Green Paper on Further Education

A new framework for FET

This chapter introduces the key features of a new FET policy framework geared for the 21ST century. The Green Paper proposes a future FET system based on:

co-operation and partnerships
co-ordination and strategic planning
flexibility and responsiveness
articulation
institutional diversity, and
quality of provision.

The chapter concludes by summarising the key implications of this new framework for curriculum and qualifications, governance, legislation, institutional and staff development, and funding and implementation. These implications will be further elaborated in the chapters which follow.

1. The central pillars of a new policy framework for FET

1.1 Co-operation and partnerships

The concepts `co-operation' and `partnership' signify at least three important elements of the new FET system. These are, first, the introduction of a new FET system based on co-operative governance within government, and partnership between government and other key stakeholders. Second, they entail the development of a system which seeks to balance the roles of the market and of governmental initiative, co-ordination and stimulus. And third, they involve an acceptance of the importance of inter-departmental co-operation, based on complementarity between the Skills Development Strategy of the DoL and the new FET framework proposed by the Ministry of Education in this Green Paper.

1.1.1 Co-operative governance

South Africa's democratic Constitution (Act 108 of 1996) defines `co-operative government' as a necessary relationship primarily between national, provincial and local spheres of government and between different government departments and agencies. The Constitution calls on these spheres of government to:

provide effective, transparent and accountable administration
support, inform and consult with each other, and
co-ordinate their actions and legislation with one another and provide for appropriate mechanisms and procedures to attain these objectives.

Education White Paper 3: A Programme for the Transformation of Higher Education added a further dimension to the concept of co-operative governance. In this White Paper, the Ministry outlined a model of governance for HE which was based on the principle of autonomous HE institutions working co-operatively with a proactive government and within a framework of partnerships. Within the HE framework, co-operative governance:

...assumes a proactive, guiding and constructive role for government. It also assumes the active participation by civil society constituencies which acknowledge their different interests, maintain separate identities, and recognise their mutual interdependence and responsibilities for attaining a common goal.

The Ministry intends to extend this governance framework to the FET system. Co-operative governance is a critical aspect of the new framework for FET, in particular because of the importance of co-operation between the Department of Education (DoE) and the DoL, between government and the social partners, and between the providers of FET and their clients and stakeholders.

1.1.2 Balancing market and state

Distortions and inequalities in FET provision, and the need to implement a national strategy to develop a FET system which is responsive to socio-economic demands and geared to the development of a globally competitive skills base, require both the efforts of the state and the operations of the market, to steer the system. The state must play a leading role in the provision of a high quality public school and college system which is relevant and responsive to current social and economic needs. The state must also transform the education and training system to take into account the country's medium- to long-term socio-economic needs.

Individuals, communities and companies, through their role in the market, have a critical role to play in encouraging greater flexibility and responsiveness of provision, in driving quality upwards, and in promoting efficiency and effectiveness.

International experience suggests that the state can best support and promote system change by setting clear goals and objectives and by providing an effective enabling environment for the functioning of the system. Government policy can be given effect through effective monitoring, the dissemination of information, and the employment of effective `steering' mechanisms.

1.1.3 The complementarity of inter-departmental strategies

The DoL's 1997 Green Paper, A Skills Development Strategy, together with the Skills Development Bill which is to be presented to Parliament, share many of the central propositions of this Green Paper on FET. Complementarity between the two strategies rests on:

a common allegiance to the government's policy of an integrated approach to education and training and its commitment to lifelong learning
overlapping interests in the role and effectiveness of enterprise-based training and technical college provision. Both departments share an interest in the development of `learnerships' as a replacement for the near-obsolete system of apprenticeships
a shared view of the role of the state and market in the provision of education and training in the FET band. The DoE is located primarily on the supply-side, ensuring the production of suitably skilled persons for the national economy in the medium- to long-term. The DoL is concerned with issues primarily on the demand-side, the most important of which is identifying and meeting the skill demands of the market in the short-term, and more strategically, in the medium- to long-term.

1.1.4 Partnerships between FET institutions and with employers

Co-operative relationships are critical at the institutional level, between FET providers, and between FET institutions and civil society and employer organisations. Partnerships between the providers of FET and `clients' of the system - in particular, communities and employers - are key to the provision of relevant, responsive FET programmes. Partnerships will need to inform the mission and strategic plan of FET institutions, help shape the programme mix, and influence the design and delivery of FET programmes. In addition, partnerships will be key to mobilising the human, physical and financial resources needed for the revitalisation of the FET system.

1.2 Co-ordination and strategic planning

1.2.1 Currently FET does not constitute a `system'. It does not effectively meet national needs. A new co-ordinated system needs to draw its strength from a national vision, committed national leadership, an established enabling environment which rewards innovation and change, and the understanding, commitment and support of its clients and constituents.

1.2.2 The diversity of learners and providers within FET demands a flexible, institution-driven approach to co-ordination. Regional and local social and economic differences, the needs of particular communities, limited management capacity in the FET system, and a lack of management information systems and labour market information, caution against attempting `hands on' control from the centre.

1.2.3 The Constitution moreover provides for a division of responsibility between the national and provincial authorities, with respect to the control of education other than HE. The allocation of functions between Ministries - in particular, the responsibilities of the Ministers of Education and Labour for education and training respectively - likewise impacts on co-ordination arrangements.

1.2.4 At the same time, the transformation of the system calls for the implementation of an over-arching national FET strategy. Such a strategy must direct the development of the FET system towards broad national goals and objectives, ensure the best use of scarce resources, promote efficiency and effectiveness, and drive up quality.

1.2.5 The key to co-ordination is the adoption of a model of strategic planning across the FET band. Co-ordination does not mean centralised control, but the creation of an enabling policy and planning environment, and the use of steering and regulatory mechanisms to encourage greater coherence, responsiveness and accountability in the provision of FET. Co-ordination is underpinned by target setting and the determination of system goals at the national and provincial levels, and by institutional strategic planning. Five important aspects of strategic planning can be identified:

the setting of national, provincial and institutional goals and objectives for FET
the establishment of a system of financial and other incentives to steer the system
the establishment of a regulatory framework
the use of performance indicators, management information systems and labour market information, and
institutional-level strategic planning.

1.3 Flexibility and responsiveness

1.3.1 FET is located at the crossroads between GET and work and HE. It includes a substantial part of the national training effort, and plays a critical role in skills formation and in improving the skills base of the country.

1.3.2 Flexibility and responsiveness of provision, in accordance with the varying needs and demands of learners, communities and employers, are of critical importance, especially for those learners who have exited formal schooling and are either in employment or unemployed.

1.3.3 The levels and range of education and training programmes funded through the FET system, together with programme content and modes of delivery, need to be far more closely linked to the requirements of the people who are currently employed and who seek retraining, up-skilling or further education. Additionally, FET programmes need to be more responsive to the large numbers of unemployed for whom entrepreneurial and other skills, retraining opportunities and further education constitute critically important avenues away from the cycles of poverty and deprivation.

1.3.4 This heightened demand for flexibility and responsiveness carries the following implications for FET:

a shift from rigid bureaucratic planning and management to an approach which more effectively balances efficient state co-ordination with market responsiveness
state steering, rather than state control, which encourages and rewards innovation and quality
the structuring of effective linkages and partnerships between FET providers, employers and communities
local and regional responsiveness to labour market conditions, within the framework of national policy, goals and objectives
the provision of a more diverse and high-quality range of learning programmes to meet the needs of a wider range of clients than is currently the case, and
programme-based funding, which is demand sensitive, and which supports the development of new priority programmes in accordance with the medium to long-term needs of the economy and society.

1.4 Enhanced articulation

1.4.1 At present, most learners enter FET from GET on their way to HE or work. In future, increasing numbers will retrace their steps, turning from employment or unemployment to the FET system to provide retraining, `second-chance' opportunities, personal development, community and leisure courses and so on. Likewise, it will become increasingly common for HE students and graduates to turn to FET as a means of changing career direction or acquiring career-orientation training and to meet a range of community and personal needs.

1.4.2 The concept of a FET system at the crossroads between GET, HE, work, and community and personal life will become increasingly central to the achievement of lifelong learning and the development of a learning society.

1.4.3 This means that the effective articulation of the needs and concerns of workers, employers, the unemployed, communities and individuals, is a basic requirement of an effective FET band. It means, also, that the boundaries between FET and HE, and to a lesser extent with GET, will become increasingly permeable, and the relationships between all three sub-systems increasingly inter-dependent.

1.4.4 Enhanced articulation and the provision of lifelong learning opportunities across these traditionally rigid boundaries have become a pressing priority in the FET band. The relaxation of previously rigid boundaries is now being made possible through the NQF and its key principles of learner progression, portability and recognition of prior learning. These principles must become integral to the FET band, to reflect its critical location at the intersection of schooling, HE and work, and to ensure that FET serves the purposes of lifelong learning and not of institutional gate keeping.

1.5 Institutional diversity

1.5.1 The varied demands on the FET system call for diversity in provision. The question of diversity has been posed most sharply in respect of the future of publicly-funded colleges, the majority of which are presently established as technical colleges. Diversity in the college sector may imply a movement towards both specialised institutions, focused towards a single industry or technology, or comprehensive institutions, such as community colleges, which address diverse needs through the range of programmes they are able to offer. Neither approach excludes the other and a future FET system is likely to include both specialist and comprehensive institutions.

1.5.2 This Green Paper supports the development of a college system which recognises diversity, concentrates scarce resources for maximum cost-effectiveness and impact, ensures within an appropriate institutional framework efficient and effective provision for specialist as well as GET, and responds meaningfully to the varied needs of individuals and communities.

1.5.3 Determining the appropriate institutional arrangements for ensuring diversity of provision is best effected at the local level. This means, in the first instance, that the governing body of each FET college must decide on the institutional model and form which is best suited to the fulfilment of the institution's mission and the achievement of its strategic plans.

1.5.4 In determining the institutional mission and in addressing the issues of institutional form and of strategic planning, the Ministry believes that governing bodies will respond constructively to the challenges of transformation.

1.5.5 This Green Paper proposes the recognition of only two types of FET college - publicly-funded FET colleges and privately-funded FET colleges.

1.5.6 The role of provincial and national authorities will be to steer the development of the system towards the achievement of national goals and to ensure, at the systems level, sufficient and adequate access to a high quality, efficient and effective provision of FET. This includes ensuring the transformation of the FET system in accordance with the values and the education and training priorities of our new society, and encouraging inter-institutional co-operation and ensuring institutional restructuring where appropriate.

1.5.7 Diversity of provisioning does not mean that under-utilised and inefficient public institutions can be tolerated. In the initial phases of transformation, in particular, government will need to intervene proactively to bring about the necessary restructuring of college provision.

1.5.8 Provincial and national authorities will exercise their roles through their powers of review, the use of funding and other steering mechanisms, and the development of the regulatory framework. In addition, after due consultation with the institutions concerned, and with the advice of the National and Provincial Boards for FET (see point 2.3.2), the Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Education in the provinces will be enabled to close, merge or establish public FET colleges where this is in the interests of the institutions concerned or in the public interest.

1.5.9 The implications of `diversity' for the new framework, therefore, are the following:

local initiative in determining appropriate forms of provision, including institutional forms
the encouragement of partnerships and consortia, `clustering' arrangements and, where appropriate, institutional restructuring or merger
powers of oversight and review, at the provincial and national levels, to ensure the relevance, efficiency and effectiveness of provision, and
powers of government to intervene where necessary to restructure and rationalise provision.

1.6 Quality of provision

1.6.1 Quality management and quality assurance are important dimensions of the new FET framework.

1.6.2 Quality management is concerned with the attainment of appropriate resource mixes, curricula and assessment practices, governance mechanisms, and management, educator and learner performance. Quality management is the responsibility of all role players, from the national and provincial levels, through regional, sub-regional, local and institutional management and governance structures, to educators and learners. It is their collective responsibility to ensure learner mobility, promote national goals and objectives and provide good quality outcomes.

1.6.3 Quality assurance, on the other hand, is concerned with reporting on the performance of learners and the system, and includes for this purpose a dynamic, competent and high quality evaluation corps, and appropriate evaluation methods such as assessment instruments, quality indicators, the systemic evaluation of learning at key transition points, in selected subjects or instructional offerings, and policy impact evaluations.

1.6.4 Measures to promote continuous quality improvement and to assure quality will be integral to the development of an effective and enabling regulatory framework for FET.

2. The key implications of this new framework

The new framework for FET, as outlined above, has profound implications for the system, particularly as regards curriculum, funding, governance, institutional and staff development, and implementation. Each of these areas will be briefly addressed. More detailed discussion and specific recommendations will be presented in the ensuing chapters.

2.1 A new curriculum and qualifications framework:
responsive linkages between FET, HE and work

2.1.1 A new curriculum and qualifications framework is proposed. This will require a profound shift away from the traditional divides between academic and applied learning, theory and practice, knowledge and skills, and head and hand. It will be based on an integrated approach to education and training and will be programmes-driven. This will provide a framework that is responsive to new social and economic demands, that enhances a common citizenship and that provides opportunities for further learning and learner progression. The new learning programmes will be underpinned by the twelve critical and developmental outcomes defined by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) in 1996. These aim to encourage problem-solving skills, critical and creative thinking, working in teams, communicating effectively, making use of science and technology and responsible citizenship.

2.1.2 The new qualification structure will be based on a flexible combination of fundamental, core and elective learning components. The aim is to develop qualifications that have sufficient breadth (through the development of high levels of mathematical and communicative literacy) and depth (via the offering of a much wider range of core and elective credits) to equip learners to function more effectively in the work context, in HE, and as lifelong learners.

2.1.3 In the short-term, the Ministry will encourage partnerships between FET institutions, private sector organisations and other government departments and agencies which seek to experiment with and pilot innovative approaches to the new qualifications structure for FET. Senior secondary schools and colleges, for example, can begin to expand the elective choices available to Grade 10-12 learners by opening up college facilities and expertise to learners at school, and vice-versa.

2.1.4 In the short- to medium-term, the DoE will undertake the larger task of redesigning and integrating existing instructional offerings in senior secondary schools and technical colleges. At present, these subjects and instructional offerings are offered separately, so perpetuating the divide between general formative education and career preparation. Many of these subjects and instructional offerings have not kept up with developments in knowledge and are inappropriate to the challenges of the 21ST century.

2.2 Programme-based funding

2.2.1 The deficiencies in existing funding arrangements and the scale and complexity of the challenges facing FET require the development of a completely new funding framework. Key principles of the proposed funding framework, which for the time being will be limited to FET colleges but in the longer-term will be considered for schools, include the following:

enabling education departments to fulfil their constitutional obligation to make further education progressively available and accessible
making use of management information systems as a basis for arriving at strategic decisions regarding funding of particular programmes and institutions
providing for individual and institutional redress
maximising all available resources through cost-sharing, and income generation by providers
basing funding on learning programmes
ensuring funding coherence, so that the same level of funding applies to the same programme wherever it is offered
incorporating a performance-linked element in funding
emphasising the demand-side rather than the supply-side in funding, in order to re-orient providers to the market and the needs of the learners, and
providing for stability of public funding.

2.2.2 The new funding approach will have three main components. It will include: formula funding for recurrent costs, based on full-time equivalent students in approved programmes leading to qualifications or parts thereof; earmarked funding for specific national policy objectives; and user fees related to the ability to pay.

2.2.3 Additional elements will include an `output-incentive' based on student achievement of credits or qualifications, and support for learners with special learning needs.

2.2.4 Funding contracts based on agreed targets will be developed for FET providers which are in receipt of state funds.

2.2.5 Implementation of the new funding framework will involve: consultation with stakeholders; capacity building in public FET providers; phased introduction of the new system on an institution-by-institution basis; and the delegation of budgets in accordance with proven institutional capacity. In order for the new funding system to work, management capacity and adequate information systems must be developed at all levels. In addition, all existing and new programmes to be funded by government will need to be clearly defined, in line with the requirements of the NQF.

2.3 A new governance structure, legislation and institutional and staff development

2.3.1 The Ministry acknowledges the difficulty of constructing a new governance model and legal framework for FET, given the constitutional provisions regarding national and provincial competencies with respect to FET and the division of responsibility for education and training between the Ministers of Education and Labour. The present situation does not provide an ideal environment for forging a coherent, integrated FET system. At the same time, greater coherence and strategic direction of the system are essential to meeting the social and economic challenges we confront. The Green Paper accordingly seeks to define a realistic strategy for transformation, within existing constitutional and political constraints. In the Green Paper, the Ministry argues for a complementarity of strategies between the DoE and the DoL and between the national and provincial education authorities. Within such an arrangement, each government agency will have a distinctive role to play.

2.3.2 The new governance framework will be developed in accordance with the provisions of the National Education Policy Act (Act 27 of 1996), and through the passage of a new Further Education and Training Act. These actions will introduce three important changes:

the establishment of a National Board for FET (NBFET) (see ch.6, point 3.1.4)
the establishment of Provincial Boards for FET. These could come into being simultaneously with the NBFET, or at a later date (see ch.6, point 3.2.3), and
the recognition of two types of FET colleges, viz., public and private. The National FET Act will also specify the terms and conditions under which publicly-funded colleges can move progressively towards the assumption of greater governance and management responsibilities. It will provide for the registration of and a quality assurance framework for privately-funded colleges, including those providing distance education. It will therefore repeal and incorporate, as appropriate, aspects of the Correspondence Colleges Act (Act 59 of 1965). Full consultation will be undertaken in the course of developing the new law.

2.3.3 These legal and governance reforms will provide for greater co-ordination at a national and provincial level. In addition, by progressively transferring greater governance and management responsibilities to all publicly-funded colleges, the National FET Act will enable all colleges to define their own distinctive mission and relationship to the local and provincial economy and society. In so doing, responsiveness and effectiveness will be greatly enhanced.

2.3.4 As institutions acquire greater autonomy, they will be incorporated within the new strategic planning and governance frameworks. Institutions will need to develop clear institutional goals, expressed in mission statements, and elaborated in institutional plans. Curricula will need to be expressed as programmes which address specific societal and economic needs and are aligned to the NQF. In the short-term, funding for FET colleges will be programmes-driven. In the longer-term, programme-based funding may be extended to the senior secondary schools. In sum, the new governance model will require of the FET system as a whole a greater degree of strategic planning, coherence and sense of purpose than has been the case previously.

2.3.5 The implementation of these changes will require significant leadership capacity, management information systems, and strategic planning. The DoE will aid the development of these capabilities through the establishment of Task Teams on Management Capacity Development and Management Information Systems.

2.4 Institutional and staff development

2.4.1 The introduction of a new FET system, with new strategic planning and programme-based funding processes, requires responsive, well-managed, high quality institutions. Without this, the new system will fail. For this reason, the Green Paper accepts that institutional and staff development are integral to the establishment of a co-ordinated system.

2.4.2 Many FET institutions are constrained by a poor work ethic and a poor public image. Change in organisational practices and cultures, to encourage responsiveness and accountability, teamwork and the promotion of an appropriate learning environment and ethos, will be essential.

2.4.3 Apartheid distorted the historical allocation of resources in the FET band. The Ministry is confronted however with the reality that limited resources are available to remedy past injustices and the consequences of apartheid planning. Resource-sharing, building inter-institutional linkages through the establishment of partnerships and consortia, and the reorganisation of the institutional landscape through clustering arrangements, mergers and other means are in this context essential to the goals of equity and redress and to the achievement of the FET system that the country needs.

2.5 A strategy for implementation

2.5.1 Transformation of FET will not take place overnight. The challenges are substantial and resources limited.

2.5.2 As indicated above, the key to the strategic development of a vibrant, responsive FET system is the adoption of strategic planning and co-ordination. To implement such a strategy, it is important, first, to match the capacity of government and the FET system to the roles assigned to them; and, second, to begin to build capacity at the system and institutional levels.

2.5.3 The Ministry recognises that the introduction of a new planning, regulatory and funding framework must occur in a responsible manner, bearing in mind the limited institutional and systemic capacities and the resource constraints that characterise the present state of development. This implies that implementation of a co-ordinated approach to the transformation of FET will need to take place in phases, as the necessary mechanisms and processes are put in place, and as the necessary capacity is developed.

2.5.4 The Ministry will show flexibility in the way in which it introduces a co-ordinated national system. The Ministry envisages that the introduction of the new system will take place over a period of time. The concluding chapter will spell out the details of this approach.

What this chapter means in practice

There will be major changes in the FET system to respond to the challenges of meeting basic needs and increasing global competitiveness. The new system will be based on the principles of co-operation and partnerships, co-ordination and planning, flexibility and responsiveness, diversity and quality. These changes will involve new curricula combinations, new learning pathways, greater institutional autonomy, the establishment of a National Board for FET, staff development, quality improvement and quality assurance, a programmes-driven funding framework and a phased implementation plan.