Namibia Qualifications Authority in Context Its Role in the Recognition of Experiential Learning….
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Transcript of Namibia Qualifications Authority in Context Its Role in the Recognition of Experiential Learning….
Namibia Qualifications Authorityin Context
-Its Role in the Recognition of Experiential Learning….
Franz E. GertzeDirector
25 June 2007PARISFrance
Knowledge application is the cutting edge in Poverty eradication…
Education and Training in Namibia
• ONE Ministry for Education – multiple M/O/As deliver• Towards Education for All
Access, Equity, Quality, Democracy and LLL• Funding = 25% of National Budget• Aligned to: Vision 2030 and NDP 2, MDGs etc• Strategic plan for improvement and efficiency (ETSIP) • Formal, Non-Formal and In-Formal Provision• Different modes of delivery• Public and Private provision
Education and Training in Namibia
Globalisation • Free movement of goods and services including education
and training and affects decisions that have to be made – re-skilling required
• Education and training responded by:– Differentiation– Privatisation– Consumerism– CBET– Internationalisation– Massification
• Triggered Review of Quality
Education and Training in Namibia
Human Resources Development and Knowledge Management
• Aspiration of Namibia to improve quality of life for her citizens
• Acceleration of economic growth
• Focus on knowledge-based economy
• Knowledge creation and management
Education and Training in Namibia
Historical Perspective– Apartheid and Colonialism
– Inequities to access
– Emphasis on formal education and training– Uneven quality of education and training
Education and Training in Namibia
Expectations by the World of Work
• Demand driven• Competency based outlook• Requires labour market mobility• Developed inertia to re-training of graduates• Flexible and Multi-skilled workforce needed• New approach to education and training warranted
Education and Training in Namibia
Socio-Political and Demographic Dynamics
High levels of Unemployment
Skewed Age distribution
Income disparities
Employment equity and Affirmative Action
Impact of HIV and AIDS
Gender-based selection
Education and Training in Namibia
Resolutions to address these Challenges
• Establishment of the NQA by Act 29 of 1996• Develop and Administer the NQF• Quality Assurance in Education and
Training:Standards SettingAssessment, Audit and Accreditation Recognition of Prior LearningEvaluation of Foreign Qualifications
The NQA mandate
The Objects of the NQA are to:-
a. Set up and administer a NQF;
b. Be a forum for matters pertaining to quals;
c. set up occupational standards for any occupation or position in any career structure
d. Set the curriculum standards required for achieving the occupational standards;
e. Promote the development of, and to analyse benchmarks of acceptable performance norms for any occupation, job or position;
The NQA mandate
f. Accredit persons, institutions and organisation providing education and courses of instruction or training of meeting certain requirements;
g. Evaluate and recognise competencies learnt outside formal education;
h. Establish facilities for the collection and dissemination of information with regard to qualifications;
i. Enquire whether qualifications meet national standards;
j. Advise on matters pertaining to qualifications.
NQA Vision
The Namibia Qualifications Authority strives towards a proud nation with a (NQF) which allows its people to develop to their fullest potential without artificial barriers and validly, reliably, fairly and equitably
recognises peoplesrecognises peoples learning achievements and competencies, no matter how, where or
when such learning achievements and competencies were attained.
• Who needs Recognition in Education and Training, is it
• Learners
• Providers
• Employers
• Governments
• NQA
• Employers
• ………….?
etcOthersNQAEmployersGovernmentsProvidersLearner
The NQF of Namibia
• Increased demand for credentials led to a focus on the quality of qualifications
• Credentialing characterized by proliferation of certificates
• NQA strives to validate such certificates via the National Qualifications Framework (NQF)
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CERTIFICATES
DIPLOMAS
Bachelor Degree
Bachelor Honours
Masters Degree
Doctoral Degree
Professional Bachelor
The NQF of Namibia• NQF
– has ten levels (with level descriptors)– unifying mechanism
• express value of different qualifications• enhance acceptance of qualifications• defines/specifies characteristics of qualification types• makes provision for articulation• express fields of learning• provides for a common currency• facilitate determination of equivalencies
The NQF of Namibia
Make-up of the NQF
The NQF has three distinct types of ‘awards’:1. ‘Portal’ or whole qualifications - components of a qualification are
not separately registered on the NQF
2. Credit-accumulation qualificationsThe components of a qualification are separately registered on the NQF and can be separately awarded. Once specified components have been accumulated, the qualification may be issued.
3. Registered qualification components – unit standardsThe separately registered components that can be used to meet the requirements of credit-accumulation qualifications
Standards and the NQF
An award given through the NQF• (Unit) standards represent an ‘award’, signifying that a
person has been formally assessed and has attained a nationally agreed standard of performance. They are registered on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) to enable national recording of their being attained. People are able to receive national recognition for both their whole qualification and what they specifically did to receive the qualification. Should someone not complete a whole qualification, they will gain recognition for the outcomes of learning and/or work activities that they are able to perform.
Anatomy of Standards
National standards, what are they?
National standards are nationally applied statements of knowledge, skills, attitudes, values and special attributes required and combined through underlying understanding to carry out the roles or sets of tasks in a particular occupation and the criterion to be used to determine the achievement at a specified minimum level of performance.
Anatomy of Standards
What is a standard?“….a measure, devised by
general consent, as a basis for comparison against against which judgements might be made as to the levels of acceptability
Scope for the use of Standards
.
Facilities and Infrastructure
Facilities and Infrastructure
Curriculum DevelopmentCurriculum
Development
Trainer/Teacher Education
Trainer/Teacher Education
Teaching andLearning
Teaching andLearning
AssessmentAssessment
Quality AssuranceQuality Assurance
AccreditationAccreditationRPLRPL
Standards SettingStandards Setting
Anatomy of Standards
Uses of Standards
• Human Resource Interventions• Performance Management Systems (PMS)• Training• Curriculum Development – CBET• Assessment / Moderation• Labour Market Efficiency• Accreditation• Validation
Standards Assessment
Portability
NQFNQFRecognitionArticulation
Unit Standards
Qualification
CapabilitiesSkills
Competencies
Is the recognition of
is the recognition of
Is built up of
Is built up of
NQF and standards
Basis of assessment decisions• standards provide the basis for the design of
assessment activities and the making of assessment decisions. The intended audience are informed assessors – skilled assessors with knowledge, or access to specialist knowledge in the subject area being assessed - and candidates who have completed relevant learning and who wish to self-assess their readiness for formal assessment.
The NQF and Standards
Responsibility of industry or profession• Developing standards is an activity that sits
firmly as a responsibility of the industry or profession that requires national benchmarks for certification. The NQA is able to assist through the provision of technical advice and guidance – but it does not have the subject matter expertise to set national standards on behalf of different sectors.
The NQF and Standards
National standard setting bodies or “steering groups”
• In most cases, the development of standards will be prompted and overseen or managed by a national body recognised by the NQA. As well as management of standard setting processes each national body will ensure that all standards developed for their sphere of responsibility reflect national requirements and remain fit to meet current and future employment trends within the sector.
LEARNERSYouthAdultEmployedSelf employedSeeking employmentRural/UrbanMale/FemaleAble/Disabled
RecognisedQualification
WorkFurther
Learning
SchoolPolytechnicCollege of EdUniversityVTCPrivate institutionCompanyMinistryParastatalCommunityOther nations
Formal and InformalDirected and Self DirectedPresent and PriorCurrently competent
Learning Life-Long
Accreditationapproves coursesand assessments
Reviews
QualityAudits
Approved National Assessment
Arrangements create consistency
Moderation
NQA’s Roles
Issue ofCertificates
Registration ofNQF Qualificationsand Unit Standards
TechnicalAdvice andGuidance
SpecialResearch
Evaluation ofexisting
qualifications
• Power play
• Complexity
• Cost
• Status of Assesors
• High expectations
• Core-slills vs Generic skills
Some Challenges
Who benefits from the NQF
Learners
• Access for everyone to learning
• Learning pathways and opportunities for progression for the previously disadvantaged
• Learners develop to their full potential
• Quality assured learning
• National records of learners achievement*
Who benefits from the NQF
Workers• Learning and development paths to enable and
support life-long learning
Employers• Employees will be qualified to world-class standards• Quality assured company programmes• National records of learners achievement
Who benefits from the NQF
Namibia• Means to transform education and training in
Namibia - advances a culture of lifelong learning and a single NQF
• Provides information for planning for socio-economic development - ensures Namibia a world class learning system, building block in HRD strategy
The Nation• A proud and confident nation able to stay abreast
of change (See the vision statement)
THANK YOU.