A review of Agricultural Education and Training in South Africa

Abstract

Agricultural Education and Training is vital for economic development and food self sufficiency, poverty alleviation and environmental protection. This review assesses the Agricultural Education and Training in South Africa focusing on sub-Saharan Africa including factors affecting students and teachers attitude towards their performance and teaching. Literature shows that teaching and research system in agricultural sciences and technology requires emphasis to execute the phases in more coordinated ways. This then will lead to a responsive and coordinated system that recognizes the existing reality and need in the field. Respectively significant role has been played to solve the problem associated with Agricultural Education and Training access barriers by opening new agricultural schools with the incompatible increased dropouts. However, very limited analytical research has been conducted in area of agricultural sciences education in sub-Saharan countries including South Africa. It is recommended that it is essential to identify the existing Agricultural Education and Training problems by considering both teaching and learning processes as well as, the attitude of students and educators towards Agricultural Education and Training in order to produce efficient and capable professionals for the agricultural production and processing systems. Key words: Agricultural educational training, factors affecting performance, sub-Saharan Africa, South Africa.