SAQA

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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY

REGISTERED UNIT STANDARD THAT HAS PASSED THE END DATE:

Interpret education policy, and apply policy and management principles to own practice

SAQA US ID	UNIT STANDARD TITLE
13629	Interpret education policy, and apply policy and management principles to own practice
ORIGINATOR
SGB Environmental Educators
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY
-
FIELD			SUBFIELD
Field 05 - Education, Training and Development			Adult Learning
ABET BAND	UNIT STANDARD TYPE	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	CREDITS
Undefined	Regular	Level 6	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6	12
REGISTRATION STATUS		REGISTRATION START DATE	REGISTRATION END DATE	SAQA DECISION NUMBER
Passed the End Date - Status was "Reregistered"		2005-11-01	2008-11-01	SAQA 0160/05
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT		LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2009-11-01		2012-11-01

In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise.

This unit standard does not replace any other unit standard and is not replaced by any other unit standard.

PURPOSE OF THE UNIT STANDARD

This unit standard is for people working with a high level of independence with some responsibility for managing environmental education programmes. Work contexts may include environmental education centres, heritage sites, community education projects, environmental health and safety training programmes in industry or environmental projects within government departments or the NGO sector. Although environmental education practitioners often work alone or in small departments within organisations, familiarity with education policy and management principles is essential for effective and efficient functioning.

Education Policy derives from perceived needs for guidelines and procedures, and is strongly context specific. In South Africa the context is shaped by ideology and the need for transformation. Typically policy is developed in broad consultation with role-players, and thus reflects broadly felt needs and expectations. At this level, candidates should demonstrate critical knowledge and understanding of past and current key policy statements, and recognise the historical and political context from which they have developed. Candidates should be able to recognise the practical implications of current policy for their practice.

Candidates at this level should also be familiar with past and current trends in education management theory and practice. Critical engagement with shifting perspectives in management thinking and practice, derived in part from relevant policy statements and the growing body of literature on management, will enable candidates to make sense of their own and others' management practice, and to respond creatively to the need for change. Reflective practice will also enable candidates to contribute to the current debates on management principles and practice from an informed position.

A person credited with this unit standard will be able to:

Review key shifts in education policy development and understand how these influence management practice

Explain how current education policy is influenced by South Africa's education history

Identify and describe key trends and debates in South African education management and consider their relevance and applicability to own practice

Critically analyse organisation life (organisation literacy), and engage in processes that lead to change, self-improvement, renewal and capacity building

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING

The candidate will be required to demonstrate an FETC or RPL equivalent.

Thus unit standard assumes a level of competency roughly equivalent to that described in National Certificate in Project Management: NQF Level 4 (Field 03).

This unit standard assumes that the candidate is a practising environmental educator with some management responsibility, or has access to opportunities for managing programmes and/or projects. In order to make informed decisions about their practice drawing on a knowledge of the history and key debates in the fields of policy development and education management, it is likely that the candidate will have achieved the National Diploma in EETDP (NQF Level 5) or demonstrate the RPL equivalent. Another appropriate qualification would be the Level 5 National Diploma in Human Resources Development (Field 03).

The candidate should ideally work towards this unit standard concurrently with the following Level 6 EETDP unit standards:

Analyse different perspectives on learning and learning processes

Design and review environmental education curricula and programmes

Evaluate a variety of environmental education learning support materials

Manage and evaluate an environmental education project or programme

Improve environmental education through policy development and networking

Demonstrate knowledge of the history, key features and current debates in environmental education

Apply critical and systematic knowledge of environmental ethics to a field of work or study

Review aspects of environmental legislation in a South African context

Critically review socio-economic development issues and processes

Plan and conduct assessment of learning outcomes

UNIT STANDARD RANGE

Key events and debates should focus on local trends in policy evolution, such as the EMPLOYMENT EQUITY ACT NO. 55 of 1998, NO. 27 OF 1996, the NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY ACT of 1996, the White Paper on Education and Training (NOTICE 196 OF 1995), the SAQA and NQF acts, as well as global trends in management and leadership, such as self-management, site-based management, quality management, decentralisation, project management and constructivist leadership, without necessarily going into the finer detail. This should be considered in the context of the candidate's own practice.

Embedded knowledge:

Knowledge of basic management cycle; knowledge of the role of policy in society.

Specific Outcomes and Assessment Criteria:

SPECIFIC OUTCOME 1

Review key shifts in South African education policy development

OUTCOME NOTES

Review key shifts in South African education policy development and recognise implications for management practice.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1

1. The candidate accesses and interprets aspects of significant policy statements, contained in Acts, Bills, White Papers and Regulations.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE

White Paper on Education and Training, National Education Policy Act, SAQA, NQF, Employment Equity Act, Human Resources. Candidates need only interpret aspects which are significant to their practice.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2

2. The candidate identifies key challenges posed by these policy statements.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE

To recognising in broad outline the chief thrusts of policy statements, such as transformational intent, democratisation and the drive for equity.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3

3. The candidate develops appropriate responses to these challenges.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE

Candidates recognise and explain the implications of at least the policy statements mentioned above for their own management practice.

SPECIFIC OUTCOME 2

Explain how current policy is influenced by South Africa's educational history

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1

1. The candidate reviews past education policy.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE

Could include the Eiselen Commission (1951) and the Bantu Education Act (1953), the Homeland Act (1959), and the report of the De Lange Commission (1981).

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2

2. The candidate identifies ideology embedded in past policy.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION NOTES

Embedded knowledge:

Knowledge of ideology and ideological positions.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE

The candidate identifies ideology embedded in past policy.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3

3. The candidate explains how current policy has been shaped by the past.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE

Referring to the policy statements mentioned above (1.1) the candidate explains how at least one of the current policies is a response to the past.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4

4. The candidate recognises and explains ideologies underpinning current policy.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE

At least one of the current policies (mentioned above) is interrogated in terms of its underpinning ideologies.

SPECIFIC OUTCOME 3

Identify and describe key trends and debates in South African education management

OUTCOME NOTES

Identify and describe key trends and debates in South African education management and consider their relevance and applicability to own practice.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1

1. The candidate identifies and becomes familiar with key events in recent education management thinking in South Africa.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE

Should include at least the Report of the Task Team on Education Management Development (1996) and principles and practice of Project Management, as described in the National Certificate in Project Management (NQF Level 4, Field 03).

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2

2. The candidate critically considers the relevance and applicability of management approaches advocated in recent debates for own practice.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE

Should engage with concepts such as self-management, site-based management, community-based management, understanding organisational culture, cultural management and constructivist leadership models, and consider their relevance to own and others' practice.

SPECIFIC OUTCOME 4

Critically analyse organisation life (organisation literacy)

OUTCOME NOTES

Critically analyse organisation life (organisation literacy), and engage in processes that lead to change, self-improvement, renewal and capacity building.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1

1. The candidate analyses own institution/practice in terms of basic operational principles.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE

These should include goals, vision and mission, structures (including finances), organisational culture, team work, reporting procedures and evaluation/monitoring of performance.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2

2. The candidate identifies problem areas or weaknesses, or new challenges and, makes suggestions for improvement.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION NOTES

Embedded knowledge:

Action research approaches; organisational development principles.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE

In a typical action research model, candidates in collaboration with other members identify at least one area within their organisation that need attention, devise practical steps that may be taken to improve the situation, implement what they consider to be the most effective step, and report on its implementation.

UNIT STANDARD ACCREDITATION AND MODERATION OPTIONS

Accreditation and moderation options:

Anyone assessing a learner against this unit standard must be registered as an assessor with the relevant ETQA.

Any institution offering learning that will enable achievement of this unit standard must be accredited as a provider through the relevant ETQA by SAQA.

Moderation of assessment will be overseen by the relevant ETQA according to the moderation guidelines in the relevant qualification and the agreed ETQA procedures.

UNIT STANDARD ESSENTIAL EMBEDDED KNOWLEDGE

The essential embedded knowledge is largely indicated in the assessment criteria.

In brief, a thorough understanding of the generic management process or cycle - planning, implementing, monitoring, leading, evaluating, planning - as well as an understanding of the role and function of policy in society would be regarded as essential embedded knowledge.

Embedded knowledge:

Knowledge of basic management cycle; knowledge of the role of policy in society.

Critical Cross-field Outcomes (CCFO):

UNIT STANDARD CCFO IDENTIFYING

Identify and solve problems by using creative and critical thinking.

UNIT STANDARD CCFO WORKING

Work effectively with others as members of a team, group, organisation and community.

UNIT STANDARD CCFO ORGANISING

Organise and manage themselves and their activities responsibly and effectively.

UNIT STANDARD CCFO COLLECTING

Collect, analyse, organise and critically evaluate information.

UNIT STANDARD CCFO COMMUNICATING

Communicate effectively using visual, symbolic and/or language skills in various modes.

UNIT STANDARD CCFO DEMONSTRATING

Explore education and career opportunities.

UNIT STANDARD CCFO CONTRIBUTING

Participate as a responsible citizens in the life of local, national and global communities.

Understand that the word is a set of related systems.

QUALIFICATIONS UTILISING THIS UNIT STANDARD:

	ID	QUALIFICATION TITLE	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	STATUS	END DATE	PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QA FUNCTIONARY
Fundamental	22903	Bachelor of Environmental Education, Training and Development Practice	Level 6	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6	Passed the End Date - Status was "Reregistered"	2023-06-30	CHE

PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS UNIT STANDARD:

This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here.

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