Delegates from a number of national educational institutions that offer rescue training for emergency medical service personnel recently gathered at CPUT for the annual inter institutional rescue week.

This annual meet was started by the Department of Emergency Medical Sciences (EMS) at CPUT in 2012 with the aim of getting other institutions that offer rescue training to engage on standardising and benchmarking rescue as a specialist field within emergency medical care.

The first day of the four-day event consisted of an academic workshop where delegates discussed the future academic landscape of rescue qualification.

Marianne Bester and Frederika de Graaff from CPUT’s Fundani department provided vital information on the academic design of new qualifications and the RPL policy.

The delegates used the remaining days of rescue week to engage in cave, mountain and industrial types of rescue simulated scenarios at variety of locations around Cape Town.

According to EMS lecturers Justice Bosman and Ryan Matthews the event was regarded as a success as the objectives around the current needs and future direction within rescue were met as was the objective to introduce new teaching methodologies, showcase new equipment and techniques from different institutions offering rescue in non- or formal training.

“It also provides other institutions with  access to training sites, scenarios and possible contexts, which may not be always available due to their own geographical constraints, where they may develop or obtain some opportunity to test and practice their skills and systems,” says Bosman.

Matthews said next year’s event would be held at the Durban University of Technology.

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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The Maritime Studies Department successfully hosted the Erasmus + Marine Education and Training (MET) hybrid symposium at Granger Bay Campus recently.

The event's purpose was to disseminate the project, The European Commission’s 2020 Erasmus+ programme guide, which defines dissemination as “a planned process of providing information on results and initiatives to key actors”. CPUT’s work package was to ensure this was done.

Senior maritime instructor and manager at Survival Centre, Samantha Montes, who facilitated the event, said the symposium was held to share the results of the work packages. “Long-term project vision offers unique personal and professional development, mobility and partnership opportunities for staff and students between the six institutions. The project objectives align maritime education and curriculum standards to enable and facilitate student and staff exchange.

“Increase the pool of globally competitive and highly marketable seafarers, efficient and high-quality training geared for the 21st century (in time and economy),” said Montes.

The project had three main focus areas, namely:

• Curriculum evaluation
• Pedagogical processes
• Facilities and resources

The research results into the above focus areas were shared with industry stakeholders and other interested parties at the event. The seminar allowed introductions from the six universities in the Euro-ZA: Capacity Building in the Field of Maritime Education, which included CPUT, Durban University of Technology, Hochschule Wismar University of Applied Sciences Technology Business and Design, Germany, Nelson Mandela University, South Africa, Satakunta University of Applied Sciences in Finland.

The programme culminated with two open round table discussions facilitated by Colleen Jacka, managing editor of Maritime Review Africa.

The topics of the first-round table discussion were ‘project challenges and how they were overcome, lessons learnt and how they will be applied, and how each university benefits from the project’. The second round table discussion topic was ‘What does the industry (as potential employers) want to see from academic graduates?

“We often throw around the concept of collaboration in the maritime sector, but three local tertiary institutions have truly embodied the concept over the last few years working with three international maritime training institutions to put the student first and create world-class training centred around the needs of the student and industry,”  enthused Jacka.

Montes, who heads up the CPUT team, acknowledged the hard work of the previous CPUT Erasmus + team members, Prof Edward Snyders, Douglas Dyers, Vanisha Harry, Dr Derek Lambert, and Captain Natasha Fowkes.

Reflecting on the project, Montes said: “The project has contributed to improving the quality of higher education and enhancing its relevance for student employability.” She said the programme has contributed to the level of competencies and skills of students through the transfer of best practices in curriculum evaluation, pedagogical processes, facilities and resources. 

Montes said the funding received assisted in increasing the capacities of South African partners to modernise their higher education systems to benefit the students with the minimum required technology for the training of seafarers in the form of upgraded simulators and computer equipment.

Written by Aphiwe Boyce

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With the aim to promote and enhance Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) articulation to higher education, CPUT recently hosted an Unfurling Post School Education and Training (UPSET): Western Cape (WC) Articulation Hub first meeting.

UPSET is an initiative funded by the Department of Higher Education and Training, led by the Durban University of Technology (DUT) and supported by the South African Qualifications Authority. It strengthens articulation, learning-and-work pathways in the South African Post School Education and Training sector through provincial and regional articulation hubs.

The meeting, held at the Bellville campus, was attended by Dr Mhangarai Muswaba and Hester Carolisson from the College of Cape Town, and Rulaine Cunningham from Northlink College. Representatives from the Faculty of Applied Sciences were Prof Muhammed Nakhooda, Dr Andre Spies and Andrew Rand. Dr Bronwyn Swartz represented the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment and Denise Lakay represented the Faculty of Informatics and Design. Frederika De Graaff attended as the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) coordinator in Fundani CHED. Professor Darren Lortan represented DUT and the UPSET project.

The UPSET project addresses critical questions about students' learning pathways from studying in TVET colleges to University of Technologies (UoTs). The access pathways from TVET colleges into the UoTs are meant to facilitate university study for students in the TVETs. Upon completion of their TVET studies, these students currently do not have an articulated pathway into the university, impacting their ability to acquire high-level education and training needed for industry-skilled jobs. The access pathway into UoTs study is intended to facilitate the acquisition of such high-level industry demand-side skills.

Head of Curriculum Development Unit at Fundani Centre for Higher Education Development (CHED), Dr Najwa Norodien-Fataar, who is also the WC Regional Hub leader, says the successful meeting attracted key TVET college stakeholders who are willing to engage in developing Higher Certificates articulating from the TVET college to CPUT. Initial discussions on the proposed Higher Certificate in Science and Engineering at CPUT, led by Nakhooda and Swartz, focused on the main components of the higher certificate curriculum. They emphasised that the higher certificates would provide the minimum knowledge required to succeed in a range of undergraduate science and engineering qualifications in South Africa.

TVET college representatives highlighted the significance of collaboration and partnership between TVET colleges and CPUT. They raised questions about the meaning of articulation from a TVET college perspective.

Director: Fundani CHED, Dr Xena Cupido, said: “We are very excited to be part of the UPSET project. When we received the invitation to be part of this initiative, it really opened up the opportunity for us to explore how we could look at articulation and connect to TVET colleges…"

Prof Darren Lortan from DUT emphasised the need for higher certificates to be multifaceted. Lortan stressed the importance of NSFAS funding for articulation from Higher Certificates to Diplomas. He highlighted two main gaps in current articulation routes:

• Students who do not possess the correct subjects required for a qualification.
• Students who wish to articulate vertically from TVETs colleges without the RPL route.

Norodien-Fataar says: "The UPSET project will benefit CPUT by ensuring alternate access to students, particularly students from previously disadvantaged backgrounds. Access to university study from TVET colleges will ensure collaboration across the two post-school sectors."

She said the TVET colleges would benefit from the agreement in the MOU and enhanced articulation into higher education studies. "Expanding access from TVET colleges to CPUT will improve the quality of education and increases the diversity of provision in the post-school sector," adds Norodien-Fataar, who also facilitated the discussions in the meeting.

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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The Unfurling Post School Education and Training (UPSET) project, established through a memorandum of agreement between CPUT and Durban University of Technology (DUT) in May last year, has garnered attention as a pioneering initiative in the South African post-school education and training sector (PSET).

The project is funded by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) and supported by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). Head of the Curriculum Development Unit at Fundani Centre for Higher Education Development (CHED), Dr Najwa Norodien-Fataar, says UPSET aims to promote and strengthen Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) articulation to higher education and learning-and-work pathways.

“The primary objective of the UPSET project is to address the critical issue of students' learning pathways from TVET colleges to University of Technologies (UoTs). It seeks to establish accessible pathways that facilitate students' transition from TVET colleges to UoTs, enabling them to acquire the necessary high-level education and training for industry-skilled jobs,” says Norodien-Fataar. She adds that this initiative is particularly crucial considering the demand for industry-relevant skills and the need to bridge the gap between TVET education and university-level studies.

Within the UPSET project, CPUT assumes the leadership role of the Western Cape Regional Hub, with other universities and TVET colleges joining as partner institutions. Norodien-Fataar, who leads the Western Cape Hub and spearheads the project's implementation, recently, participated in the annual UPSET Community of Practice (COP) meeting and national stakeholder hybrid workshop, where regional hub leaders convened to discuss articulation implementation plans.

She also engaged with various faculties at CPUT to garner support for developing jointly developed Higher Certificates between TVET colleges and the university. The Faculty of Applied Sciences and the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment (FEBE), represented by Prof Muhammad Nakhooda and Dr Bronwyn Swartz, will discuss developing a Higher Certificate in Science and Engineering, jointly offered with TVET colleges. The Faculty of Informatics and Design (FID), under the leadership of the Dean, Prof Tembisa Ngqondi, are also discussing creating a higher certificate which combines three departments, Design, Information Technology and Media Studies, and jointly offered with TVET colleges.

Furthermore, a meeting was scheduled for TVET principals and CPUT lecturers to engage in dialogue and discussions to develop plans for higher certificates to ensure seamless articulation between TVET colleges in the Western Cape and CPUT.

Norodien-Fataar says the UPSET project is built upon the groundwork laid by SAQA and DUT, who undertook a comprehensive research project spanning five years from April 2015 to March 2020. The project aimed to understand the factors facilitating students' transition between TVETs, Higher Education and workplaces. “It includes in-depth case studies and the development of a National Articulation Baseline Survey, which examined existing articulation initiatives across the country. One of the notable success stories highlighted in the research was CPUT's Higher Certificate in Information Communication Technology (ICT), which served as an exemplary model of successful articulation between TVETs and UoTs. The study revealed that expanded access from TVETs to UoTs not only enhances education quality but also diversifies the provision of educational opportunities. However, challenges remain, Norodien-Fataar says such as the need for comprehensive data tracking students' performance articulating between TVET colleges and UoTs, particularly compared to those transitioning from high school.

She adds that the UPSET project promotes TVET articulation and strengthens learning pathways between TVET colleges and UoTs, holding immense potential for transforming the South African post-school education and training sector. “By bridging the gap between vocational training and higher education, UPSET aims to create a skilled workforce that meets the demands of the industry and empowers students with the tools they need to succeed in their careers. As the project progresses and stakeholders collaborate, it is anticipated that UPSET will become a catalyst for education reform in South Africa's higher education landscape.”

Written by CPUT News
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CPUT proudly opened its doors recently for the Global Institute for Teacher Education and Society (GITES) Annual Symposium of Teaching for Social Justice.

The theme of the symposium, held at the Cape Town Hotel School, Granger Bay Campus. was: Examining and envisioning education in South Africa from current inequalities to future equities – addressing social justice and inclusivity in pursuit of a ‘good society’.

Prof Zayd Waghid, Acting Director: GITES, CPUT, delivered the opening remarks and outlined the role of GITES. Waghid said the GITES Annual Symposium on Teaching for Social Justice was started in 2023. “The symposium aims to provide a platform for experts in the field of social justice education to engage in discourse around the need to transform society through pragmatic and innovative ways at the micro, meso and macro levels. The symposium aims to create an awareness of the need to disrupt comfort levels of t prevalent in various education contexts.”

He added that the symposium focuses on bringing students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, in-service teachers and government officials, by creating spaces for meaningful dialogue by bringing theory and rigorous research to practice and policy.

Keynote speakers included: Prof Jonathan Jansen from Stellenbosch University; Prof Thaddeus Metz, from the University of Pretoria, and Dr Savo Heleta, from Durban University of Technology.

In his presentation, Jansen gave reasons “why professors of education should not teach future teachers”. “We have not taught in schools for decades. We norm our teaching on middle-class school standards. We frontload teacher education with theory and literature, he continued.

“Because of these factors we are far removed from the routines of management and teaching in working-class schools.”

Heleta delivered his presentation on Eurocentric education under coloniality and neoliberalism: How to envision socially just and decolonised education in South Africa? He said decolonisation was not even a footnote. “Most university leaders, academia, and policymakers weren’t bothered with the coloniality of knowledge and colonial and apartheid-era curriculum that continued long after 1994. Epistemic decolonisation became a buzzword in South African higher education in 2015-2016, primarily due to student activism under the #RhodesMustFall and #FeesMustFall banners.”

Metz, a Research Professor of Philosophy, made a presentation on Being Excluded from Knowledge for Its Own Sake: An Underappreciated Injustice.

Reflecting on the event, Dr Yohana William said the topic that Jansen presented was important at the current juncture where South Africa, as many other developing countries, “is still battling with redressing the current inequalities in education for future equities and pursuit of a good society as the symposium theme suggests”.

William said the education system is not neutral. “It is a tool or an instrument that reproduces and exacerbates the existing inequalities and classes through both the existing pedagogies and political/hegemonic decisions characterising the schooling process (what is and what is not).”

Meanwhile, Dr Andrew Wambua said Jansen stated that love and connection matter more than correct teaching. And that consistency in school management is key. He said according to Metz, if qualified people cannot access higher education, then that is injustice. “Education should reach masses and should not be offered just for the sake of it.” He added that Heleta urged the attendees to decolonise “our curriculum and thinking”. “Education remains deeply segregated. Societal inequalities are often on display at and between universities. There is a need for critical pedagogy and decoloniality to resist neoliberalism, coloniality, and Eurocentric hegemony.”

In his take-ways, Dr Adedayo Theodorio said Heleta pointed out that multilayered injustices are happening across the globe and that the injustices in many ways influence higher education. “Challenges such as the absence of justice, oppression, and dissociations in South Africa’s society remain a sickening root cause of inequality in the society and higher education.”

Theodorio said the Department of Higher Education and Training should consider decolonisation fully instead of neoliberal visions. “SA universities could consider collaborating with local universities in SA instead of entirely collaborating with foreign universities.”

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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