by the South African Institute for Distance Education (SAIDE) at the request of the ANC Education Department. The general assessment it made on concluding its work is unambiguous:

Taken as a whole, distance education’s contribution to the priorities for education and training in the Policy Framework is variously marginal, inefficient and, in respect of the values sought for democratic South Africa, dysfunctional.[8]

This report initiated several processes around the transformation of distance education practices, including many of those mentioned below.

Technology-enhanced learning

The information society and development (ISAD) conference

It is already well documented that rapidly expanding access to the world’s knowledge resources provided by the growth of information technology is having an impact on all aspects of social, economic, and political life. In recognition of this, a large international conference was held in South Africa in May, 1996, on the information society and the developing world. A South African position paper developed for this conference made the following observations in this respect:

The world is in the midst of a new and highly potent revolution which will forever change the way we live, work, play, organise our societies, and ultimately how we define ourselves. Unlike previous technological revolutions, which were focused on energy and matter, this fundamental change involves our understanding of time, space, distance and knowledge. Information Technology is a universal technology - the scope and flexibility of its applications are only limited by the ingenuity of the human mind. The exact nature of this information revolution is still being determined. However, the implications of this revolution are already being felt with increasing force.[9]

Clearly, these issues have an important impact on the development of distance education in South Africa and around the world, as the development of information and communications technologies opens up new possibilities, and new pitfalls for educational planners and decision-makers. Detailed exploration of these issues has already been undertaken by the Department of Education in its Technology-Enhanced Learning Investigation (discussed below). In addition, it is worth pointing out that various initiatives were proposed at the ISAD conference, including the development of information technology qualifications frameworks, investigation into multi-purpose community centres and centres of excellence, expertise and resources, and the establishment of a Contemporary African Music and Arts Archive. Furthermore, various processes are currently under way to develop policy on information technology and the so-called ‘information society’. It will be important to bring projects such as this one into alignment with ‘information society’ initiatives such as those emerging from the ISAD Conference.

The technology-enhanced learning investigation

As has been suggested above, one of the key policy research processes of relevance to the work of this research group was the investigation by a Ministerial Committee into technology-enhanced learning. Their investigation report, entitled Technology-Enhanced Learning in South Africa, was published in July 1996 and declared a discussion document by the Minister of Education. Its subtitle, ‘Report of the Ministerial Committee for Development Work on the Role of Technology that will Support and Enhance Learning’, clearly states the supportive or auxiliary role that it envisages for technology in achieving the goals of transformation, reconstruction and development of the education system. Proposals are made for the effective integration of technologies into the education and training system, and guidelines are given for the effective use of technology in support of education and training. The document also contains a tool which can be used by decision-makers, at all levels within the education and training system, when selecting technologies for a variety of existing or planned education and training programmes. Short-term and medium to long-term strategies are proposed to encompass the planning, allocation, and management of resources. These strategies are applicable both to contact and distance education.

The extensive cross-referencing, annotations, and detailed appendices enable this comprehensive document to be used as a tool by interested parties. It is intended to provide a starting framework for the more effective introduction and use of technologies to support education and training. Much of the information contained in the document is directly relevant to the planning of distance education provision, as well as to efforts to build and assure the quality of educational provision making use of distance education methods.

The Technology-Enhanced Learning Investigation (TELI) report has, in general, been well received by people in the education and training system, and a draft policy statement capturing this sentiment will be completed by the end of 1996. The policy statement is expected to lead directly into a strategic planning process, which will focus on developing plans to create an enabling infrastructure for the effective introduction and use of technologies in education and training.

Policy for higher education

The report of the National Commission on Higher Education (NCHE), envisaging a single, national, coordinated system of higher education, was released in October 1996. It was followed in December, 1996, with a Green Paper on Higher Education. Although the report and Green Paper focus on the higher education sector, the majority of proposals on distance education are relevant to, and likely to have some impact on, the role of this mode of delivery at all levels of education and training.

The NCHE report

In its proposals for a single, coordinated system, the NCHE suggests ‘an expanded role for distance education and for high quality “resource-based” learning’.[10] It also lists the ‘greater provision of distance education’[11] as one of the mechanisms to be employed in the creation of the system. The Commission considers it ‘essential for the new system to include a far greater focus on distance education and resource-based learning as key mechanisms, together with the increased recognition of prior learning and the articulation of qualifications through the NQF, for increasing access and enhancing openness and lifelong learning opportunities’.[12]

Major concerns include the need for redress of past inequalities and the reduction of barriers to access and success:

A key challenge for higher education is to enhance the quality of higher education programmes and to improve success and throughput rates. This challenge must be met in the context of greatly increased access to a wide variety of students at varying entry levels, and within a higher education budget that increases significantly slower than enrolments rise. The Commission believes that distance education and resource-based learning are a fundamental part of meeting this challenge, and that this will have major implications both for South Africa’s well-established distance/correspondence institutions and for traditionally ‘contact’ institutions.[13]

Proposal six of the report’s chapter on ‘Distance Education and Resource-Based Learning’ includes five areas of action. They are:

1. the establishment of a single national distance education institution;

2. design and production of quality course materials;

3. the establishment of a national network of learning centres;

4. support of contact institutions using distance education methods; and

5. finding a cost-effective and coordinated method of developing infrastructure to support the use of appropriate technologies.

Given that these proposals have been reworked and incorporated into the Green paper, they will be discussed in more detail below. Finally, in its proposals on funding, the Commission recognizes a distinction between contact and distance education and a further distinction between ‘true’ distance education and correspondence education. In its discussion on goal-oriented funding, it notes the following:

Some submissions have argued that, if applicable, one should distinguish between three modes of tuition: contact, distance and correspondence. The Commission believes that the costs attached to ‘true’ distance education could be substantially higher than those of correspondence education. Further investigation would be required to verify this. Against this background and to avoid too much complexity, a distinction between contact and distance tuition modes should suffice for the time being. Incorporating an additional mode of correspondence tuition should, however, be investigated during the development of the new funding formula.[14]

The Green Paper on higher education

In December, 1996, the Green Paper on Higher Education was released by the Ministry of Education, as the first step after the release of the NCHE report on the path to policy for higher education. This paper has an entire section devoted to distance education and resource-based learning, which is worth quoting at some length:

Distance education and resource-based learning have a crucial role to play in meeting the challenge of greater access and enhanced quality in a context of resource constraints and a diverse student body.

Distance education based on the principles of open learning leads to the development of a system which is organised for use by learners at different times, in different ways and for different purposes at various stages of their lives and careers. It also means the quality and success of teaching are not dependent upon staff levels rising in tandem with increased enrolments, and it mitigates the underutilisation of physical and human resources due to the structure of the academic year.

Moreover, the reorganisation of learning and teaching in contact institutions involving the use of well-designed learning resources will result in improved quality and effectiveness.

Distance and resource-based learning are well placed for expansion given the current distance/correspondence infrastructure…At the same time, there are serious concerns about the efficacy, appropriateness and effectiveness of current distance education provision. These include:

Low throughput and completion rates.
Inadequate learner support.
A large number of courses with low student enrolment.
A focus on correspondence-type programmes which are less effective, especially at entry levels, rather than multimedia and open learning programmes.
The failure of the current funding formula to encourage the development of a learner-centred model.

The Ministry is also committed to encouraging the development of resource-based learning materials, as well as distance education programmes in niche fields by contact institutions as a means for improving quality and cost-effectiveness. This, together with a single, dedicated distance education institution with a network of regional learning centres, will not only broaden access, but also facilitate and enhance quality, especially in rural and less well-endowed institutions, by developing and franchising well-designed learning resources and courses.

The Ministry endorses the NCHE's recommendation that if distance education is to fulfil its potential for integrating lifelong learning into the basic shape and structure of higher education, it requires the establishment of a single distance education institution offering quality distance education programmes and participating in the production of resource-based courses and course materials. In planning for a single distance institution, the Department of Education, in conjunction with the Council on Higher Education, should conduct a thorough investigation to:

Analyse existing distance education institutions in terms of the cost-efficiency

and effectiveness of their current use of resources.

Assess the quality assurance processes and the capacity of distance institutions to provide quality programmes based on the principles of open learning.
Assess the role of distance education institutions in providing postgraduate programmes.[15]

Legislation

There is much legislation which currently governs the provision of education and training in South Africa. Legislation most relevant to the providers of education and training using distance education methods includes the following current acts:

     Universities Act (Act 61 of 1955);

     Correspondence Colleges Act (Act 59 of 1965);

     Technical Colleges Act (Act 104 of 1981);

     Technikons Act (Act 125 of 1993);

     South African Qualifications Authority Act (Act 58 of 1995);

     National Education Policy Act (Act 27 of 1996);

     South African Schools Bill (Act 58 of 1996); and

     Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (as adopted by the constitutional assembly on 8^th May, 1996, amended on 11^th October, 1996, and signed on 10^th December 1996).

It is expected that various policy research processes might culminate in new legislation. The most immediate of these is the recently released Green Paper on Higher Education, which constitutes the first step forward from the work of the National Commission and is likely to culminate in a new Higher Education Act (which is likely, in turn, to replace some of the legislation in the above list). Similarly, research is due to begin on further education policy with the recent establishment of the National Task Team on Further Education and its Reference Group. Finally, some legislation, such as the Correspondence Colleges Act, is presently being revised to ensure that it is in accordance with South Africa’s new constitution.

In some countries quality control has been done through government legislation (this is examined in chapter two). In particular, legislation seems to have an immediate effect in getting some sub-standard activities removed. Another common feature internationally is to legislate private institutions and not to worry about distance education provided by public institutions. This feature is common also to South Africa. The Correspondence Colleges Act (Act 59 of 1965) excludes any institution which receives any grant-in-aid from the State. This provision, therefore, excludes state-aided correspondence colleges from the regulatory scheme laid down in this Act. An effect of this might be that state-aided correspondence colleges become exempt from enquiry into certain types of complaints or allegations.

Correspondence colleges act

The current Correspondence Colleges Act makes provision for the establishment of a Correspondence College Council and states the conditions of appointment of members, as well as the powers and roles of the Council. It also spells out conditions that any correspondence college or any institution maintaining, managing, or conducting a correspondence course or providing correspondence tuition for reward within the Republic must adhere to, in order to be registered as a provider of correspondence courses.

To be registered with the Correspondence College Council a college or provider of correspondence or distance education courses must, at the same time as notifying students about acceptance of enrolment, provide to them:

     details of the total amount payable by the student, as well as terms and condition of payment;

     the address of the Registrar and the Correspondence College Council;

     information about the Council, so that students know that they can communicate with the Council;

     the address of the examination body or bodies for which the student is to be prepared;

     details of courses of studies;

     an adequate number of tests/assignments to be marked free of charge;

     effective and expeditious marking and return of tests and assignments free of charge;

     adequate and sensible feedback on tests/assignments;

     effective and expeditious guidance on questions arising from the study materials and tutorials; and

     expeditious reply to correspondence received by the college

With this information, and by defining improper or disgraceful conduct, the Correspondence Colleges Act sets a standard to which correspondence colleges must adhere. This precludes a correspondence college or provider of correspondence courses from the following actions:

      making extravagant, misleading, or inaccurate claims about the effectiveness of its teaching;

      giving any guarantee or assurance of success in an examination;

      advertising any guarantee or undertaking or publishing promotional literature of any kind and failure to set out clearly and adequately in such advertisement in literature, all the conditions relating to such guarantee or undertaking;

      giving any guarantee to refund fees;

      using less than ten percent of its annual income from correspondence tuition on revision of lectures and correcting of texts; and

      subject to the provisions of any other law, issuing any certificates or diplomas indicating that a student has successfully passed an examination or completed a course of instruction and training, unless such certificate has been registered.

The Correspondence College Council is a statutory body, established in section 2 of Act No 59 of 1965 to maintain the integrity of correspondence tuition. This body is responsible for:

registration of correspondence colleges or any institution maintaining, managing, or conducting a correspondence course or providing correspondence tuition for reward within the Republic (s11-12);

enquiry into and penalties for complaints and misconduct (s14-17);

administering the Fidelity Guarantee Fund and issuing Fidelity Fund Certificates (s20-38);
making rules by notice in the Gazette and subject to the approval of the Minister of Education as, inter alia, to:

the manner in which complaints or allegations against registered correspondence colleges shall be lodged,
the manner in which a correspondence college shall be advised of a complaint or allegation against it, and of the holding of an enquiry in respect thereof; and any other matter incidental to the holding of an enquiry,
the acts or omissions of which the Council may take cognisance,
the fees payable by an applicant to register,
the annual registration fees payable, and
the manner and form in which correspondence colleges may issue certificates relating to the completion of a course of study or the passing of an examination, the particulars to be furnished in any such certificate and the conditions upon which any such certificate may be issued.

Some key events and developments

SAQA and the NQF

In 1995, the National Qualifications Framework Bill was passed, finalizing the establishment of a National Qualifications Framework (NQF) for South Africa. According to the Bill, the objectives of the NQF are to:

(a) create an integrated national framework for learning achievements;

(b) facilitate access, and mobility and progression within, education and training; and

(c) enhance the quality of education and training.[1]

In terms of the Bill, the South African Qualifications Authority was established to:

(a) (i)   oversee the development of the National Qualification

            Framework

     (ii)   formulate and publish policies and criteria for -

(aa)      the registration of bodies responsible for establishing education and training standards or qualifications; and

(bb)      the accreditation of bodies responsible for monitoring and auditing achievements in terms of such standards or qualifications;

(b) oversee the implementation of the National Qualifications Framework, including -

(i)   the registration or accreditation of bodies referred to in paragraph (a) and the assignment of functions to them;

(ii)  the registration of national standards and qualifications;

(iii) steps to ensure compliance with provisions for accreditation; and

(iv) steps to ensure that standards and registered qualifications are internationally comparable;

(c) advise the Minister on matters affecting the registration of standards and qualifications; and

(d) be responsible for the control of the finances of the Authority.[2]

Discussions about SAQA and the NQF are complicated by the fact that conceptualization of both, and of the various implementation structures which will be established, is still in process and thus provisional. Changes are occurring very frequently, with the result that ideas and statements rapidly become outdated. There is, however, sufficient consensus on key issues to allow some further description of the intended functioning of SAQA and the NQF.

Developing standards and assuring quality

Two key types of structure will be established under the auspices of SAQA in order to enable it to fulfil the functions outlined above. The first is National Standards Bodies (NSBs). These bodies will be established for each of the identified fields of learning. They will be responsible for recognizing or establishing Standards Generating Bodies (SGBs). The SGBs will, in turn, be responsible for preparing and updating unit standards and qualifications in each of the areas of learning. The NSBs will ensure that the standards and qualifications prepared by the SGBs meet SAQA requirements, and will finally be responsible for recommending the registration of qualifications to SAQA.

The second key type of structure is Education and Training Quality Assurance Bodies (ETQAs). The exact nature of ETQAs is still to be finalized by SAQA, but it is currently agreed by SAQA that they will have to:

promote quality amongst constituent providers i.e. the registered constituency of the ETQA);
accredit providers in terms of quality management;
facilitate or ensure moderation across constituent providers;
co-operate with relevant NSBs for the purpose of moderation acoss ETQ's;

register constituent assessors;
evaluate assessment;
certificate learners;
maintain an acceptable database;
submit reports to SAQA;
recommend unit standards to SGBs and qualifications to NSBsas appropriate;
monitor provision; and undertake quality systems audits.[3]

Higher education quality committee

In addition to the specific proposals on distance education outlined above, the Green Paper on Higher Education Transformation supports the establishment of a Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC). The Green Paper makes the following comments about the HEQC:

The Ministry proposes that the HEQC should be established as an independent umbrella body for quality assurance within the higher education sector…The HEQC should register with SAQA as the Education and Training Quality Assurer for higher education. The functions of the HEQC should include programme accreditation and institutional auditing. It should operate within an agreed framework underpinned by:

      The formulation of criteria and procedures in consultation with higher education institutions

      A formative notion of quality assurance, focused on improvement and development rather than punititve sanction.

      Quality assurance should not be linked directly to funding.

      A mix of institutional self-evaluation and external independent assessment.

      Quality promotion should be undertaken by a Quality Promotion Unit (QPU) under the aegis of the CHE. The proposed QPU of the Committee of University Principals should be reconstituted to include the various institutional types within the single coordinated system. [4]

Teacher education

The audit of teacher education

The White Paper on Education and Training made clear reference to the need for a teacher education audit which provides a comprehensive overview and analysis of the current state of teacher education in South Africa. In recognition of this need, the Ministry of Education commissioned a national audit of primary and secondary teacher education in 1995. The aim of the audit was to provide both the national ministry and the various provincial ministries with a comprehensive overview and analysis of the current state of the teacher education system in South Africa. Research for the audit was undertaken in the following areas

      colleges of education: conducted by the National Business Initiative.

      university faculties and schools of education: conducted by the Education Policy Unit at the University of the Western Cape.

      teacher education offered at a distance: conducted by the South African Institute for Distance Education (SAIDE).

      non-governmental organizations: conducted by the Joint Education Trust.

      teacher supply and demand: conducted by the Education Foundation.

      teacher centres: conducted by the Research Institute for Education Planning at the University of the Orange Free State.

The findings of the audit make it clear that tinkering with the existing system of teacher education is not going to provide adequate solutions to problems of teacher development.[5] It also demonstrates that, despite pockets of excellence and innovation, the current system, on the whole, contradicts the values and principles outlined in the White Paper on Education and Training.

This overall assessment is reflected in the audit of teacher education offered at a distance, the findings of which are contained in a report entitled Teacher Education Offered at a Distance in South Africa. The report notes the unexpectedly large size and rapid expansion of distance education for the teaching profession. A total of 129 614 students, more than one third of all teachers, are engaged in some form of distance education. Grave reservations are expressed with regard to the quality of provision, and, in general, quality assurance is paid lip-service only - if it exists at all. The report does, however, point out that isolated examples of innovation and positive collaboration are to be found within teacher education offered at a distance in South Africa. The final report contains two tools to assist in evaluating the quality of teacher education offered at a distance. These two papers are entitled A Well-functioning Distance Education Institution and Criteria for Judging Open and Distance Learning in Teacher Education. It also develops, in some detail, a vision of how the application of distance education methods could contribute positively to the broader transformation of the entire system of teacher education.

Teacher supply, utilization, and development

Based on the work of the audit, the national Department of Education released a discussion document entitled An Agenda of Possibilities: National Policy on Teacher Supply, Utilisation and Development in August 1996. The document takes cognizance of developments in a number of education and training sectors. It proposes that teacher education should be developed beyond the formal classroom environment to include early childhood development, adult basic education and training, vocational training, and learners with special educational needs. The Committee on Teacher Education Policy (COTEP), an advisory stakeholder body established by the government to develop a national policy on teacher education, indicated at its inception that its ‘first task was to improve the quality of teacher education’.[6] Although the discussion document acknowledges that distance education ‘can create a quality learning environment using a combination of different media, tutorial support, peer group support, and practical sessions and can be used to increase openness in learning’,[7] it also notes the inadequacy of the model currently in wide use:

Distance education is rapidly expanding because a correspondence model without student support allows low cost provision. Consequently, many institutions are adopting it to improve their financial viability. As a result good teacher education is rapidly being driven out of existence by poor teacher education as more institutions turn to correspondence education instead of high quality resource-based learning with good student support.[8]

Drawing on the work done during the teacher education audit, the discussion proposes the following guidelines for distance education: ‘collaboratively designed programmes; counselling and learner support; quality assurance mechanisms; research and development; effective management’.[9] The document concludes the discussion of distance education by stating that ‘Colleges of education should engage in both PRESET and INSET, and both contact and distance education to provide for the ongoing professional development of all educators’.[10]

Adult basic education and training (ABET )

One third of the population is illiterate or semi-literate, forming the largest group for whom efficient provision must be made. Because provision has been fragmented and usually separated from mainstream educational practice, policies and supporting structures will have to be established in order to redress the lack of basic education amongst all age groups of the population. A document published in September 1995, entitled A National Adult Basic Education and Training Framework: Interim Guidelines, focuses on the proposed standards (levels of learning) and outcomes for those participating in ABET programmes. It does not, however, cover two important areas, namely the method of delivery and the training of ABET educators. The above-mentioned report of the international commission provides commentary on both aspects of ABET.

The report found that, in basic adult education initiatives, ‘very little use has yetbeen made of open learning approaches’,[11] both for those in need of basic education and to ABET educators. Because professional development for ABET educators has been largely neglected and their task is so immense given the excessive numbers of illiterate and semi-literate men and women in South Africa, conventional methods of providing professional development for these educators would prove inadequate. It is proposed that ‘only open learning approaches, making use of well-developed study materials mediated by tutors in many learning centres, can cope with such numbers and at the same time satisfy national norms for the quality of what is provided’.[12] It is encouraging to note that some institutions have gone ahead with the development of professional development programmes for adult educators, very much in line with the proposals made by the commission.

Further education and training

The definition of further education in A Policy Framework for Education and Training is as follows:

the education level which follows the attainment of the General Education Certificate within the compulsory phase of schooling or through the Adult Basic Education and Training programme. Further Education programmes lead to the award of the Further Education Certificate. [13]

This definition has been extended slightly by the NCHE report to allow for an area of further education between the Further Education Certificate and the higher education sector. At present, only a minority of those who complete the compulsory phase of schooling progress to this sector. Provision is described as ‘inadequate, dysfunctional and divisive. Distance education, unsurprisingly, reflects the weaknesses of conventional provision’.[14] There is an urgent need for further education and training to take place in a variety of contexts to enhance the development of the individual and ensure economic progress. It is also essential for members of the workforce to keep pace with scientific and technological change throughout the duration of their working lives. One of the modes used to effect this kind of lifelong learning should be distance education.

In recognition of this, the Minister of Education has recently appointed a National Task Team on Further Education (NTTFE) to undertake a comprehensive investigation on Further Education and Training. The terms of reference of this team are as follows:

The purpose of the NTTFE is to establish the vision and goals for Further Education and Training in order to attain the equality of access and survival of its client group, as well as advancing lifelong learning within the National Qualifications Framework, especially the integrated approach to education and training.[15]

The team is expected to focus on all aspects of post-compulsory education and training prior to entry into higher education, as well as to perform an audit of providers, infrastructure, and resources and to make recommendations on curriculum-related matters, human resource implications, funding models, the elimination of gender imbalances, and governance structures for further education and training.

HRD strategy

During 1996, the Department of Labour, in consultation with the National Training Board, has been in the process of developing an integrated human resources development (HRD) strategy for South Africa. Although the most recent documentation was not consulted by the researchers, the draft green paper gives a clear indication of the vision and principles of this strategy:

The vision is an integrated HRD system which promotes economic and employment growth and social development through a focus on education, training and employment services. The core strategy is to create an enabling environment for expanded strategic investment in education and training. The following principles underpin this new system:

      it is flexible and decentralised, but with adequate levels of co-ordination and support for effective localised decision-making and a more strategic approach to training

      it is demand-led, with particular emphasis on the need to develop new enterprise demand for skills in support of rising productivity and competitiveness, and on target group training which is linked to work experience

      it is based on partnership control over the new education and training system and shared costs arrangement

The objectives of the strategy are:

      to facilitate more structured and targeted education and training within enterprises

      to support the development of viable small and micro enterprises

      to increase access by production workers to entry-level education and training and upgrading of skills

      to raise the level of intermediate skills in the country

      to facilitate more efficient social and infrastructural delivery

      to support target groups to enter regular employment or to sustain micro income-generating activities

      to facilitate a general increase in the skills profile of the population, through accredited high quality education and training linked to the NQF

      to raise the quality, relevance and cost-effectiveness of training in the country

      to encourage the further development of a competitive training market

      to provide accessible, relevant and up-to-date information and services to facilitate effective decision-making for entry and movement in the labour market.[16]

Many of the proposals in the green paper relate directly to the work of SAQA, as outlined above. Within the strategy, for example, it is proposed that Sectoral Learning Organizations be established as a vehicle to overcome the poor strategic focus of training in many economic sectors. It is envisaged that they will have an important role to play in recommending standards and qualifications to National Standards Bodies in SAQA. It is proposed that there be no more than thirty Sectoral Learning Organizations.

A key element of the policy proposals is the establishment of a National HRD Council ‘as a vehicle to overcome the poor strategic focus of training in South Africa, the poor co-ordination within government and between government and private sector initiatives as well as the poor co-ordination between labour market training for small and micro enterprises and target groups on the one hand and that for the formal sector on the other’.[17]

Amongst the key functions proposed for the HRD Council are the following:

      to promote education and training as an integral component of South Africa’s growth and development strategy

      to advise the Cabinet, through the office of the Minister of Labour, on HRD strategy, policy, resource allocation and guidelines for the implementation of the HRD strategy

    to regularly assess the strategic HRD needs of the country

      to prepare and draft long-term national HRD strategy

      to develop guidelines and set criteria for allocating national training funds

      to determine criteria for the registration of, and register, Sectoral Learning Organisations and Provincial HRD Councils

      to ensure co-ordination of education and training for large projects which cut across sectors or provincial boundaries

      to encourage stakeholders and accredited providers to contribute to the standards-generating process under SAQA.[18]

The policy envisages that a SAQA Liaison Committee will be established by the HRD Council. As the document notes,

the Committee will be responsible for establishing the broad framework for learnerships and for liaising with Sectoral Learning Organisations and SAQA regarding all matters of mutual interest relating to the NQF - including the criteria for the accreditation of ETQAs and the integration of information generated by SAQA for labour market purposes.[19]

Science, engineering, and technology

This sector includes the sciences, mathematics, computing, technology, and engineering. Education and training for this sector is provided on a variety of levels, from primary school to technikons and universities and includes technical colleges, teachers colleges, and apprenticeships. The ANC’s Policy Framework concludes that:

In general, science, mathematics and technology education, both formal and non-formal, has failed to address our low levels of scientific literacy and technological fluency. Among the newly-industrialising countries, we are ranked bottom in terms of development of our human resources.[20]

At the larger dedicated distance education institutions, enrolment and graduation rates are low in comparison with figures for industrialized countries. The inadequacy of provision in the area of compulsory practical work exacerbates the problem. The report of the International Commission found that, ‘currently, distance education in South Africa makes only a small contribution to SET education and training’.[21] The absence of the role distance education might play in the Green Paper on Science and Technology of January 1996, entitled Preparing for the 21st Century, is evidence of the inadequate attention paid to its potential contribution in these areas. Nevertheless, although the draft White Paper does not specifically mention distance education, it does endorse the concept of lifelong learning. Within this context, the document states that ‘institutions must therefore move toward structuring themselves to support the creation of learning- and and apprenticeships. The ANC’s Policy Framework concludes that:

In general, science, mathematics and technology education, both formal and non-formal, has failed to address our low levels of scientific literacy and technological fluency. Among the newly-industrialising countries, we are ranked bottom in terms of development of our human resources.[20]

At the larger dedicated distance education institutions, enrolment and graduation rates are low in comparison with figures for industrialized countries. The inadequacy of provision in the area of compulsory practical work exacerbates the problem. The report of the International Commission found that, ‘currently, distance education in South Africa makes only a small contribution to SET education and training’.[21] The absence of the role distance education might play in the Green Paper on Science and Technology of January 1996, entitled Preparing for the 21st Century, is evidence of the inadequate attention paid to its potential contribution in these areas. Nevertheless, although the draft White Paper does not specifically mention distance education, it does endorse the concept of lifelong learning. Within this context, the document states that ‘institutions must therefore move toward structuring themselves to support the creation of learning- and knowledge-centred organisations’.[22]

A new curriculum

The primary task of educational policy makers is the establishment of a just and equitable education and training system which is relevant, of high quality, and is accessible to all learners, irrespective of race, colour, gender, age, religion, ability, or language. A priority for both national and provincial education departments is, therefore, the creation of a transformative, democratic education and training system based on open learning principles, and fostering in all its users a strong commitment to lifelong learning and development. Key to this transformation is the replacement of the existing curricula with new ones which reflect the priorities and needs of South African society both in dealing with the effects of apartheid and in preparation for the future in a highly competitive, and rapidly changing, global environment.

To this end, a National Curriculum Development Committee (NCDC) has been appointed and, in December 1995, the Department of Education released a discussion document which focused on a curriculum framework for pre-tertiary education and training. The numerous responses received on this document were considered by the Curriculum Development Working Group of the National Curriculum Development Committee (NCDC) and incorporated in documents which have been subsequently released.

s a result of these consultations and discussions, consensus has been reached on an outcomes-based Lifelong Learning Development Framework for South Africa. This framework consists of a set of principles and guidelines which provides both a philosophical base and an organizational structure for curriculum development initiatives at all levels. The first phase of implementing the new curriculum will start in January, 1998.

The educational broadcasting plan

The Department of Education released its Educational Broadcasting Plan in March 1996. The document is a proposal for a partnership between the Department of Education and the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC). The document states that although educational broadcasting is not intended to replace educators, it can be used effectively by learners and educators across all sectors thereby augmenting the provision of education and training. The broad needs for educational broadcasting are identified and with regard to distance education in particular, projects that could be developed include the following:

      Upgrading teaching skills and knowledge of different subjects.

      Equipping teachers to understand and teach new areas of the curriculum and providing them with some learning resources to use in the classroom (priority subject areas would need to be identified);

      A basic introductory course to education and to theories of teaching and learning.[23]

The plan proposes interim strategies for 1996-1997 and areas for further investigation and development beyond this period.

The National Association of Distance Education Organizations of South Africa (NADEOSA)

The National Association of Distance Education Organizations of South Africa (NADEOSA) was launched at a conference held on the 2^nd of August 1996. The idea of a national association originated in a need felt by distance education providers and organizations for a representative body. An inclusive association committed to the values and principles underlying the basic human right to lifelong education was decided upon at an early stage. The constitution was drafted during the second half of 1995 by a group of leaders in the distance education field including: major public providers such as UNISA, Technikon SA, Vista University, and the Technical College of South Africa (Technisa); non-governmental organizations such as the South African Institute of Distance Education (SAIDE), the South African Committee for Higher Education (SACHED), and the Open Learning Systems Education Trust (OLSET); existing associations of specialized distance education providers such as the Association of Distance Education Colleges of South Africa (ADEC) and the Committee of Teacher Educators through Distance Education (COTEDE); and the newly established Open Learning Association of South Africa (OLASA).

The overarching aim of this Association is to provide a forum for South African organizations who are committed to increasing access to an affordable, cost effective and quality learning environment in which learners are empowered to become self sufficient members of society. The final draft of a constitution for NADEOSA outlines the following objectives for the association:

     facilitate collaboration among distance education organizations and other organizations involved or interested in distance education in South Africa;

     advocate awareness, understanding and application of distance education and open learning amongst policy makers, practitioners and learners;

     promote research and evaluation on all aspects of distance education, open learning and related topics in South Africa;

     exert influence with regard to adequate policy (including financial support) for distance education;

     advance the professional interests of distance education practitioners; and

     promote and enhance quality assurance in distance education.

The establishment of NADEOSA will bring South Africa in line with global practice with regard to the representation and professional support of distance education. The Association is also hoping to make decision-makers, in both the public and private sectors, increasingly aware of the potential of distance education.

National open learning agency

The White Paper on Education and Training indicates clearly the Government of National Unity’s commitment to supporting open learning and new ways of interpreting and implementing distance education. One proposal in this regard was to investigate the establishment of a National Open Learning Agency (NOLA) ‘as a small, flexible and responsive professional agency’.[24] Various proposals have subsequently been put together on the most appropriate structure and functions for the agency. Ultimately, however, a decision has been taken to establish NOLA within the Department of Education as a part of the National Institute for Lifelong Learning Development (NILLD). This Institute will fulfil the research and development of curriculum-related activities as they relate to the promotion of lifelong, open learning development. The focus will, thus, be on research and development initiated by state departments, stakeholders, role-players and other social development actors.

Confederation of Open Learning Institutions in South Africa

In a joint press statement released in October 1996, the vice-chancellors of Vista University, Technikon Southern Africa (TSA), and the University of South Africa (UNISA) announced their intention to pursue the establishment of a confederal structure while continuing to respect the autonomy of individual institutions. To this end, they have established the Confederation of Open Learning Institutions in South Africa (COLISA), which will serve as a basis for collaborative ventures in a number of areas, including: finance and resource applications; academic development; technology application; and the provision of joint core programmes and courses. This step has been taken by the institutions on the basis that the quality and efficiency of distance education at these institutions, which have a collective enrolment of 250 000 students, will be enhanced by a confederal structure. Further collaboration with other institutions is envisaged consistent with the recommendations of the NCHE Report and international best practice. Initially COLISA will consist of a professional Board with an executive director and secretariat.

Student opinion

The Research Group felt that an important part of the research process was to consult students on their attitude towards and feelings about the provision of distance education in South Africa. This was done both through a consultative workshop and through the distribution of a questionnaire to a sample of distance education students. The findings of the questionnaire are contained in Appendix C, but, together with some of the points raised in discussion with students, they will be summarized briefly below.

During a consultative workshop with students, many important issues were raised. For purposes of understanding better the position of students in relation to distance education provision in South Africa, the most important points are listed below:

      Distance education is not only for part-time students, but also involves a great number of full-time students. This implies that there is a need for student support and facilities.

      Distance education must get the same value as ‘normal institutions’.

      Distance education must not be marginalized.

      Distance education was not covered adequately in the NCHE report.

      Distance education includes every sector and not only higher education.

      Policies on distance education must be revisited. Constitutions of institutions must be brought in line with the Constitution of South Africa.

      This research project must look at learning materials, student support mechanisms, and administrative support, and not only at the macro issues of distance education.

      The environment is very important: the way first year students are received, counselled, and informed on issues such as choice of courses and subjects must be considered.

      Language issues must be addressed in course development.

      Standards must be uniform and at a national level.

      The phenomenon of fly-by-night institutions must be avoided.

      International courses must be monitored and evaluated for quality.

      Tutors/facilitators in student centres must be effectively trained.

      Interactive media in study centres could support learners.

In addition, it is evident from responses students made to the questionnaires that there are some concerns about the quality of distance education they are receiving. The major areas of concern are those of learner support and administrative systems. The students show some understanding of the fact that learner support has pedagogical as well as administrative dimensions. The following list of recurring themes illustrates this point. The students surveyed want:

      more contact with their tutors;

      accessible learning centres for students in remote areas;

      better arrangements for the payment of fees;

      more information about course demands; and

      to receive material promptly.

These points have been taken into account in the development of a distance education quality standards framework and of proposed strategic initiatives.

Conclusion

The above information highlights quite clearly both that there is significant policy commitment to the use of distance education methods in solving many of the country’s education problems and that there is also an urgent need to improve the quality of that provision. Before making decisions about the most useful contribution which this research process could make in support of policy relating to distance education, the research group felt that it was important to examine a range of international approaches to quality assurance in distance education. The results of this examination are contained in chapter two.

Footnotes

[1] National Qualifications Framework Bill, p. 2.

[2] ibid, p. 6.

[3] SAQA Consensus Document dated 8 November, 1996.

[4] Ministry of Education, 1996, Green Paper on Higher Education Transformation, located at http://www.polity.org.za/govdocs/green_papers/hegreenp.html.

[5] See Hofmeyr, J. & Hall, G. 1995, The National Teacher education Audit: Synthesis Report, unpublished report.

[6] Department of Education, 1996, An Agenda of Possibilities: National Policy on Teacher Supply, Utilisation and Development, Department of education, Pretoria, p. 2.

[7] ibid, p. 18.

[8] ibid, p. 36.

[9] ibid, p. 43.

[10] ibid, p. 44.

[11] SAIDE, 1995, Open Learning and Distance Education in South Africa: Report of an International Commission, January - April 1994, p. 148.

[12] ibid, p. 154.

[13] ANC Education Department, 1994, A Policy Framework for Education and Training, p. 120.

[14] SAIDE, 1995, Open Learning and Distance Education in South Africa: Report of an International Commission, January - April 1994, p. 164.

[15] Ministry of Education, 1996, National Task Team on Further Education, Government Notice No. 17188, 10 May 1996, pp. 4-5.

[16] Department of Labour, 1996, Draft Green Paper on a New Integrated Human Resources Development Strategy for South Africa, special draft to the Minister of Labour, pp. 1-2.

[17] ibid, p. 60.

[18] ibid, pp. 60-61 (abridged list).

[19] ibid, p. 61.

[20] ANC Education Department, 1994, A Policy Framework for Education and Training, p. 88.

[21] SAIDE, 1995, Open Learning and Distance Education in South Africa: Report of an International Commission, January - April 1994, p. 195.

[22] Department of Arts, Culture, Science, and Technology, 1995, White Paper on Science and Technology: Preparing for the 21^st Century, located at http://www.polity.org.za/govdocs/white_papers/scitech.html.

[23] Department of Education, 1996, Educational Broadcasting Plan: July 1996 to December 1997, Pretoria, Department of Education, p. 20.

[24] Government of National Unity, 1995, White Paper on Education and Training, p. 28.