Quality Assurance in Education and Training

In South Africa Quality Assurance applies throughout education and training fields.

As per the NQF Act of 2008 each Quality Council (QC) such as the Quality Council of Trades and Occupations (QCTO), Umalusi Council and Council of Higher Education (CHE) each is mandated to develop qualifications and assessment models within their responsible sub-frameworks. Again, each is responsible and accountable to continuously implement quality assurance for its sub-framework.

South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), an authority that is responsible and accountable to register or deregister every qualification of all its sub-framework.  The authority provides guideline criteria on

• Qualification design and development
• Quality assurance

So is every sub-framework have in place the above guidelines criteria. What is at SAQA and the sub-frameworks are not different nor independent rather are aligned from conception through to implementation and review.

SAQA and all its QCs are government arm of oversight on matters of quality assurance in education and training.  They are as well servant agencies to the national labour market in providing trades, occupations, and professional skills and competencies that are industry-demand responsive and competitive.

Implementation of quality assurance from SAQA throughout to QCs is inclusive of stakeholders and partners engagement.  For an example trade/professional bodies, industry associations, education institutions, service providers, assessment bodies be it private and public. The latter entities play critical role in rolling out qualifications and assessment models developed. At this point we see that quality assurance in education and training is at

• Qualification design and development
• Qualification identification and registration
•  delivering Teaching and learning
• Conducting and marking assessments
• Exiting Learner achievement and certification

Take Away

Being in education and training field quality assurance is critical

• For understanding
• Implementation