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Two societies: Duality, contradictions…and integration: A progress report on South Africa
Abstract
This paper examines the extent to which the South African Library and Information Science (LIS) agenda maps to the national agenda for the reconstruction and development of the country, which is geared to the elimination of poverty and inequality. The nation has been described as comprising two societies: the one modern and well developed, the other characterised by masses of people living in dire poverty. The mandate of LIS in South Africa includes supporting and stimulating the technological and information development of all communities and providing effective LIS education to meet this goal. The government has embraced the concept of the Information Society, emphasising the link between economic growth and Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and has pointed to the need for information literacy education. We present a critique of the fit between LIS policies and practices (including the curriculum) and the needs of an emerging democracy and its development goals, challenged by the duality of globalisation and marginalisation.
... Post-1994, the LIS profession has been dramatically affected by the restructuring of the South African Higher Education and Training sector because of changes to national policy regarding primary, secondary, and higher education (Ocholla & Bothma, 2007;DAC, 2010). Different institutions offer different entry routes to the LIS profession (Ocholla & Bothma, 2007;Nassimbeni & Underwood, 2007). Institutions such as UNISA, UFH, UP, UWC, and UZ offer an undergraduate qualification at entry level. ...
RPL is defined broadly as the principles and processes through which prior experiences, knowledge, skills, and attitudes acquired outside the formal learning programme are recognised and assessed for purposes of certification, alternative access and admission, and further learning and development (South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) 2013). In this paper, I highlight the importance of an enabling environment in the development and implementation of RPL in library and information science (LIS) in South Africa. The SAQA RPL policy (2002) makes it explicit that "an enabling environment" (p. 18) demonstrating commitment to RPL is essential. It is evident from the document that unless proper policies, structures, and resources are allocated to a credible assessment process, it can easily become an area of contestation and conflict. In my study, I adopted a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods which involved the use of questionnaires and document analysis to collect data. I found that there are islands of good practice in terms of compliance with the legislative framework in implementing RPL in South African LIS schools. I recommend, among other things, that the Department of Higher Education (DHE) together with the Council on Higher Education (CHE) and SAQA conduct regular monitoring and evaluation processes of RPL implementation in LIS schools to encourage compliance with prevailing legislative frameworks. Further, periodic RPL accreditation processes could also be used to great effect to ensure that LIS schools comply, failing which, their accreditation to offer RPL services could be reviewed. This will help create an enabling environment, which is a prerequisite for an effective and credible recognition of the RPL process.
... In most of the cases, first generation immigrants hold their own culture and language and they do not consider themselves British or Swedish, but the second generation contrast with the first generation (Robinson 2005). If a country or a city consists of many immigrants the question of ethnicity, acculturation, and identity crisis come into place (Nassimbeni 2007). The reason of examining London and Malmoe is that they have significant immigrant populations and that their numbers are on the increase. ...
... The ZARI billion funding from Minister PalloJordan has made South African public librarians extremely aware of the "governments' gaze on their reach and operation" (De Jager and Nassimbeni 2007). A KPMG survey of library needs country-wide established that KwaZulu-Natal, the Western Cape and the Free State had done well with their funds and were hence allocated more of the Conditional Grant. ...
This article, the first of two parts, is an update of one which appeared in the IFLA journal in
2007 (Stilwell 2007a). Progress since 2007 is mapped in terms of the fit between the library
and information services available and the national transformation agenda. It reviews
information policy and describes information sources, systems and services in South Africa
as part of the wider national information system. It stops short of describing the situation
pertaining to school libraries, archives, record centres and museums, non-governmental ...
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify and highlight the key constructs of an enabling policy environment and their probable impact on development and implementation of recognition of prior learning (RPL) process in higher education and training in South Africa with reference to library and information science (LIS) field.
Design/methodology/approach
The study adopted quantitative methods, and utilised questionnaires and document analysis to collect data. The study used a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods to collect data from all the ten LIS schools in the South African higher education and training landscape. The questionnaire was used as the main data collection tool to collect quantitative data through a survey research design. In addition, the researcher employed content analysis to analyse qualitative data collected from institutional RPL policy documents.
Findings
The study found that the LIS schools have aligned most of their institutional RPL policies and procedures with South African Qualifications Authority’s national RPL policy (2013). However, in terms of the institutional RPL policy environment, the study found that there was a low level of compliance regarding certain aspects of the policy environment among LIS schools despite their express explicit commitment to the principles of equity of access and redress.
Research limitations/implications
In-depth interviews were not conducted to ascertain the reasons for low level of compliance regarding certain aspects of the RPL policy.
Practical implications
This study is valuable for higher education institutions, policy and governance, government and other stakeholders to assess the level of compliance to legislative and regulatory framework in RPL implementation in higher education and training in South Africa. In addition, the study was important for LIS schools in particular as RPL can be used as a tool to open access and increase participation in learning programmes to counteract low level of student enrolments in this field.
Originality/value
There is very little published concerning compliance to legislative framework RPL implementation in higher education and training. Furthermore, most published work relate to RPL implementation in higher education and training in general. The paper describes compliance to legislative framework to RPL implementation in higher education and training in South Africa with special reference to LIS field.
E-Government has increasingly become an alternative for enabling public governance at various. The situation is especially poignant in developing countries where there are increasing calls to improve governance for improved national development. This study sought to investigate managerial processes in the alignment of e-government within Local Authorities in Kenya. A case study research design underpinned by critical realism assumptions was used. The analysis was grounded on empirical results of the study, and employed theoretical thematic analysis. Under the alienating conditions of social exclusion, the alignment of the e-government artifact espoused strong managerialist orientations of augmenting and reinforcing central governments control over its polity. A consequence of this alignment is a tendency towards technocratic evolution of the public service delivery system in local authorities in Kenya. However, it was also recognised that the form of e-government projects are constantly in flux, and that relying on a single case was therefore a limitation of the study. Categories and Subject Descriptors
A comparison of manpower development and training for library and information services by the Departments of Library and Information Studies (LIS) in Africa is reviewed. The curricula, programmes, accreditation, resources, fieldwork, continuing education, trainees and trainers are explored and surveyed through literature review and also by means of contacts made between the author and the LIS Departments covered. It is noted that many countries plan to develop their domestic LIS education programmes but problems associated with inadequate resources and infrastructure, as well as qualified trainers, still affect the dispensation of modern syllabi. LIS education in the Anglophone countries, including South Africa, has shown significant growth as opposed to that which is found in Francophone and Lucophone Africa. There exist close links between LIS education in Africa and the levels of LIS development in the former metropole (e.g. Britain, France and Portugal) and support is received from these foreign governments for the improvement of library and information services. The trends, issues and problems presented and discussed in this paper are considered by the author to be of value of comparative studies in library and information science. A list of LIS education institutions in Africa is appended.
The first decade of democracy in South Africa has seen in-tensive policy-making in the higher education sector with a view to transforming the teaching and learning practices to be more consistent with a modern democracy on the African continent. In addition to addressing specific problems and gaps caused by the destructive policies of the past, the gov-ernment has sought to ensure that the higher education in-stitutions improve the government's performance with re-spect to global competitiveness. This paper analyses the key policy trends that are likely to impact on academic libraries' efforts to extend their information literacy education pro-grammes. The authors discuss the progress made by librari-ans in establishing partnerships with academics to deliver quality education and so participate in the transformative agenda. These efforts are viewed against the background of global moves towards definitions of graduateness and the establishment of quality assessment management systems for universities. The paper shows how librarians have devel-oped their conceptions of information literacy education and makes the case that they can accelerate the uptake of infor-mation literacy education interventions in the curriculum by more pointed leverage of higher education policy initiatives.
This paper reports on the ftndings of a research investigation into the role of South African public libraries in adult
education]. A questionnaire was distributed to 1295 public libraries for the collection of statistical and qualitative
information in an attempt to build national and provincial proftles of adult education activities. There was a good response
rate of 45.5%. The survey was complemented by site visits to eleven public libraries in order to illuminate the issues
facing libraries in this fteld The results show that most public libraries do not participate at all in any adult education
initiatives: 76.9% do not participate while 23. I% do. A profile of activities is presented. A case study of a single
anonymous library is presented to provide an opportunity to understand the lived experience of the activities from the
perspective of the providers and of the learners. The paper concludes by speculating on the reasons for the low lev'el of
engagement in an area that is theoretically espoused by the library community.
This study examines if public libraries in a province in South Africa are ready to assume an enhanced responsibility for information literacy education, specifically that of students, and, if so, what inhibiting and facilitating factors might exist. The public libraries in the rural province of Mpumalanga provide the case site. "Readiness", at one level, refers to physical capacity and, on a second level, to more subjective attributes such as staff attitudes and beliefs. The paper reports on the first phase of the study - in which both quantitative and qualitative data were gathered by means of a questionnaire/interview survey of 57 public librarians in 46 sites. The study finds that Mpumalanga public libraries are indeed heavily engaged in serving school learners. Shortcomings in certain physical facilities, such as the lack of space and absence of retrieval tools, are inhibiting factors with the heritage of apartheid still impacting on the availability of and quality of service. The low level of professional education of public library staff is found to impede innovation in library program ming. The prevailing information literacy education model largely comprises one-to-one support, although there is a fair amount of source-based group library orientation. Moving towards information literacy education will depend on a shift in conceptions of the educational role of public libraries. In the absence of recognition of their curricular role by public library authorities and educators, many public librarians are not sure that their services to school learners are legitimate. There is, however, dawning recognition that present approaches are not meeting the needs of school learners and that more effective communication with educators is required. This recognition comes from public librarians' frustrating encounters with learners rather than from insight into information literacy education theory and experience. The fundamental conclusion is that sustainable information literacy education in public libraries will depend on more dynamic leadership and on a vision of a new model of public library.
This article identifies five reasons why South African librarianship remains untransformed. These reasons are the result of misunderstandings by librarians about the historical process, social change, political change, professional change and the intellectual roles of librarians. Suggestions for dealing with these misunderstandings are provided.
(Innovation: 2002 25: 27-36)
In South Africa during the 1980s and 1990s socially con-scious librarians took steps to transform librarianship. This inevitably led to the democratisation of library and informa-tion science (LIS) education. This process was inextricably linked to the social, political and economic events in the country as it prepared for its first democratic elections in 1994. From the traditional approach to library and informa-tion work prevalent in the apartheid era emerged an alterna-tive approach. This new approach recognised strong links between libraries and the struggle for democracy and re-jected the idea of librarianship as a neutral activity. Various leading librarians in South Africa began to criticise the pre-vailing model of education for librarianship and to redefine its educational goals and objectives. The need for more ap-propriate training as well as rapid technological changes ne-cessitated curriculum revision. A newly emerging clientele and the appearance of resource centres and community li-braries also called for alternative training for information workers. By 1994, in spite of plans, policy-making and re-cognition of the need for change in the education for librar-ians, problems of fragmentation, a lack of articulation of programmes and little differentiation and specialisation per-sisted in LIS education and training. Although there have been further policy initiatives and gains resulting in legisla-tion in the 1990s, the democratisation process of LIS educa-tion in 2001 is far from complete.
This thesis identified competencies required by the South African, entry-level library and information science graduate. It took into account the development of the information society and resultant proliferation of information and communication technologies and how these developments have given rise to new roles for the library and information worker. This thesis also looked at developments within the South African library and information environment and how these have affected the library and information science profession.
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