Competency based education and training in technical education problems and perspectives

Abstract

The article presents a discussion of the challenges faced by the Technical Entrepreneurial Vocational Education and Training (TEVET) system in Malawi as it attempts to provide quality technical education. The study involved 40 instructors, 8 principals, 3 TEVET center managers, the TEVETA1 head of Training, and the Directorate from the Ministry of Education Science and Technology. The findings show lack of clarity on and differences between the objective of Competence Based Education and Training (CBET) as viewed by TEVETA and that viewed by training providers instructors and students. Furthermore findings show that CBET widens the already existing disconnection being what the student achieves at the end of technical education and the employer’s expectation. This paper argues that TEVETA should prioritise the desired purpose of broadening access and implementation of CBET, address training providers and learners attitude towards new approaches, and empower training providers with necessary resources and human capacity to effectively achieve the quality technical education and CBET envisioned by the TEVET of the system.   Key words: Access, equity, quality, CBET, quantity, competence.