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 Diploma: Early Childhood Development: Preschool Phase

SAQA QUAL ID	QUALIFICATION TITLE
15983	National Diploma: Early Childhood Development: Preschool Phase
ORIGINATOR
SGB Early Childhood Development
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY			NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
-			OQSF - Occupational Qualifications Sub-framework
QUALIFICATION TYPE	FIELD		SUBFIELD
National Diploma	Field 05 - Education, Training and Development		Early Childhood Development
ABET BAND	MINIMUM CREDITS	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	QUAL CLASS
Undefined	240	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		2008-10-11

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 is replaced by:

Qual ID	Qualification Title	Pre-2009 NQF Level	NQF Level	Min Credits	Replacement Status
23118	National Diploma: Early Childhood Development	Level 5	Level N/A: Pre-2009 was L5	240	Complete

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION

1. Provide access to a recognised educator qualification at Level 6 for ECD educators who have a Level 4 or Level 5 certificate in ECD, providing a bridge between non-formal and formal learning programmes.

2. To enable learners to plan and implement a learning programme which is based on their knowledge of child development from birth to nine years and which helps children in the preschool phase (2-6 age range) work towards achieving the learning outcomes of the national school curriculum.

3. To improve community-based ECD services for young children by raising the level of ECD teaching competence and/or by providing opportunities for training in support and leadership 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. Learners who have completed the Certificate at Level 5 should be able to participate in a learning programme(s) that provides the 120 credits not included in the Certificate, i.e. the Fundamental learning components and additional Electives. The Diploma is also intended to provide direct access to the Degree at Level 6.

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. Fundamental learning: A minimum of 60 credits at Level 4 or above drawn from the following fields:

Communication Studies and Language (04) 48 credits

Physical, Mathematical, Computer & Life Sciences (10) 12 credits

2. 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

3. Elective learning: The remaining credits (108 maximum) at or above Level 4 in the following categories:

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

36 credits drawn from any field or sub-field, which can be used to strengthen fundamental learning or further develop a particular interest.

Note: The reason for specifying fundamental learning is that the ECD learning programmes cover all learning areas of the national school curriculum in an integrated manner. Therefore, educators require a broad general knowledge to inform their teaching practice.

The following ECD-specific elective unit standards are available for credit towards a Level 5 Diploma 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

Additional elective unit standards need to be developed for this qualification as a priority.

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

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

International comparability

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

Associate degree (2 years) in Early Childhood Education/Child Development in the USA (Level 2 qualification).

No detailed comparison has been undertaken as yet. Outcomes-based standards have apparently been developed by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) in Washington, DC.

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 has been replaced by qualification 23118, which is "National Diploma: Early Childhood Development", Level 5, 240 credits.

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 programme as an elective.

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:

When qualifications are replaced, some of their learning programmes are moved to being recorded against the replacement qualifications. If a learning programme appears to be missing from here, please check the replacement.

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.

NONE