Inspecting the Foundations - Umalusi

some offer FET subjects only. Numbers attending individual PALCs vary from two to over 2 000learners. At least fi ve PALCs (those with numbers of learners between 50 and 2 000, and offeringthe full range of GETC learning areas) in each province were then re-contacted and asked aboutwhich curriculum documents they were using. Attempts were made to obtain learning programmesdeveloped by the PALCs themselves.It is worth noting that when trying to obtain ABET curriculum documents, there were diffi cultiesat national, provincial, and local levels. Not all national offi cials had copies of the nationaldocuments. Provincial offi cials within single ABET directorates gave differing information, and werenot always sure of the exact titles, dates, and availability of documents. It appears that local adulteducators are using a variety of materials, and that these are not always what their provinces haveprovided or intended to provide.In addition, there is considerable development of curriculum material: the National DoE upgradesand circulates draft documents from time to time; SAQA periodically updates and circulates unitstandards; some provinces develop extensive documentation around the interpretation of unitstandards and the development of learning programmes; many PALCs develop their own learningprogrammes.To sum up then, it was diffi cult to fi nd consensus regarding the ABET documents in use within andacross provincial departments and their respective PALCs. It was also extremely diffi cult to get holdof copies of the documents which offi cials cited as being in use.Documents from private providers who offer the national GETC: ABETA list of private ABET providers was obtained from the IEB, and the managing directors of ten ofthe largest of these were interviewed telephonically about their ABET curriculum-developmentprocesses and documents. It emerged that these providers develop course outlines and overviewsrather than learning programmes. A diffi culty here was that, while the directors of the institutionswere happy to name their documents and describe their processes telephonically, some wantedconfi dentiality regarding what were actually their trade secrets – not confi dentiality of their identity,but confi dentiality with respect to the actual information.As with the public institutions, providers were asked additional questions as it was thought thatthe information might provide important contextual background for the next part of the study.Directors were asked about the numbers of adult learners doing their courses, and the costs ofcourses (a summary of the courses offered by nine large ABET providers registered with the IEBand their curriculum development processes, number of learners and costs, can be accessed onwww.umalusi.org.za/Inspectingthefoundations/Appendix 4. The names of the providers have beenwithheld.)Curricula for enrichment and ad hoc coursesCurricula for what have been described here as enrichment and ad hoc courses were notspecifi cally sought in their own right, but were discovered in the process of looking for GETCdocuments. These curricula were for courses offered at PALCs and by private institutions offeringthe GETC courses (using the IEB as their assessment body). The enrichment courses appear to bedesigned to cover selected unit standards, such as those pertaining to the arts, and potentially tofacilitate individual entrepreneurial activity.It also emerged that there were ad hoc courses developed to meet the needs of large clients suchas private businesses and parastatal institutions, for groups of adult learners in their employ. Thesecourses, also based on unit standards, are specifi cally customized to fi t the needs of the particularclients. Attempts were made to obtain documentation for some of these courses, but few providerswere willing to submit their material.17