Analysing the implementation of the progression policy in Further Education and Training in Mpumalanga Province : a case study of high schools in Mbombela Circuit

Abstract

To increase the number of enrolments in South African universities, there is a need to increase the number of learners that make it to matriculation stage every year. To reach the matriculation stage which is grade 12 is not sufficient, but rather passing the stage and obtaining a pass requirement that qualifies the learners for entrance into the university is needed. This attainment is the dream of every learner and one of the educational goals the Department of Basic Education wants to see being actualised. The introduction of the National Policy Pertaining to the Programme and Promotion Requirements of the NCS, otherwise referred to as the progression policy, in the year 2013 looks set to achieve this goal. The aim of this research was to analyse the implementation of the progression policy in Further Education and Training (FET) in Mpumalanga Province. A literature study was undertaken to unearth what progression policy entails, to gauge the opinions of different stakeholders and importantly to locate where progression policy is being practised around the world apart from South Africa. Qualitative research was used in the form of open-ended questionnaires to collect relevant data in order to determine and analyse the situations surrounding the implementation of progression policy in the selected schools. The study employed a case study research design which is an appropriate research design in qualitative research. The choice of transformative theory was necessary in advancing policy implementation as transformative. An interpretivist paradigm, which takes into consideration the subjective opinion of the participants was employed. A convenience sampling method was applied in which six high schools were selected and seven participants in each school were selected for the purpose of data collection. The principal, three SMT members and three class teachers, were the participants selected from each school Document review was used in the process of data collection and content analysis was deployed in the analysis of data collected. All six schools are under the Mbombela Circuit in Mpumalanga Province. The findings of the study revealed amongst other things that; the progression policy was introduced to assist learners who are struggling and might possibly drop-out of school if no action was taken; the progression policy is seen as the policy that allows learners to progress to the next class even if such learners have not been able to meet the pass requirements; the positive and negative aspects resulting from the implementation of the Progression Policy in the FET; and also that the policy protects learners from repetition and dropping out of school at an early stage. Other findings were the performance of each school in the matriculation examination in 2021, including the progressed learners as depicted in Table 5.5 and Figure 5.5. The study also found that looking at the representation, that there is a link between implementation and the performance of progressed learners. Many teachers are said to be unaware of what is expected of them, and it was noted that school needs to offer support and monitor the progress of support given to progressed learners Recommendations were given to the policy makers, the schools and the teachers on the effective implementation and for perfecting the ongoing practices on implementation. It was concluded that teachers need to be timely informed through effective training programmes, workshops and continuous professional teacher development. Adequate support for teachers was suggested in order to be adequately prepared to assist struggling learners.

Om die aantal inskrywings by Suid-Afrikaanse universiteite te vermeerder, is daar 'n behoefte om die aantal leerders wat deurdring na matriekstadium elke jaar te vermeerder. Om die matriekstadium te bereik, wat graad 12 is, is nie voldoende nie, maar dit is eerder nodig om die stadium te slaag en 'n slaagvereiste te behaal wat die leerders vir toelating tot die universiteit kwalifiseer. Hierdie bereiking is die droom van elke leerder en een van die opvoedkundige doelwitte wat die Departement van Basiese Onderwys wil sien verwesenlik. Die instelling van die Nasionale Beleid met betrekking tot die Program- en Bevorderingsvereistes van die NKV, andersins na verwys as die vorderingsbeleid, in die jaar 2013 lyk na die bereiking van hierdie doelwit. Die doel van hierdie navorsing was om die implementering van die vorderingsbeleid in Verdere Onderwys en Opleiding (VOO) in Mpumalanga Provinsie te ontleed. 'n Literatuurstudie is onderneem om vas te stel wat vorderingsbeleid behels, om die menings van verskillende belanghebbendes te peil en belangrik om vas te stel waar vorderingsbeleid regoor die wêreld toegepas word, afgesien van Suid-Afrika. Kwalitatiewe navorsing is in die vorm van oop vraelyste gebruik om relevante data in te samel ten einde die situasies rondom die implementering van vorderingsbeleid in die geselekteerde skole te bepaal en te ontleed. Die studie het 'n gevallestudie-navorsingsontwerp gebruik wat 'n toepaslike navorsingsontwerp in kwalitatiewe navorsing is. Die keuse van transformatiewe teorie was nodig om beleidsimplementering as transformerend te bevorder. 'n Interpretivistiese paradigma, wat die subjektiewe mening van die deelnemers in ag neem, is gebruik. ’n Gerieflikheidsteekproefmetode is toegepas waarin ses hoërskole gekies is en sewe deelnemers in elke skool vir die doel van data-insameling gekies is. Die skoolhoof, drie SBS-lede en drie klasonderwysers, was die deelnemers wat uit elke skool gekies is. Dokumentoorsig is gebruik in die proses van data-insameling en inhoudontleding is ontplooi in die ontleding van data wat ingesamel is. Al ses skole is onder die Mbombela-kring in Mpumalanga Provinsie. Die bevindinge van die studie het onder andere aan die lig gebring dat; die vorderingsbeleid is ingestel om leerders te help wat sukkel en moontlik die skool kan verlaat indien geen stappe gedoen word nie; die vorderingsbeleid word gesien as die beleid wat leerders toelaat om na die volgende klas te vorder selfs al kon sodanige leerders nie aan die slaagvereistes voldoen nie; die positiewe en negatiewe aspekte wat voortspruit uit die implementering van die Progressiebeleid in die VOO; en ook dat die beleid leerders beskerm teen herhaling en vroegtydig uitsak van skool. Ander bevindings was die prestasie van elke skool in die matrikulasie-eksamen in 2021, insluitend die gevorderde leerders soos uitgebeeld in Tabel 5.5 en Figuur 5.5. Die studie het ook bevind dat as daar na die voorstelling gekyk word, daar 'n verband is tussen implementering en die prestasie van gevorderde leerders. Daar word gesê dat baie onderwysers onbewus is van wat van hulle verwag word, en daar is opgemerk dat skool ondersteuning moet bied en die vordering van ondersteuning aan gevorderde leerders moet monitor. Aanbevelings is aan die beleidmakers, die skole en die onderwysers gegee oor die doeltreffende implementering en om die deurlopende praktyke oor implementering te vervolmaak. Daar is tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat onderwysers betyds ingelig moet word deur doeltreffende opleidingsprogramme, werkswinkels en deurlopende professionele onderwyserontwikkeling. Voldoende ondersteuning vir onderwysers is voorgestel om voldoende voorbereid te wees om sukkelende leerders by te staan.

Ho eketsa palo ea ba ingolisang liunivesithing tsa Afrika Boroa, ho hlokahala hore ho eketsoe palo ea baithuti ba fihlang boemong ba materiki selemo se seng le se seng. Ho fihla mothating oa materiki e leng sehlopha sa 12 ha hoa lekana, empa ho e-na le hoo, ho feta sethaleng le ho fumana tlhokahalo ea ho pasa e etsang hore baithuti ba tsoanelehe bakeng sa ho kena univesithing hoa hlokahala. Phihlello ena ke toro ya moithuti e mong le e mong mme e nngwe ya dipheo tsa thuto tseo Lefapha la Thuto ya Motheo le batlang ho di bona di phethahala. Ho tsebahatsoa ha Leano la Naha le Malebana le Litlhokahalo tsa Lenaneo le Phatlalatso ea NCS, ka tsela e ’ngoe e bitsoang leano la tsoelopele, ka selemo sa 2013 ho bonahala e tla finyella sepheo sena. Maikaelelo a dipatlisiso tseno e ne e le go sekaseka tiragatso ya pholisi ya kgatelopele mo Thutong le Katiso e e Tswelelang (FET) kwa Porofenseng ya Mpumalanga. Ho ile ha etsoa boithuto ba lingoliloeng ho utolla hore na pholisi ea tsoelopele e kenyeletsa eng, ho lekola maikutlo a bankakarolo ba fapaneng le ho fumana moo leano la tsoelopele le ntseng le sebelisoa lefatseng ka bophara ntle le Afrika Boroa. Lipatlisiso tsa boleng bo botle li ile tsa sebelisoa ka mokhoa oa lipotso tse bulehileng ho bokella lintlha tse nepahetseng e le ho fumana le ho sekaseka maemo a amanang le ts'ebetsong ea leano la tsoelo-pele likolong tse khethiloeng. Phuputso e sebelisitse moralo oa phuputso ea mohlala oo e leng moralo o nepahetseng oa lipatlisiso lipatlisisong tsa boleng. Khetho ea khopolo ea phetoho e ne e hlokahala ho ntsetseng pele ts'ebetsong ea maano e le phetoho. Ho ile ha sebelisoa paradigm ea mofetoleli, e nkang maikutlo a ikemetseng a barupeluoa. Ho ile ha sebelisoa mokhoa o bonolo oa ho etsa sampole oo ho oona ho ileng ha khethoa likolo tse phahameng tse tseletseng ’me barupeluoa ba supileng sekolong ka seng ba khethiloe ka morero oa ho bokella lintlha. Mosuoe-hlooho, litho tse tharo tsa SMT le matichere a mararo a litlelase, e ne e le barupeluoa ba khethiloeng sekolong se seng le se seng tlhahlobo ea Tokomane e sebelisitsoeng mothating oa ho bokella lintlha mme tlhahlobo ea litaba e ile ea sebelisoa tlhahlobong ea data e bokelletsoeng. Likolo tse tseletseng kaofela li tlas'a Lebatooa la Mbombela Profinseng ea Mpumalanga. Liphuputso tsa boithuto li senotse hara tse ling hore; leano la tsoelopele le ile la hlahisoa ho thusa baithuti ba sokolang le mohlomong a ka tlohela sekolo haeba ho se na khato e nkuoeng; leano la tsoelopele le bonoa e le leano le lumellang baithuti ho hatela pele ho ea sehlopheng se latelang le haeba baithuti ba joalo ba sa khona ho fihlela litlhoko tsa ho pasa; dintlha tse ntle le tse mpe tse hlahang ho kenngweng tshebetsong ha Leano la Tsoelopele ho FET; le hore leano lena le sireletsa baithuti hore ba se ke ba pheta-pheta le ho tlohela sekolo ba sa le banyenyane. Liphuputso tse ling e bile katleho ea sekolo se seng le se seng litlhahlobong tsa materiki ka 2021, ho kenyeletsoa le baithuti ba tsoetseng pele joalo ka ha ho bonts'itsoe ho Lethathamo la 5.5 le la 5.5. Nyakisiso gape e hweditse gore ge go lebeletswe kemedi, go na le kgokagano magareng ga phethagatso le tiragatso ya barutwana bao ba gatetsego pele. Ho boleloa hore matichere a mangata ha a tsebe hore na ho lebeletsoe eng ho bona, ’me ho ile ha hlokomeloa hore sekolo se lokela ho fana ka tsehetso le ho beha leihlo tsoelo-pele ea tsehetso e fuoang baithuti ba hatelang pele Litlhahiso li ile tsa fuoa baetsi ba melaoana, likolo le matichere mabapi le katleho. ho kenya ts'ebetsong le ho phethahatsa mekhoa e tsoelang pele ea ts'ebetsong. Ho ile ha phethoa ka hore matichere a lokela ho tsebisoa ka nako ka mananeo a koetliso a sebetsang hantle, lithupelo le ntlafatso e tsoelang pele ea matichere. Tsehetso e lekaneng bakeng sa matichere e ile ea hlahisoa molemong oa ho itokisetsa ka ho lekaneng ho thusa baithuti ba sokolang.