Masters Degrees (Education Studies)

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A policy study of the Growth Employment and Redistribution (GEAR) with respect to social development and Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET)
(2002) Mathe, Khulekani.; Aitchison, John Jacques William.
This study analyses the Growth Employment and Redistribution (GEAR) strategy with respect to social development, and adult basic education and training (ABET). Since its adoption as official economic policy, replacing the RDP policy in June 1996, the GEAR strategy has been a subject of much debate, and blamed for all social and economic ills, including job losses and high unemployment, poverty, problems in the education, health and welfare system, as well as poor delivery of social services. Motivated by these debates, the author set out to investigate how GEAR provides / does not provide for social development and ABET, both areas of interest to the author. This study investigates this question based only on a review of literature. While the GEAR strategy makes policy proposals in various aspects of the economy, and sets an economic growth target of 6% per annum by the year 2000, and the creation of 400 000 jobs per annum during the same period (all of which were not met), evidence shows no policy provisions in the GEAR strategy with respect to social development, and ABET. In fact, ABET is not mentioned at all in the GEAR strategy. However, the GEAR strategy makes specific mention of the Human Resources Development Strategy, as a vehicle for addressing education and training problems, thereby improving the skills base of the country. The Human Resources Development Strategy and the National Skills Development Strategy sponsored by the DoE and DoL respectively, all seem to be sound policies. There is however growing evidence that South Africa has developed sound policies which it fails to implement because of lack of capacity and financial resources partly due to the government's acceptance of the neoliberal agenda. This appears to be particularly true with respect to social development and ABET targets in the Human Resources Development and the National Skills Development strategies. This study concludes that the GEAR strategy is based on neoliberal assumptions of stimulating foreign investment, export-led economic growth, global trade and global competition, underpinned by the conception that the state must play a minimal role in the economy and is therefore not appropriate for the social development challenges (especially illiteracy) facing South Africa. If progress is to be made in addressing these challenges in South Africa, an alternative to the GEAR strategy must be found .
Umgeni Water ABE: a case study on the implementation of an adult basic education programme within a workplace environment : 1989-1996.
(1996) Frost, Sally Joy.; Aitchison, John Jacques William.
The water authority Umgeni Water, has run an adult basic education (ABE) programme from 1989-1996. During 1989 and 1990 Stephen Camp initiated an ad hoc pilot programme for 42 learners using Operation Upgrade. His successor, Rosemary Ward, co-ordinated a planned in-house pilot during 1991 and 1992 which reached 50 learners. She was followed by Kim Weyer, who launched a company wide initiative with the aid of the ABE consultants, BESA, and implemented an ABE policy, forum and data base. Finally from 1994, Sally Frost consolidated a programme catering for 342 learners and run by five full time ABE facilitators. It was aimed at those of the 578 unskilled workers at Umgeni Water who were illiterate. Materials used were increasingly in-house and learners were entered for the external Independent Examinations Board examinations. Evaluation of the programme in 1996 revealed that learning was occurring, though at a much slower and more individually erratic rate than predicted. Overall the programme was considered successful. From a case study of Umngeni water experience a generic model for ABE programme implementation has been developed, applicable to many workplace environment. In the case of Umgeni Water, implementation vision was grounded in educational/social responsibility, productivity and public relations motives. Company funding enabled implementation. Guiding principles for programme implementation included the acquisition of securely employed, high calibre staff / leadership, a directed, demand driven approach, an ABE policy, and ongoing stakeholder involvement and management support. Umgeni Water's production environment was catered for, learner needs were met, sufficient budget provided, and the programme evaluated. Implementation ingredients interacted with one another and often occurred simultaneously. Independent influences affected smooth programme implementation at Umgeni Water. Positive influences included the existence of a demand for English within the organisation and the perception of external pressure to provide. Negative internal influences centred around production demands. The impact of Umgeni Water's big business environment, and of its interaction with internal ABE stakeholders and the external ABE world, were ambiguous. These contextual dynamics were either accounted for, accommodated or harnessed. One can conclude that given the correct enabling factors, ABE can be successfully implemented within a workplace environment. If certain guiding principles are followed, and independent contextual influences accounted for, programme goals and targets for functional literacy can be achieved.
What difference does adult basic education make? An analysis of self reported differences between a group of adults who have participated in adult basic education programmes and a group who have not.
(2001) Land, Sandra Jane.; Aitchison, John Jacques William.
In this study a group of adults who have participated in ABE programmes as learners for two to three years is compared with a group matched for employment position and scores on literacy screening tests who have had no involvement with ABE programmes. The study inquires into peoples' work situation, including their perceptions of future prospects at their place of employment, and the degree and nature of their job satisfaction, peoples' community involvement, including awareness of current issues, the extent to which they feel they can influence what happens to them, and the extent of their engagement with community issues, and peoples' personal situations, including how they use the reading and writing skills they have developed, their involvement with their children's schooling, the sources of information they rely on, their money management, their record keeping and their degree of confidence in using technical means of communication. The study also investigates people's attitudes towards adult basic education classes, and for those who have participated in them, their own perception of changes effected, gains and sacrifices made, and whether the effort has been, for them personally, worthwhile. Differences and similarities between the groups in the areas of their work situation, their educational experience and attitudes towards education and in literacy-related practices are analysed statistically and discussed. All comparisons between the groups are explored and discussed in the contexts of the learners' own lives and experiences as described by them.

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Browsing Masters Degrees (Education Studies) by Author "Aitchison, John Jacques William."