The development of a system of non-formal education : implications for the regional services councils in the Republic of South Africa

Abstract

South Africa finds itself on the threshold of new challenges taking place in virtually every :possible sphere of life, i.e. the political, technological, human, social, economic and cultural spheres. The education system is also faced with these changes and cannot be viewed in isolation, rut demands new outlooks by educational planners and educationists. Non-formal education f orns an integral part of the provision of a system of education in' South Africa and is also influenced by these challenges. In order to make reasonable reconnnendations on how the challenges - particularly those of education management - should be approached by education planners and educationists, the following were investigated: * the role of and need for non-formal education in a system of education provision in south Africa so as to detenltlne the need to manage and administrate non-formal education successfully * the institutions which make the biggest contributions to the provision of non-formal education in south Africa, in order to point out where problem areas exist, and the resultant duplication, overlapping and fragmentation of training regional development and the role of regional bodies such as the Regional Development Advisory Conunittees, Regional Development Conunittees of the National Training Board, Training Board for Iocal Government Bodies and Regional services Councils the utilisation of Regional services COUncils to co-ordinate non-formal education at regional and local levels Based on the findings, an educational strategy is proposed to co-ordinate non-formal education on recJional and local levels through Regional Services councils.