SAQA

All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.

SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY

REGISTERED QUALIFICATION THAT HAS PASSED THE END DATE:

National Certificate: Early Childhood Development: Preschool Phase

SAQA QUAL ID	QUALIFICATION TITLE
15985	National Certificate: Early Childhood Development: Preschool Phase
ORIGINATOR
SGB Early Childhood Development
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY			NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
ETDP SETA - Education, Training and Development Practices Sector Education and Training Authority			OQSF - Occupational Qualifications Sub-framework
QUALIFICATION TYPE	FIELD		SUBFIELD
National Certificate	Field 05 - Education, Training and Development		Early Childhood Development
ABET BAND	MINIMUM CREDITS	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	QUAL CLASS
Undefined	120	Level 5	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5	Regular-Unit Stds Based
REGISTRATION STATUS		SAQA DECISION NUMBER	REGISTRATION START DATE	REGISTRATION END DATE
Passed the End Date - Status was "Registered"		SAQA 0632/00	2000-10-11	2003-10-11
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT		LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2004-10-11		2007-10-11

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 qualification does not replace any other qualification and is not replaced by any other qualification.

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION

1. Develop ECD educators to provide appropriate education in the reception year and/or leadership in early childhood development services for children aged 2 - 6 years in community-based services.

2. Enable learners to use their knowledge of child growth and development from birth to nine years and of national school curriculum to guide their professional practice in working with young children in the preschool phase (2-6 age range).

3. Provide ECD-specific education and training opportunities for:

educators with a primary teaching certificate or diploma to obtain an ECD certificate, either in the preschool phase or specialising in reception year teaching;

educators with a Level 4 certificate in ECD to further their professional development by providing access to higher education and training qualifications and/or to specialise in aspects of ECD or specific roles.

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING

In order to achieve the exit outcomes of this qualification, learners need the following knowledge, skills, attitudes and values:

the ability to read, write and use written resource material for learning and teaching in at least two South African languages;

the ability to understand fundamental mathematical / numeracy concepts;

the practical ability to plan, implement and evaluate an early childhood development programme according to clearly defined curriculum guidelines, which is based on an understanding of the underlying concepts and processes of learning and development (core competences at level 4).

Recognition of prior learning

The qualification can be achieved as a whole or in part through the recognition of prior learning.

RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING?

EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES

The qualification is based on unit standards with specific outcomes and assessment criteria relating to the following learning components:

1. Core learning: Three compulsory or core unit standards define the exit outcomes in ECD practice providing 72 credits at Level 5 as follows:

Facilitating Active Learning 36 credits

Facilitating Healthy Development 12 credits

Managing the Learning Programme 24 credits

2. Elective learning: The remaining 48 credits can be obtained at Level 4 or above in the following categories:

36 ECD-specific credits related to the chosen area of specialisation;

12 credits drawn from any field or sub-field, which can be used to strengthen fundamental learning or further develop a particular interest.
The following ECD-specific elective unit standards are available for credit towards a Level 5 Certificate in ECD:

Facilitating a Life Skills Learning Programme
in the Reception Year 12 credits, Level 5

Facilitating a Literacy Learning Programme
in the Reception Year 12 credits, Level 5

Facilitating a Numeracy Learning Programme
in the Reception Year 12 credits, Level 5

Managing a Medium-scale ECD Service 18 credits, Level 5

4. Critical outcomes: The unit standards indicate ways in which the critical cross-field outcomes are achieved through the ECD specific outcomes.

ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

Integrated assessment

A range of assessment methods are recommended including workplace observation, written assignments and examinations, portfolios, structured interviews/discussion, self evaluation, peer assessment, and family evaluation for both formative and summative assessment.

In each unit standard guidance on assessment methods is given that is appropriate to the competence that needs to be demonstrated in relation to the specific outcomes.

INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY

The Level 5 ECD qualification is comparable with the following qualification:

Level 3 NCVQ/SCVQ in Child Care and Education qualifications in the UK.

Detailed outcomes-based standards are available permitting direct comparison.

MODERATION OPTIONS

Each unit standard provides more specific guidance regarding moderation of the specific outcomes, but the following general guidelines apply to the qualification:

1. Internal moderation: Training providers offering one or more unit standards towards the achievement of this qualification need to have internal quality assurance mechanisms in place to ensure that:

the learning programme and learner support provided is sufficient to enable learners to achieve the specific outcomes, and

all aspects of the assessment of learners are moderated by a suitably qualified person(s) who is not directly involved in the training provision to establish fair and reliable assessment results.

2. External moderation: Appropriate ETQA structures will facilitate the external moderation of learner achievements.

NOTES

This qualification expired in October 2003, and has not been replaced.

The qualification is relevant to the following ETD sub-fields and other fields:

Schooling sub-field regarding the employment of educators in reception year (Grade R) classes in schools. The proposed qualification includes all seven roles defined by the Norms and Standards of Educators, which are integrated through the phase specialisation with further `subject` specialisation in the reception year learning programmes as electives.

Health Sciences and Social Services (09), which is also concerned with the care and development of young children, and certain components provide for articulation between the two fields. It is generally accepted that the care and education of young children needs to be fully integrated. ECD is located in Field 05 because of its critical role in developing young children as lifelong learners.

UNIT STANDARDS:

	ID	UNIT STANDARD TITLE	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	CREDITS
Core	7399	Facilitating Active Learning	Level 5	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5	36
Core	7397	Facilitating Healthy Development	Level 5	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5	12
Core	7400	Managing the Learning Programme	Level 5	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5	24
Elective	7408	Facilitating a Life Skills Learning Programme in the Reception Year	Level 5	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5	12
Elective	7409	Facilitating a Literacy Learning Programme in the Reception Year	Level 5	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5	12
Elective	7410	Facilitating a Numeracy Learning Programme in the Reception Year	Level 5	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5	12
Elective	7407	Manage a Medium-scale ECD Service	Level 5	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5	18

LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS QUALIFICATION:

NONE

PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS QUALIFICATION:

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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