Adult School Education: Propelling South Africa into the World Market

When South Africa implemented the National Qualifying Framework, it sent a powerful message to the nation’s workers, and it sent an equally strong message to the world community. Making a significant commitment to a program of adult school education, South Africa honored its workers’ long-standing demand to receive the skills and tools which support workplace advancement. The nation also told it friends and rivals among the modern industrialized nations it intended to claim its rightful place among the world’s elite. Creating a comprehensive, progressive system of adult school education, South Africa began preparing its workforce for competition in the twenty-first century global marketplace. As adult school education has helped disadvantaged students up the academic ladder it simultaneously has propelled their progress up the corporate ladder. As more alumni of adult school education claim their places among South Africa’s business leaders they power the nation’s emergence among the world’s economic leaders.