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)

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

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.