The role of management in the in-service training of adult learners in agricultural institutions

Abstract

Agriculture is one of the most important economic activities, with significant contribution to food security, job creation and gross domestic product (GDP) in many countries. Due to the historical inequalities in the distribution of farming land, agriculture in South Africa has been divided into commercial agriculture and subsistence agriculture. The end result are inequalities in the distribution of land, skills and wealth, with the majority of South Africans living in poverty, being illiterate and with no skills. The newly elected democratic Government has since 1994 attempted to address these inequalities. Among the programmes introduced to skill farmers was the launch of the Agricultural Education and Training (AET) Strategy. The aim of AET was to improve Agricultural production through quality agricultural education and training, and thereby addressing the needs of the country’s economy. Adult in-service training was introduced at agricultural institutions. It is now mandatory for the management of agricultural institutions providing in-service training to skill their workers. Yet there is still no clear understanding of how the farmers, managers and supervisors benefit or do not benefit from their employees’ in-service training. This lack of information has been of concern to the farm managers, training providers, sponsors and other stakeholders. Apart from frequent discussions, little has so far been written on the subject. In particular, there is little known about the role of management of the adult in-service training at the agricultural institutions. The aim of this research was to explore the role of the management of in-service training of adult learners at an agricultural institution with the objective of providing the needed information. The qualitative research approach, using grounded theory, was employed because of its suitability to the study. Information was collected from the participants using both in-depth open-ended questions and focus groups interviews. The data analysis was achieved by using the ATLAS ti. The aim was to provide an in-depth understanding of people’s experiences in the agricultural industry, especially at the two sampled agricultural institutions, both situated in Gauteng. vi The lack of evaluation of the Adult in-service training project was found to be the main reason why there is still no clear understanding of how the farmers, managers and supervisors benefit or do not benefit from their employees’ in-service training. The problem of lack of evaluation was related to the level of literacy of the adult in-service learners, who preferred practical training to theoretical training. At the same time, the farm managers, training providers, sponsors and other stakeholders are anxious to know the training progress results. The knowledge of training progress is also needed for the implementation of improvements or financial sponsorship. This research therefore recommends, among others, that evaluations be carried out among the adult in-service learners in such a manner that both the adult learners and the other stakeholders are satisfied. It is, therefore, essential that the role of management of the Adult in-service training agricultural institutions be well defined, so as to fulfil the purpose of these in-service institutions of skilling the trainees to be productive agricultural farmers for the benefit of agricultural production in South Africa.

Temothuo ke nngwe ya ditirwana tsa botlhokwa tota tsa ikonomi, tse di nang le seabe se segolo mo netefatsong ya lotseno lwa dijo, go tlhola ditiro mmogo le go Palogotlhe ya Dikumo tsa Naga (GDP), mo dinageng di le dintsi. Ka ntlha ya hisitori ya go sa lekalekane mo kabong ya lefatshe la temo, temothuo mono Aforikaborwa e ne ya aroganngwa ka mapahata a le mabedi, e bong temothuo e e totileng kgwebo le e e totileng go iphedisa fela. Kwa bofelong re feleditse ka go sa lekalekaneng ga kabo ya lefatshe, bokgoni le khumo, fao bontsi jwa Maaforikaborwa ba tshelelang mo khumanegong, ba sa rutega e bile ba se na bokgoni. Puso ya demokerasi e e tlhophilweng sešwa, e sa le e leka go mekamekana le go sa lekalekaneng go, go simolola ka 1994. Gareng ga mananeo a a itsisitsweng go neela balemi bokgoni, ke kgakolo ya Leano la Thuto le Thupelelo malebana le Temothuo (AET). Maikaelelo ka AET e ne e le go tokafatsa kumo ya Temothuo ka mosele wa thuto le thupelelo ya boleng, ka jalo go mekamekanwe le ditlhokwa tsa ikonomi ya naga. Go itsisitswe thupelelotirong ya bagolo kwa ditheong tsa temothuo. Gajaana, bolaodi jwa ditheo tsa temothuo bo gapelediwa go neela thupelelotirong gore badiri ba ditheo tse, ba nne le bokgoni. Le gale, ga go ise go tlhaloganyege sentle gore balemerui, balaodi le batlhokomedi ba ungwa go le kae, kgotsa ga ba ungwe jang, malebana le thupelelotirong ya bathapiwa ba bona. Tlhokego e ya tshedimosetso, e tshwentse balaodi ba dipolase, bakatisi, baetleetsi mmogo le banaleseabe. Ga go a kwala go le gontsi malebana le setlhogo se, go fitlha gajaana. Go feta fa, ga go itsiwe seabe sa bolaodi malebana le thupelelotirong ya bagolo mo ditheong tsa temothuo. Maikaelelo a tlhotlhomisi e e ne e le go leba seabe sa bolaodi mo thupelelotirong ya baithuti ba bagolo kwa ditheong tsa temothuo, ka maikaelelo a go neela thsedimosetso e e tlhokegang. Molebo wa patlisiso wa diteng o dirisitswe ka ntlha ya bomaleba jwa ona mo tlhotlhomising e. Go kokoantswe tshedimosetso go tswa go batsaakarolo, go dirisiwa dipotso tse di tseneletseng mmogo le tse di sa tsenelelang jalo, le dipotsolotso tsa ditlhopha tse di totilweng. Kanaanelo ya datha e fitlheletswe ka go dirisa ATLAS ti. viii Maikaelelo e ne e le go neela tlhaloganyo e e tseneletseng ya maitemogelo a batho mo industering ya temothuo, bogolosegolo ditheo tse di supilweng tsa temothuo, bobedi jwa tsona bo le mo Gauteng. Lebakalegolo la gore go bo go se na tlhaloganyo e e edileng ya gore balemerui, balaodi le batlhokomedi ba ungwa jang kgotsa ga ba ungwe jang malebana le thupelelotirong ya badiredi, ga le ise le tlhake. Matsapa a go tlhoka tekanyetso a tsalana le maemo a borutegi a baithuti ba bagolo ba thupelelotirong, ba ba neng ba eletsa thupelelotirong ya tiragatso e seng ya tiro. Ka nako yona e balaodi ba dipolasa, batlamedi ba thupelelo, baetleetsi mmogo le banaleseabe, ba fela pelo go itse dipholo tsa thupelelo. Kitso ya tsamao ya thupelelo e bile e tlhokega malebana le tiragatso ya tlhabololo mmogo le ketletso ya tsa matlhole. Tlhotlhomisi e, ka jalo, gareng gat se dingwe e tshikhinya gore, gareng gat se dingwe, tlhotlhwafatso e dirwe mo baithuting ba bagolo ba thupelelotirong ka tsela e e tlaa kgotsofatsang baithuti ba bagolo mmogo le ba na le seabe. Ka jalo go botlhokwa gore seabe sa ditheo tsa bolaodi jwa katiso ya bodiredi jwa temothuo jwa Bagolo, se lebiwe sentle, gore se kgotsofatse maikaelelo a ditheo tse tsa katisotirong ya ditheo tse, e maikaelelo a yona e leng go nonotsha bakatisiwa go nna balemirui ba ba tlhololo go ungwa temothuo mo Aforikaborwa.

Ezolimo zingomunye wemisebenzi yezomnotho ebaluleke kakhulu, kanti zibambe iqhaza elisemqoka ekutholakaleni kokudla, ukudala amathuba omsebenzi nakusambamkiqizo wezwe (GDP) emazweni amaningi. Ngenxa yomlando wokungalingani ekwabeni umhlaba wezolimo, ezolimo lezi eNingizimu Afrika sezehlukaniswe zaba ngezolimo zokuhwebelana, nezolimo zokungadliwa ekhaya. Umphumela walokhu kube ukungalingani ekwabiweni komhlaba, amakhono, nomnotho, nokuba iningi lezakhamizi zaseNingozimu Afrika liphile ngobumpofu, ukungakwazi ukufunda nokubhala nokungabi namakhono. Uhulumeni omusha wentando yeningi, kusukela ku-1994 ubuzama ukubhekana nalokhu kungalingani. Kwezinye zezinhlelo ezisunguliwe ukuhlomisa abalimi ngamakhono kube ukwethula iNdlela Yokufundisa Nokuqeqesha kwezolimo (Agricultural Education and Training [AET] Strategy). Injongo ye-AET ukwenza ngcono imikhiqizo yeZolimo ngokufundisa nokuqeqesha kwezolimo okusezingeni eliphakeme, ngalokho kubhekanwe nezidingo zezomnotho ezweni. Kwaqalwa ukuba kube nokuqeqeshwa kwabadala okwenzelwa ezikhungweni zezolimo. Sebephoqelekile manje abaphathi bezikhungo zezolimo eziqeqeshela emsebenzini ukuba bahlomise abasebenzi babo ngamakhono adingekayo. Noma kunjalo akukho ukuqonda kahle ukuthi abalimi, izimenenja nababhekile bazuza noma abazuzi kanjani ngokuqeqeshelwa emsebenzini kwabasebenzi babo. Ukungatholakali kolwazi lwalokhu kuyazikhathaza izimenenja zamapulazi, abaqeqeshi, abaxhasi nabanye ababambe iqhaza. Ngaphandle kwezingxoxo ezihlale ziba khona, kuze kube manje kuncane osekubhaliwe ngalesi sihloko. Ikakhulu kuncane okwaziwayo ngeqhaza labaphathi (izimenenja) bokuqeqeshelwa emsebenzini kwabafundi abadala ezikhungweni zezolimo. Inhloso yalolu cwaningo-ke bekungucubungula ngeqhaza labaphathi bezikhungo zokuqeqeshela abafundi abadala emsebenzini ezikhungweni zezolimo, inhloso kungukuba kuhlinzekwe ngolwazi oludingekayo. Lapha bekusetshenziswa indlela yocwaningo egxile emsocweni (qualitative) kusetshenziswa ithiyori ezinzile (grounded) ngoba lokhu kuyezwana nalolu cwaningo. Ulwazi oludingekayo beluqoqwa kwababambe iqhaza kusetshenziswa imibuzo ejulayo x kodwa evulekile, nokuba kubuzanwe namaqembu ebekugxilwe kuwo. Imininingwane etholakele ibihlaziywa ngokusebenzisa i-ATLADS TI. Injongo bekungukuba kutholakale ukuqonda okujulile ngalokho abedlula kukho abantu embonini yezolimo, ikakhulu ezikhungweni zezolimo ezimbili eziqokiwe, zombili eziseGauteng. Ukungenzeki kokuba kuhlolwe izinga lephrojekthi yokuqeshelwa emsebenzini kwabadala kwatholakala kuyikhona okuyisizathu esiphambili sokuba kuze kube manje kungacacile ukuqonda ukuthi ngabe abalimi nezimenenja bayazuza yini noma abazuzi lutho ngalokhu kuqeqeshelwa emsebenzi kwabasebenzi. Inkinga yokungabi bikho kwalokhu kuhlolwa kwezinga kuhambisana nezinga lokwazi ukufunda okubhaliwe nokubhala kwabafundi abadala abaqeqeshelwa emsebenzini, ababethanda kakhulu ukuqeqeshwa kokwenziwayo kunalokho okuyithiyori. Kanti ngaso leso sikhathi izimenenja zepulazi, abaqeqeshi, abaxhasi nabanye ababambe iqhaza kulo msebenzi banexhala ngokwazi imiphumela yokuqhubekela phambili kwalokhu kuqeqesha. Ukwazi ngokuqhubeka kokuqeqesha kuyadingeka futhi ukuze zenziwe ngcono ezinye izinto, noma kuhleleke nokutholakala kwabaxhasa ngezimali. Ngakho-ke lolu cwaningo, ngaphezu kwezinye izincomo, luncoma ukuthi kuhlolwe izinga kubafundi abadala abaqeqeshwayo ngendlela yokuba bagculiseke abafundi abadala nabanye ababambe iqhaza kule phrojekthi. Kubalulekile-ke ukuba uchazwe kucace kahle umsebenzi wabaphathi bezikhungo zezolimo zokuqeqeshela abadala emsebenzini, ukuze kufezeke izinhloso zalezi zikhungo zokuqeqeshela emsebenzini mayelana nokuhlomisa abaqeqeshwayo ngamakhono ukuze bagcine sebengabalimi abakhiqiza okomkhakha wezolimo okuzosiza iNingizimu Afrika yonkana.