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SAIDE has recently completed a project for the LGSETA developing
an ABET communications and numeracy materials specifically tailored
for the Local Government sector. Sheila Drew reports.
Background
Before 1999, the Local Government Training Board did not offer support
for ABET training within the sector. However, most of the bigger
municipalities provided some in-house ABET.
In 2002/3 the responsibility for the implementation of ABET was
vested in municipalities. Although ABET training was planned for
approximately six to eight hours per week in work-time and on work
property, attendance was often erratic as workers had to attend
to essential services during ABET time allocation. Workers were
sometimes transferred which interrupted their progress. Over time
learners began to lose interest in the programme as it took too
long to complete.
Approximately 38 000 employees in the sector are in need of an NQF
1 qualification. Lack of literacy and numeracy hampers employees’
ability to access training opportunities in the workplace and as
such hampers their career-pathing prospects.
In 2006/7 the LGSETA conducted a feasibility study to explore the
possibility of a fast- tracked contextually-relevant ABET programme
for the Local Government sector. As a result of that study the LGSETA
contracted SAIDE to develop the materials for such a programmewith
the aim of addressing the limitations of current ABET provision
in the sector.
Who is the LGSETA FAST TRACK programme aimed at?
The programme is aimed at all Local government sector employees,
ward committee members and traditional leaders who fall within the
ABET band of qualifications. The target group is therefore learners
from across the local government sector and/or learners whose learning
is paid for by LGSETA ABET grants. The programme caters for ABET
level 1 to ABET level 4 learners. It focuses on two learning areas:
English Communications and Numeracy into which Life Orientation
is integrated.
Components of the Programme:
Overall Programme Design
The programme assumes literacy in mother tongue. This means that
learners can read and write (including numbers) in their home language.
If learners are not literate in mother tongue it is recommended
that they first go through a mother tongue literacy and numeracy
programme such as Kha Ri Gude.
Career Matrix
A document detailing possible career and learning pathways for learners
in the Local Government sector will assist the Skills Development
Facilitators involved in the programme to help learners to make
career path decisions.
Training Manual
Before the training programme is rolled out the LGSETA will ensure
that all ABET teachers involved in presenting the programme are
trained. The Training Manual will play an important role in this
training. It is anticipated that training will deal with planning,
teaching and learning theories and techniques, using the training
manual, using the materials, using the supplementary readers, assessment
and personal skills.
The Training Manual gives guidance to the teacher on various aspects
of the programme, including information about the policy context,
theories behind the learning and teaching approach,Recognition of
Prior Learning (RPL) and practical guidance for teaching the programme.
Communications and Numeracy Resources
The Communications and Numeracy materials have been written
assuming lessons of 1 ½ hours per lesson. They cover three
learning hours per week. This means that when the Communications
and Numeracy programmes are running concurrently learners will attend
classes for 1 ½ hours four days per week.
Learner Guides and Facilitator Guides
The materials will be produced as both Learner Guides and as Facilitator
Guides. The materials have been designed so that learners work from
and in one set of manuals, and the facilitators work from a set
of guides which consist of both the learner materials and facilitator
notes.
For more details on the materials and course time-frames
click here.
Supplementary Readers
Six integrated (communication, life skills and numeracy content)
supplementary readers are included in the programme materials. These
are written to levels 3 and 4. The readers are written in a way
that learners can pick them up at any time and read in any order
they choose. They do not have to match to the learning in the ABET
programme, though there are direct and indirect links which the
teacher and the learners can exploit. There is a range of different
genre in the supplementary readers such as extracts from biographies
and autobiographies, poems, diagrams, articles from newspapers,
pictures and even games. These books are given to the learners.
It is important that learners own the books. The main purpose of
the Supplementary Readers is to instil a love of reading!
The materials have all been delivered to the LGSETA and we understand
that the next steps will be for the LGSETA to train the ABET trainers.
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