The developmental challenges embedded in the conversion of colleges of education into community colleges : a case study of Lehurutshe and Tlhabane colleges : a research essay

Abstract

M.Ed.The Teacher Education Audit identified and revealed the over production of educators into the schools, from colleges of education. This simply extended the queues of unemployed qualified educators (Strategic Planning Committee : Lehurutshe Colleges of Education, 1996). This would render some teacher education programmes redundant, and the available resources there would be under-utilised. In an endeavour to address the situation of redundancy, the Teacher Education Division of the Department of Education in the North West Province called upon colleges of education to introduce projects that would ensure that the available resources are optimally utilised. Such socio-economic projects could be offered by educational institutions of the same nature as the community colleges in the United States of America. Besides community colleges having come into being for the sustenance of colleges of education, their existence was also necessitated by the socioeconomic inadequacies and inequalities related to the apartheid education system. The current post-secondary educational institutions excluded millions of South Africans through high tuition and accommodation fees, and selective admissions. I conducted a research on the challenges that accompany the conversion of colleges of education into community colleges. The scope of the study was restricted to Lehurutshe and Tlhabane Colleges of Education. This is in view of the fact that the data collection was intended for the presentation of a research essay and not a fully-fledged dissertation. Time constraints also contributed to the restriction. I used a general interview approach whereby I listed issues or questions around which the interviews would revolve. This approach was intended to allow the respondents to express their perspectives in their own words and within the natural setting. At Tlhabane College, I interviewed the Rector informally as she had no other time in the foreseeable future to offer me for a tape-recorded interview. I had previously missed an appointment she gave me due to circumstances beyond my control. I managed to conduct a taperecorded interview with the Vice-Rector in his office. At Lehurutshe College, I informally interviewed the Head of Education-with-Production as that was the only time she could accommodate me. The interview took place in her office. The Head of Technical Subjects' Division accommodated me at his home on the campus for a tape-recorded interview and I recorded his responses. With regard to the informal interviews at both colleges, I relied on note-taking for the collection and recording of data from the respondents. Upon the analysis and interpretation of data collected from the interviewees at the two colleges, a number of findings emerged. According to the respondents, the idea of a community college has been rejected on the basis of a number of misconceptions and realities. The introduction of this form of institution is seen to be the lowering of the standards and status of education. The community college model is also seen to have been rushed into the South African education scene. College of Education lecturers and community members do not as yet know what the community college idea is all about. Lecturers are not sure of their future as they are not skilled and have not been empowered to handle community college courses. As the learner population dwindles with the conversion of colleges of education into community colleges, many lecturers are bound to be moved out. These lecturers are anxious about where they are going to be redeployed to. In addition to the human constraints, the respondents have also brought forward problems relating to physical resources. Physical resources such as laboratories, training centres and workshops are found to have a limited capacity for the community college programs. Limited governmental support and monitoring have also been noted. It is imperative that all stakeholders be well-informed, consulted and wellorientated with regard to any educational innovations such as community college development if such innovations are to succeed. The government must also provide guiding policies and principles, as well as material and fiscal support