A case study of adult basic education and training programmes in the development of vocational skills in the North-West Province

Abstract

This study discusses the provision of vocational skills in Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) centres in the North West Province (NWP) of South Africa. Currently, South Africa is engulfed with challenges of high unemployment rate, skills shortages and poverty amongst the adult population. The standardisation of the ABET system and the colonialism ideologies ·can be blamed for the current poor state of ABET centres. A qualitative research method was used. The qualitative research design was the best choice because it was concerned with how the research respondents create meaning based on their understanding and experiences about the provision of skills in the ABET centres. Two case studies were used as the methodology to carry the research. Triangulation was used to collect data. Structured interviews, focus group interviews, observations and visuals were utilized to collect detailed data about vocational skills in the ABET centres in the NWP. lnterpretivism research paradigm was used as an epistemological position, to position me in the study. Critical theory was used to frame the study. The use of critical theory enabled me to investigate the different types of skills that were offered in the two ABET centres and the impact they have in the socio economic development of the ABET learners. The use of critical theory in this study enabled me to come up with alternatives of improving the current programmes that are being offered in the ABET centres faced by ABET learners need collective efforts from all the stake holders that are involved in the designing of the ABET curriculum and learning programmes. ABET is dysfunctional and it needs to be urgently overhauled. ABET learners depend on the grants offered by the government. Facilitators are under prepared and unprepared to teach the school subjects that they were currently responsible to teach. ABET centres do not have physical building structures that belong to them, this causes or poses a serious challenge in teaching and learning.