The implementation of the National Certificate Vocation Programme at Tswane North FET College

Abstract

A curriculum change process was implemented at the further education and training colleges in South Africa as a result of the new Further Education and Training Colleges (FECT) Act of 2006. Through the FECT Act of 2006, the new National Certificate Vocation programme replaced the Nated Report 190 programme. This curriculum change process occurred in an absence of a relevant qualifications' programme suitable for lecturers at further education and training colleges in South Africa. The FET colleges have different types of lecturers such as those who possess professional educational qualifications but lack workplace experience, those with practical workplace experience but lack professional teaching qualifications, and those who have passed the N6 qualifications at the former technical colleges but do not possess professional and workplace teaching experiences. The new National Certificate Vocation programme required FET college lecturers to acquire both theoretical and workplace experience in order to be able to teach at the FET college sector in South Africa. Most FET college lecturers were found wanting during the implementation of the new National Certificate Vocation programme as they lacked the relevant qualifications for the sector. The implementation of the new National Certificate Vocation programme occurred in an absence of skills audit for lecturers in the FET college sector to align their job requirements with the demands of the new NCV programme. This resulted in poor performance in classroom teaching that has been shown through poor learner output within the FET college sector in South Africa. A research project was undertaken using a qualitative research methodology through a single exploratory case study design where an interview schedule was developed to conduct interviews with ten lecturers at the Pretoria campus of the Tshwane North FET college and a Further Education and Training Expert. The themes that emerged during data analysis as identified by respondents which are attributed to poor implementation of the new NCV programme were: selection and recruitment, commitment and motivation, favouritism in the training of FET college lecturers, continuing professional IV development, curriculum change, learner enrolment, and administrative workload. Recommendations were made to address all the implementation problems identified by lecturers at the Pretoria campus of the Tshwane North FET College.