White Paper on Education and Training

Education and training are central activities of our society. They are of vital interest to every family and to the health and prosperity of our national economy. The government's policy for education and training is therefore a matter of national importance second to none.

South Africa has never had a truly national system of education and training, and it does not have one yet. This policy document describes the process of transformation in education and training which will bring into being a system serving all our people, our new democracy, and our Reconstruction and Development Programme.

Our message is that education and training must change. It cannot be business as usual in our schools, colleges, technikons and universities. the national project of reconstruction and development compels everyone in education and training to accept the challenge of creating a system which cultivates and liberates the talents of all our people without exception.

My Ministry is acutely aware of the heavy responsibility it bears for managing the transformation and redirection of the system of education and training within the terms of the Constitution and under severe budgetary pressure. The national and provincial Ministers have worked together increasingly closely in the Council of Education Ministers. The provincial Ministers have been carrying an exceptional load since the beginning of 1995. They and their new departments need the people's understanding and support. For its part, the national Ministry will do all it can to assist.

The actual provision of education and training under the national and provincial Ministries of Education occurs primarily in the schools, colleges, technikons, and universities. These bear the direct responsibility for managing the teaching and learning process. This includes finding practical, educationally acceptable solutions for changes which are occurring as a result of the new Constitution and the policies of the new national and provincial governments. Their environment is one of considerable uncertainty, especially while the process of review and transformation of governance structures is still under way at all levels of the system.

Having myself been an educational manager at school, college and university levels, I wish to express a special word of understanding for all those who carry management responsibilities in the education and training system during this time of transition.

I wish also to thank and commend all other roleplayers and stakeholders in the system: teachers and other educators, students, parents, religious and other community leaders, education and training NGOs, and officials in the new education departments who are charged with spearheading change. Their collective energy, expertise and commitment are formidable resources for unifying and building our new system. Our watchword should be: Let us put the learners first. If we do, I have no doubt that the students of this country will respond magnificently.

This white paper was published in draft form for consultation. Media coverage was extensive, and the response from the South African public was heart- warming. Citizens, organisations and institutions took the trouble, under a tight deadline, to make their views known, and I thank them all, They have helped us to produce a better document. What is more, they have time and again expressed their wish to help find principled and practical solutions to our country's educational needs. With this spirit, we cannot fail.

The public hearings conducted by the joint National Assembly and Senate Select Committee on Education demonstrated the keen interest taken by my parliamentary colleagues in the white paper process. I thank them for their continued interest and advice, and all the organisations which made submissions to the committees' hearings.

I believe that the discussion of the draft document has marked the beginning of a national consensus on the way forward. That is what the country needs: a principled national accord on education and training which will provide a secure platform for change and development, for widening access and raising quality.

It is essential for us to build a system of education and training with which all our people can identify because it serves their needs and interests. Such a system must be founded on equity and non-discrimination, it must respect diversity, it must honour learning and strive for excellence, it must be owned and cared for by the communities and stakeholders it serves, and it must use all the resources available to it in the most effective manner possible.

This document is the first policy document on education and training by South Africa's first democratically elected government. As the title makes clear, it represents only our first steps on a long road. My hope is that it blazes the trail of opportunity and self-fulfilment for all our citizens.

Professor S M E Bengu, MP
Minister of Education

Message From The Deputy Minister of Education, Mr R Schoeman

I believe that the approval of an education white paper by the Government of National Unity is an essential prerequisite for the creation of an education system which is acceptable to the majority of South Africans.

The ideal, namely "excellence in education for all" and the cultivation and liberation of the talents of every young South African, is still a long way off, but we are on our way!

The road we have to travel is an uphill and rocky one - a difficult one - but the fact of the matter is that we are, as a result of a Government of National Unity and an inclusive approach in the Ministry of Education, closer than ever before to reaching a truly national consensus on the way forward in respect of education. This will dramatically increase our chances of reaching the destination of relevant, affordable, non-discriminatory, quality education for all.

As a member of the Government of National Unity I very much look forward to working hard and with enthusiasm towards this goal, within the framework of the white paper on education and training.

I sincerely hope that all South Africans will now put that which was negative in the past behind them (also in respect of education), and will use the opportunities presented by this white paper to the full, in their own interests and in the interests of South Africa. It is a wonderful chance for a fresh start in education - let's use it to the best advantage of our country.

Renier Schoeman, MP
Deputy Minister of Education

Abbreviations Used in the Text

ABET: Adult Basic Education and Training
AUT: University and Technikon Advisory Council
CBO: community-based organisation
CEM: Council of Education Ministers
CHED: (former) Committee of Heads of Education Departments
COTEP: Committee for Teacher Education Policy
CS: college/school
DET: (former) Department of Education and Training
ECD: Early Childhood Development
EMIS: Education Management Information System
ESS: Education Support Services
FEC: Further Education Certificate
FFC: Financial and Fiscal Commission
GDP: Gross Domestic Product
GEC: General Education Certificate
HEDCOM: Heads of Education Departments Committee
HOA: (former) House of Assembly
HOD: (former) House of Delegates
HOR: (former) House of Representatives
HSRC: Human Sciences Research Council
ICHED: (former) Interim Heads of Education Departments Committee
INSET: in-service education for teachers
LSEN: learners with special education needs
NCTE: National Council for Teacher Education
NGO: non-governmental organisation
NETF: National Education and Training Forum
NICD: National Institute for Curriculum Development
NICE: National Investigation into Community Education
NOLA: National Open Learning Agency
NQF: National Qualification Framework
OAU: Organisation of African Unity
RDP: Reconstruction and Development Programme
RSA: Republic of South Africa
SAQA: South African Qualifications Authority
SGT: (former) self-governing territories
TBVC: (former) Transkei, Boputhatswana, Venda, Ciskei states
VAT: value-added tax
UN: United Nations
Unesco: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation
Unicef: United Nations Children's Fund

A Note On Terminology: "Ministry" and "Department"

This document follows government practice in distinguishing between the Ministry of Education and the Department of Education.

The Ministry of Education comprises the Minister of Education, the Deputy Minister of Education, advisors and administrative staff.

In terms of the Constitution, a Minister is accountable personally to the President and Cabinet for the administration of his or her portfolio, and is required to administer the portfolio in accordance with the policy determined by Cabinet.

The Cabinet is required by the Constitution to "function in a manner which gives consideration to the consensus-seeking spirit underlying the concept of a government of national unity as well as the need for effective government". Thus Ministers are obliged to seek Cabinet approval for their policy proposals, such as this document, and to ensure that approved policy is effectively executed.

The Department of Education is part of the organisational structure of the public service, which is constitutionally required to "loyally execute the policies of the government of the day in the performance of its administrative functions".

The Department of Education is headed by the Director-General, who is responsible for the efficient management and administration of the department, and is accountable to Parliament for the funds voted to the department in the budget.

The Director-General is accountable to the Minister for the execution of policy, and in practice also makes available the professional resources of the department for the development of policy as directed by the Minister.

Part 1 - Introduction

Chapter One

The Purpose and Scope of This Document

A national Ministry of Education white paper

This document is a "white paper" which describes the first steps in policy formation by the Ministry of Education in the Government of National Unity. It
- locates education and training within the national Reconstruction and Development Programme, and outlines the new priorities, values and principles for the education and training system
- previews important developmental initiatives on which the Ministry of Education is engaged
- discusses the implications of the new Constitution for the education system, especially in respect to Fundamental Rights
- discusses the division of functions between national and provincial governments in the field of education and training
- provides information about how the national and provincial departments of education are being established
- analyses the budget process in education, and the necessity for a strategic approach to education funding in relation to the national priority for human resource development
- discusses in detail two significant policy initiatives for the school system: the organisation, governance and funding of schools, and the approach to the provision of free and compulsory general education.
This document is published by the national Ministry of Education with the approval of Cabinet. In preparing it, the Ministry has enjoyed substantial cooperation from the provincial Ministries of Education, and appreciates their comments and suggestions.
Provincial Ministers of Education have indicated that they intend to publish provincial white papers on education. Provincial white papers will perform a vital service by sharpening the focus of debates on education policy within each province. Collectively they will make an increasingly significant contribution to the development of policy for the national system as a whole.
Policy development and strategic plans in transition
The development of policy has been going on in the midst of the complete reorganisation of the national education system, the dismantling of the old education bureaucracy through the establishment of new national and provincial education departments, and the acceptance of legislative competence and executive authority by provincial governments. The whole system's capacity for policy development will increase rapidly as the new national and provincial education departments take shape, and a new structure of statutory consultative bodies and development agencies is brought into existence. New policy directions will be clarified by the major investigations and reviews which have either been launched by the Ministry or are in preparation, in areas which are crucial to the reconstruction and development of the education and training system.
Policy is important, but execution is more important. This document is not a plan, but target dates have been indicated for important development processes which are underway. The determination and costing of medium and long-term priorities is a major task for 1995, and will be reviewed and updated annually thereafter. The new provincial Departments of Education will be partners of the national department in this exercise, because they are responsible for developing the new provincially-based information system for all education except technikons and universities. A reliable information base is a crucial requirement for a trustworthy planning process, so the current state of transition is far from satisfactory, but even provisional planning work must proceed.
The reorganisation of the national budget system and its link to the RDP Fund affect the capacity of all departments to undertake financial planning, which is the basis of all responsible development. The proposed shift to zero-based budgeting and multi-year projections will provide the technical basis for the clarification of development strategy and the setting of priorities and implementation targets. However, the responsibility for planning, budgeting and executing provincial education development, except for the university and technikon sectors, rests with provincial governments. The national department will be working very closely with its provincial counterparts, in order to establish the planning and budgeting framework within which the education priorities of the Government of National Unity can be addressed.
The development of policy is a learning process. The Ministry of Education's policies will evolve, and they will be open to correction, not through trial and error, but on the basis of a variety of academic, professional and consultative sources of critique and advice. The national Ministry of Education will seek the cooperation of the provincial Ministries of Education, and the technikons and universities, in establishing well defined performance criteria, so that systematic internal and independent monitoring and evaluation can take place. Particular attention will be paid to the performance of the education and training system in the improvement of quality, equity, productivity (effectiveness) and efficiency.
The public response to the draft white paper
The vision, principles, broad lines of policy, and many specific initiatives which were proposed in the draft version of this document have been generally endorsed by most individuals, bodies and institutions from whom written submissions were received. This revised document is therefore recognisably similar to the earlier version.
It is also different, however, because the Ministry of Education has tried to do justice to the spirit if not the letter of the massive public response to the draft. More than six hundred submissions were received. Respondents made suggestions for improvement on almost every part of the document. Inevitably, since respondents represented the entire spectrum of political and educational opinion, they have not always conveyed the same message. Nevertheless, the Ministry of Education has paid careful attention to what all respondents have said. Their advice has informed the Ministry's understanding, even if it has not always been accepted.
A large number of specific comments dealt with matters of detailed implementation which this document does not cover. Suggestions of this type have been reserved for consideration by the responsible implementing authorities, and many will be referred to the respective commissions or committees which will be investigating major areas of policy or of educational need in much greater detail than this document has tried to do. In fact, all contributions from the public have been filed and classified for easy access, so that they can continue to be consulted.

Chapter Two

Why Education and Training

An integrated approach

The terms "education" and "training" are coupled in the title of this Ministry of Education document, and at many points in the text. This needs explanation.
Training is a vital part of many learning programmes administered in schools, teachers colleges, technical colleges, technikons and universities. The Ministry of Education therefore has great interest in the training function by virtue of its own responsibilities.
Education and training are each essential elements of human resource development. Rather than viewing them as parallel activities, the Ministry of Education believes that they are in fact closely related. In order to maximise the benefits of this relationship, the Ministry is committed to an integrated approach to education and training, and sees this as a vital underlying concept for a national human resource development strategy.
An integrated approach implies a view of learning which rejects a rigid division between "academic" and " applied", "theory" and "practice", "knowledge" and "skills", "head" and "hand". Such divisions have characterised the organisation of curricula and the distribution of educational opportunity in many countries of the world, including South Africa. They have grown out of, and helped to reproduce, very old occupational and social class distinctions. In South Africa such distinctions in curriculum and career choice have also been closely associated in the past with the ethnic structure of economic opportunity and power.
Successful modern economies and societies require the elimination of artificial hierarchies, in social organisation, in the organisation and management of work, and in the way in which learning is organised and certified. They require citizens with a strong foundation of general education, the desire and ability to continue to learn, to adapt to and develop new knowledge, skills and technologies, to move flexibly between occupations, to take responsibility for personal performance, to set and achieve high standards, and to work cooperatively.
In response to such structural changes in social and economic organisation and technological development, integrated approaches toward education and training are now a major international trend in curriculum development and the reform of qualification structures. An integrated approach to education and training will not in itself create a successful economy and society in South Africa. However, the Ministry of Education is convinced that this approach is a prerequisite for successful human resource development, and it is thus capable of making a significant contribution to the reconstruction and development of our society and economy.
An integrated approach to education and training, linked to the development of a new National Qualification Framework (NQF) based on a system of credits for learning outcomes achieved, will encourage creative work on the design of curricula and the recognition of learning attainments wherever education and training are offered. It will open doors of opportunity for people whose academic or career paths have been needlessly blocked because their prior knowledge (acquired informally or by work experience) has not been assessed and certified, or because their qualifications have not been recognised for admission to further learning, or employment purposes.
Such concepts are not the property of the Ministry of Education alone, but are part of the emerging consensus on the importance of lifelong learning as the organising principle of a national human resource development strategy. The National Training Board, a consultative and research body which advises the Minister of Labour, has made a major contribution through its research on a National Training Strategy Initiative. This was an investigation undertaken by a task team comprising representatives of organised labour, organised business, education and training providers, and the former Department of Manpower.
The concept of lifelong learning organised in terms of a National Qualification Framework, is incorporated in the human resource development strategy of the government's Reconstruction and Development Programme.
In promoting an integrated approach to education and training under the NQF, the Ministry of Education does not wish to assume executive responsibility for the provision of training which falls within the competence of other Ministries.
Inter-departmental cooperation
The Ministers of Education and Labour have established an Inter-Ministerial Working Group to develop their common interests in an integrated approach to education and training and a National Qualification Framework, and to clarify their respective competencies with regard to training. Both sides are strongly committed to achieve these goals. The joint policy work of the Ministries of Education and Labour on this matter necessarily involves very close cooperation between the two sides, on the basis of a careful definition of where their respective interests, responsibilities, and competencies converge and diverge. The Ministry of Education recognises the Ministry of Labour's essential interest in its active labour market policy, of which the promotion of skills development outside the formal provisioning system for education and training is an integral part.
The Working Group includes representatives of the Departments of Education and Manpower, the National Training Board, organised business and organised labour. The Working Group recognises that the prospect of an integrated approach to education and training has alarmed some professionals in both the formal education and the skills training camps. Some training practitioners are concerned that the specific requirements of occupational skills training will be swamped by unreasonable demands for the inclusion of general or academic courses. Some educators are concerned that the intrinsic values of general or academic education will be over-ridden by a narrow vocationalism or a merely economic approach to learning.
To some extent, such concerns probably reflect past divisions between the education and training sectors, and may not be fully informed by the most advanced international practice in the design and assessment of learning programmes, either in industry or in educational institutions. Nevertheless, they are not unreasonable and they need to be addressed seriously. Enabling the National Qualification Framework to be developed in an evolutionary, participatory, and consensual way, within clear policy guidelines, will be the best way of implementing the new strategy. The organised teaching profession, and the representative bodies of the university, technikon and college sectors, as major stakeholders, will be invited to become fully involved in this process.
The draft National Qualification Framework Bill being prepared by the Inter-Ministerial Working Group will therefore allow ample scope for the NQF to be developed from within the diverse education and training sectors, in terms of national guidelines and a mutually agreed regulatory framework, not by bureaucratic dictation from one or other department. The decisive steps to set the NQF in motion are expected to be taken early in 1995, when the Ministers of Labour and Education will consider the text of the draft Bill, and release it for general consultation.
The National Qualification Framework, for which the Minister of Education will accept executive responsibility in Cabinet, is envisaged as being developed and implemented on an inter-departmental basis, with fully consultative processes of decision-making, including all concerned government departments, education and training providers, and major national stakeholders in education and training. The establishment and operation of the NQF on this basis is the main strategic objective of the Ministry of Education in the development of an integrated approach to education and training.
Most other Ministries have responsibilities for skills development and professional training within their spheres of competence, such as Health, Agriculture, Water Affairs and Forestry, Local Government, and the Public Service. The provision and examination of professional education and training is also undertaken by many professional institutes and by a wide range of private colleges. The establishment of the NQF will enable all existing public and private sector education and training providers to assist in establishing appropriate national standards in their specialist fields through the respective accrediting bodies, and to seek recognition for their programmes in terms of such defined standards. Learners engaged in education and training under the auspices of RDP programmes will be able to earn credits towards national qualifications by so doing.

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