The UMALUSI Forum

I am trying to keep this in plain English. Too many long words make sentences unintelligible.

And we do not just want to address the academics amongst us. I want to specifically also ask advice from people whose first language is not English.

The idea is to establish a consultation forum to find the way forward for quality assurance in the AET and FET sectors. These sectors are united under AVET (adult vocational education and training) and the way forward for AVET should keep in mind other parts of the education & training environment of which there are quite a few.

The steering committee’s function then is to ensure that the forum is accessible to all who have anything to contribute to it. Who would that be?

Who in South Africa has anything worthwhile to say about adult vocational education and training?

Is there anyone we can exclude?

165 delegates responded to UMALUSI’s invitation to attend the first meeting of this forum. Quite a few did not make it. Most of those who were there came from private institutions. Private institutions serve the minority of learners in AVET.

So immediately we have a whopped effect when a steering committee is elected from those present to represent everybody in AVET in SA. I suppose that is not to be helped, but it should be considered. And it must be the task of this steering committee to ensure that the forum is still inclusive.

How then to include all the people we want to hear from?

How to ensure that there is 2-way communication between all stakeholders and that we get away from the top-down approach?

This brings me back to the one thing that is essential in making this forum (and any other forum for that matter) work, and it is approachability. I feel strongly that if this forum is to have any meaning, it must be open to all who have a valuable contribution to make.

Since we are too many and we can not all make it to meetings we need new solutions. Technology has given us that. We can use an Internet Forum.

And there we are with a new problem. Now you don’t just have to speak English, you also have to have access to a computer and an internet connection, and know how to use it!

Can we overcome this?

Of course we can.

But can we do it in time?

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