Quality in Adult and Community Education and Training (ACET) in South(ern) Africa

Abstract

Quality, in the simplest sense, means what is fit for purpose. In every organisation or institution, quality is an essential element for the achievement of goals and success. However, during the apartheid era in South Africa there was no quality education for black citizens. The agenda of the colonialist and the apartheid regime was to provide the indigenous people with inferior education so that they would continue to live in servitude. The result of inferior education is huge unemployment among the economically active black citizens of the country. The Adult and Community Education and Training College is an institution set up by the post-apartheid government to equip adults and youths with job skills to reduce unemployment and poverty among the black citizens of the country. ACET courses must be of good quality in order to achieve their mandate. The mandate of the post-school education institution (ACET) is to equip unemployed youth and adults with quality education and training in the form of practical knowledge and skills for job creation. To achieve this objective, quality in programmes and teaching offered by the community colleges is crucial because relevant courses and effective teaching are the elements that can assist the unemployed to acquire job related skills. This chapter adopts Maslow’s theory of motivation, critical pedagogy and the empowerment theory to emphasise the importance of quality in ACET programmes in South(ern) Africa. The chapter is based on the assumption that quality programmes, teaching and learning can assist both the colleges and the adult learners to achieve their goals.