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Learning for Life, Work and the Future Participants’ Papers Page 59 We should remain committed to the spirit, articles and goals of the OAU Decade of Education in Africa, the Jomtien Declaration, the Harare Declaration and the SADC Protocol on Education and Training. We should continue to encourage and be active participants in the joint initiatives to improve education in the African continent. We need to stimulate and seek new partnerships in the fight against illiteracy, disease (especially HIV/AIDS), poverty and hunger. References Litabe R. M., (1995), Technical and Vocational Education and Training - The case of Lesotho, M. Ed unpublished dissertation, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom Vladimir Gasskov, (2000), Managing Vocational Training Systems. A Handbook for Senior Administrators, ILO, Geneva SADC, (1997), Protocol on Education and Training, Blantyre, Malawi KRIVET, (1999), 1998 Research Abstracts, Seoul, Korea KRIVET, (1999), Technical and Vocational Education and Training in Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea bmb+f, (1999), Second International Congress on Technical and Vocational Education: Documents presented by the delegation of the Federal Republic of Germany in Seoul, Republic of Korea, 26 to 30 April 1999, Bonn, Germany 14 MAHUBE, Bester (Botswana): Quality of TVET Appropriateness of TVET Programmes to the Botswana Economy The issue of the quality of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes is pertinent to the success of the Government of Botswana’s goal of achieving sustainable economic diversification in the National Development Plan Eight (NDP8) and beyond. It is therefore imperative that our TVET institutions should always strive to ensure the provision of the best possible technical skills through consistent facilitation of quality training programmes in order to improve and enhance the quality of life of Batswana as well as creating sustainable economic development. This paper will therefore focus on the quality of skills offered by Brigades. Brigades are among the main providers of technical and vocational training in Botswana. At present they offer training in more than fourteen different vocations. An important feature of the Brigades’ training programmes is the concept of Training with Production which was introduced by the founder of the Brigade movement Patrick Van Rensburg in 1965 at Serowe’s Swaneng Hill School. This Training with Production programme offers trainees an all-round package of theoretical lessons, practicals and on-the-job training. The training offered by the Brigades is perceived to be of poor quality. This view is held by people who have had very little contact with Brigades graduates, and continues to prevail because initially the Brigades admitted primary school dropouts because of the shortage of secondary school places at that time. The situation has since changed with the introduction of nine and later ten years of basic education for all school-going children. Those who enrol in Brigades are now Junior Certificate holders and some “O” level certificate holders who fail to be admitted to tertiary institutions. The best judges of the quality of such training are the employers in their various forms who can state the level at which they rate brigade graduates as against those from other institutions. Brigades have failed to dispel this ‘poor quality’ perception over their many years of existence, mainly due to lack of financial resources to engage public relations officers to project and promote their good image, or even to commission consultancies to determine the extent of their skills contribution to the national labour market. The Department of Vocational Education and Training (DVET) which took over the functions of the former Brigades Development Centre (BRIDEC), has not helped the Brigades to shed this stigma, largely because DVET tends to focus more on Vocational Training Centres (VTCs) which are 100% government owned. The recent name change of VTC to Technical Colleges (TCs) will further polarise the two institutions, as a perception of superiority will now be attached to TCs − a view that will continue despite the fact that both institutions require the same entry qualifications, which are predominantly a Junior Certificate in construction trades and “O” level in mechanical and business studies. The 1995 Tracer and Evaluation Study of Botswana Brigades by N. H. Fidzani and L. Mafela of the University of Botswana stated that “in spite of the current problems experienced by the construction industry, the study found out that the majority of the graduates who completed between 1989 and 1991 still hold their jobs”. The researchers interpreted the above to mean that the Brigades graduates had survived the retrenchments and were therefore performing well in the job market. That was further taken to mean that Brigades graduates are able to secure good jobs and that they are not easily affected by the ups and downs of the labour market. The researchers also established that they
Page 60 Participants’ Papers Learning for Life, Work and the Future performed well enough to retain their jobs, and that those who secured jobs with government departments, councils and parastatals also performed well, with some given positions of responsibility. The study went on to state that Training with Production makes Brigades graduates strong performers in practical work. It however noted that the extent to which practicals are undertaken in the Brigades depends on the strength of the production wing of a particular training institution. It was found that if production units are strong, trainees will have an enhanced opportunity for practical training. The above example dispels the notion that Brigades produce poor quality graduates. Brigades have adapted to the current needs of the learning population even though they continue to pride themselves in promoting the concept of Training with Production. The rise in entry requirement from Primary School Leaving Certificate to Junior Certificate and above has enabled the quality of Brigades training to improve, with more “advanced” theory being offered. The Brigades now use the same syllabi in all their programmes as do former VTCs, and they take the same examination administered by Madirelo Training and Testing Centre (MTTC). The Brigades workshops are well equipped with modern facilities to enable trainees to acquaint themselves with the technology currently in use by industry. The availability of computers in some Brigades has enhanced the trainees’ knowledge of information technology by exposing them to the most recent computer applications such as Windows 98, MS Office and others. The majority of Brigades still offer Trade “C” and “B” certificate level courses, but there is a positive trend towards higher qualifications. Tswelelopele Centre, which in the past was the only Brigade offering training in Architectural Draughting up to National Craft Certificate (NCC), maintained a high pass rate, hence the government decision to add more NCC courses in other Brigades. Under NDP 8, the government has upgraded three Brigades to offer courses up to NCC. Four others will be added at a later phase. The private sector and government easily absorb the graduates of the Architectural Draughting courses as technicians. Some of the successful ones have upgraded themselves through government sponsorships to acquire diploma and degree qualifications in either Architectural Draughting or Civil Engineering. The cited example demonstrates the extent to which Brigades graduates compete favourably in the job market and therefore indicates the acceptability of their training. The Tracer and Evaluation Study also revealed that as far as workmanship is concerned, Brigades graduates are just as good as any artisans in the market. It was established that, on account of the nature of their training, they were rated the best in terms of work attitude. With government support, Brigades are sending their instructors for courses offered by the University of Botswana and to Technicons in South Africa to study for diplomas in their respective specialisations. About 90% of instructors are now holders of NCC qualifications and some are improving their academic qualifications through private study. Brigades continue to diversify from offering mainly construction vocations into areas such as business studies, auto engineering, and electrical engineering. Batswana should begin to realise that the way forward for most of our youths is to enrol for artisan training, and the Brigades are the most experienced institutions in this area. The Revised National Policy on Education (RNPE) of 1994 encourages among other things the effective preparation of students for life, citizenship, and the world of work, and the improvement and maintenance of quality of the education system. It is now evident to most parents that there are limited vacancies in our tertiary institutions. This situation leaves most youths with nowhere to go but to roam the streets. Joining technical skills training should be considered a viable option, especially since the government is promoting such diversification in our learning approach. The current system allows youths who have completed certain courses to upgrade at a later stage to acquire diploma and degree qualifications, even after going through Brigades training. The way forward in the 21 st century is through learning for life, work and the future. The southern African region should establish a network of technical and vocational education and training institutions to facilitate the flow of information on educational matters. There should be an exchange of views about how to work towards the continuous improvement of technical and vocational training. Trainees should have access to higher institutions of learning, either through full-time programmes or through distance learning. Local institutions should allow such aspiring trainees to use their facilities for both study and practical training.
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