As everybody know, South Africa has emerged from a racially segregated, unequal education and training system. 

Since 1994 we are working continuously to transform the post-school education and training system where everyone have access to quality education and training in the country. 

There have been strong foci on equity, redress and the implementation of RPL; and enhancing access, progression, quality and transparency.

Under the NQF Act (2008), the initial focus on access deepened to foci on epistemological access, learning pathways, articulation and learner transitioning.

We have since moved to focus more on diversity and equality; student access, support and success; and accommodating changing student demographics including working students.

We have introduced flexibility in learning pathways through a collection of policies, structures and practices aimed at broadening access, redress and progression in the system for learning and work.

Our National Qualifications Framework (NQF) was one of the means to integrate the education and training system into one coherent system and align this system with the values in the new Constitution.

The objectives of the NQF are still standing to facilitate access to, and mobility and progression in, education and training and career paths; accelerate redress, and enhance quality and transparency – for the benefit of individual learners and social and economic development at large.

The South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) is mandated to oversee the implementation and further development of the NQF, and to coordinate the three NQF Sub-Frameworks: the General and Further Education and Training Qualifications Sub-Framework (GFETQSF), the Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework (HEQSF) and the Occupational Qualifications Sub-Framework (OQSF).

I am pleased to report to this meeting today that there has been progress towards achieving the NQF objectives, especially regarding access, redress, quality and transparency.

I want to specifically focus on 2 mechanisms to ensure that learners have access and follow learning pathways, viz. RPL and Articulation.

Long-term research and development reveals extensive RPL practices and some Credit Accumulation and Transfer (CAT) within and between sub-frameworks is forthcoming. A National Articulation Baseline Study (SAQA-Durban University of Technology [DUT], 2020) shows articulation initiatives that exist between Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Colleges and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).

Research and development have included understanding and supporting learning and-work pathways for sustainable development and other emerging fields and an investigation into the student needs for, and the development of, flexible learning and teaching practices.

Our extensive well-developed policy environment enables coordination of RPL and articulation, and SAQA policies together with the Quality Council counterpart policies, support flexible learning pathways. 

Learners therefore have options to follow, from school into any of the offerings in our post-school education and training system, viz. universities, TVET colleges and skills development programmes that are also offered by CET colleges, SETAs and industry.

Since the establishment of the NQF, qualifications, to be registered on the NQF, must be located in articulated learning pathways and must provide for RPL. Professional bodies must provide RPL routes to their professional designations.

To study further or work in the country on the basis of foreign qualifications held, requires submitting these qualifications to SAQA for evaluation for authenticity and allocation to a South African NQF level.

SAQA supports refugees and asylum seekers following such pathways. There is currently a national initiative to strengthen learning pathways.

In South Africa, articulation and learning pathways are understood in at least three ways, as being ‘systemic’, ‘specific’ and ‘individual’. Systemic learning pathways comprise ‘joined-up’ qualifications and/or part-qualifications, professional designations, and other elements that are part of the official system.

Specific articulation comprises arrangements such as RPL, CAT, Memoranda of Understanding (MoU), Memoranda of Agreement (MoA) and others that support systemic articulation. Individual learning pathways are in turn supported by flexible responsive systems that enable students to navigate and transition across barriers that they encounter.

We therefore support flexible learning pathways, where a learner has a range of choices.

The question remains: How can we improve learning pathways so that each individual succeed in life and have access to decent work?

Over and above, policies, structures and well-developed systems, there is also a need for quality career development services.  All citizens must have access to quality career development services that provide people the ability to make informed choices about studies and learning pathways. 

Our Khetha CDS has been in operation since 2010 and is a well-developed information, advice, guidance, counselling services that are free to all.  We have a multi-platform system that include our well-developed National Career Advice Portal (NCAP) that provide information on learning pathways for more than 1300 careers.

Furthermore, we also have to improve in extended Curriculum Programmes; ‘Supplemental Instruction’; a number of peer-support structures and mentoring programmes; the provision of distance and/or blended learning or e-learning in a variety of forms; supportive infrastructure and timetabling such as part-time, after-hours, weekend and block-release course offerings; the practice of offering particular qualifications as bridges to further learning, and national and institutional Career Development Services (CDS) as well as other ways of providing flexible learning pathways.

We have also developed tools that support the provision and use of learning pathways in the country.

Key instruments are the criteria and processes for registering qualifications and part-qualifications on the NQF; institutional accreditation to offer learning programmes in HEIs, and recognising professional bodies and their professional designations.

Lastly, data and the tracking of learning pathways are also key.

In conclusion: We are not there yet.  We have to engage and ensure, the full alignment of policies and practices at national level.

We also have to enhance further, systemic articulation in increasing numbers of sectors. It is important to continue and increase efforts to integrate public and private higher education.

Lastly I want to emphasise the importance of further development of the reporting and data specifications for learning pathways.

We are all working continuously to ensure that no learner is left behind and find itself at a dead-end in his career.

I thank you.