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Learning for Life, Work and the Future Report on the Workshop Page 5 Report on the Workshop By Jakes R. Swartland 1 Introduction 1.1 Background The Department of Vocational Education and Training (DVET) in the Ministry of Education of Botswana, together with UNESCO, through its newly-established International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training in Bonn, Germany, developed an initiative entitled “Learning for Life, Work and the Future: Stimulating Reform in Southern Africa through Subregional Co-operation”. This initiative was officially launched at a workshop under the same title in Gaborone, Botswana, from 5 to 8 December 2000. The initiative was one of the follow-up actions of the 2nd International Congress on Technical and Vocational Education organised by UNESCO in collaboration with the Republic of Korea in Seoul, in April 1999. The Congress, whose theme was “Lifelong Learning and Training: A Bridge to the Future”, concluded that Technical and Vocational Education, as an integral component of lifelong learning, should encompass good quality programmes with wider access, more flexibility, new information technologies and provision for the unemployed and the informal sector. In addition, it should stimulate partnerships between government and industry, community and non-governmental organisations. The Congress also emphasised the importance of articulation, accreditation and recognition of prior learning to enhance the opportunities of all learners. The “Learning for Life, Work and the Future” (LLWF) initiative expanded the vision of Technical and Vocational Education (TVE) to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in recognition of the fact that education and training should be seen as a lifelong learning process that enhances the quality of life for all. 1.2 The Purpose and Strategy of the LLWF Initiative The main purpose of the initiative was to encourage and stimulate partnerships in TVET among countries in Southern Africa, and to facilitate the implementation of the Seoul recommendations there. The participants of the Congress in Seoul expressed the need to put in place mechanisms for the implementation of the recommendations, which had been unanimously supported and accepted. The Ministry of Education of Botswana offered to host a workshop for the Southern Africa Region. The countries concerned were Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. This was made possible through the mobilisation of UNESCO’s Participation Programme, with further and substantial financial assistance from the German Federal Ministry of Economic Co-operation and Development, through UNESCO’s International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training in Bonn, and the Government of Botswana. In addition to the mobilisation of resources, expertise within the subregion was also needed. There was a general consensus that policies and reforms to improve the quality of TVET in the subregion either already exist or are under continuous review. What was required was a sustainable strategy for the implementation of these policies and reforms as well as improved management and co-ordination through subregional co-operation. It was therefore agreed that a workshop rather than a seminar or conference be organised, targeting specifically practitioners of TVET, with the ultimate aim of producing concrete and implementable project proposals. The main objective of the workshop was therefore to stimulate subregional co-operation through identification, prioritisation and initiation of projects, with emphasis on common critical challenges and issues identified. 1.3 Preparation for the Workshop An initial planning meeting was held in Bonn between a representative of the Ministry of Education in Botswana and staff of the UNESCO International Centre in Bonn during the month of July 2000. It was at this meeting that the decision to organise the workshop was taken, and a number of common challenges faced by the countries in the subregion in the field of TVET were identified. These included, inter alia: • The need to widen access and address equal opportunities to include disadvantaged groups • The need to increase formal sector opportunities for TVET graduates through targeted programmes • The need to improve the quality of training in the informal sector and for self-employment • The need to improve the quality of the teaching staff through professional development programmes
Page 6 Report on the Workshop Learning for Life, Work and the Future • The need to harness the potential of the new information technologies to provide technology-based learning and widen access • The need to introduce proper articulation, accreditation and recognition mechanisms • The need to acknowledge and address the impact of HIV/AIDS on TVET structures and delivery The underlying principle was to have a good quality TVET system which was flexible, adaptable and innovative. A Steering Committee composed of staff of the Botswana Ministry of Education and UNESCO’s International Centre in Bonn was constituted to make the necessary arrangements for the proposed workshop. To facilitate the organisation and to enhance the teamwork, an officer from Botswana was seconded to the UNESCO International Centre in Bonn for five weeks during the preparation stage. TVET experts from the subregion were invited to contribute to the preparation of the workshop by submitting discussion papers on one or two challenges/ issues mentioned above. Altogether over 60 papers were submitted. A Consultant, with the assistance of the Steering Committee, reviewed the papers for their relevance and appropriateness. This evaluation of the papers was the main criterion for the selection of the participants to the workshop. However, the Steering Committee also took into consideration other criteria such as geographical spread, gender balance, a judicious mix of young and senior professionals, and the balance of key issues to be addressed. Finally 70 participants composed of decision makers, heads of institutions and experts in TVET were invited from twelve Southern African countries: Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Communication breakdown prevented the invited person from the Democratic Republic of the Congo from participating. There was no response from Angola. Some resource persons from UNESCO, Southern Africa and Europe were also amongst the participants. Donor agencies were also invited, mainly to participate during the final day when project proposals were presented and discussed in a “Market Place” session, as described below. The Main Working Document was prepared by the Consultant with the assistance of the Steering Committee, based on the content of the submitted papers. (This document can be found on page 11.) 1.4 Opening Plenary Session The workshop was officially opened on Tuesday, 5 December 2000 in the Gaborone Sun Hotel, Gaborone, in the presence of Mr K. G. Kgoroba, the Honourable Minister for Education of the Republic of Botswana. Invited guests included Heads of Diplomatic Missions in Botswana and representatives of several bilateral and international donor agencies. In his opening address, the Minister underscored the use of ICT to expand access to education, increase flexibility in delivery and improve quality. He stated that changes in the world economy coupled with rapid advances in communication technologies are having an enormous effect on the labour market. This has resulted in a high level of unemployment, retrenchment and frequent job changes, emphasizing the need for multiskilling, lifelong access to education and training, and support for small and micro business ventures and informal sector activities. This in turn has changed the role of education and training. The Minister emphasized that the initiative was a response to a situation whereby most countries in the subregion tended to have closer links to Europe than with each other in respect of technical and vocational education and training. This resulted in strong north-south links but few south-south links through which countries in the subregion could learn from each other. (The full text of the Minister’s speech can be found on page 19.) Mr Hans Krönner, Acting Director of UNESCO’s International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training in Bonn, was speaking on behalf of UNESCO in expressing his belief that the existing diversity of environments and approaches to TVET should not be looked upon as a barrier to collaboration, but rather as a rich resource and a valuable basis for cross-fertilization as well as a challenge to make intelligent use of existing options, ideas, solutions and innovations in technical and vocational education and training. (The full text of UNESCO’s address can be found on page 21.) 1.5 Workshop Organisation The workshop was structured into working groups based on the main challenges and issues already mentioned, with logistical support provided by the staff of DVET and of UNESCO’s International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education in Bonn.
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