| Summary: | M.Ed. (Educational Management) === Apprentices in South Africa must attend a technical college for their theory training. A major problem is that technical colleges experience difficulty in attracting suitable people to be appointed as lecturers in their technical departments. The majority of technical lecturers are artisans who are drawn from industry as they are needed to teach trade theory to apprentices. In most cases the young lecturer who teaches technical subjects does not have the necessary professional qualifications. One cannot assume that someone who is suitably qualified in a technical field of study is necessarily capable of successfully passing on his knowledge to the students. , The functions and tasks of the lecturer must be examined. Once these have been defined, one can concentrate on the recruitment of lecturers. The following factors must be considered: admission requirements, evaluation and acknowledgement of qualifications, promotion and conditions of service. It is not only important to recruit the most suitably qualified person but just as important to ensure that this person remains in the teaching profession. The problem is that salaries and benefits are determined by the education department and colleges cannot compete with industry. In most cases the suitable lecturers, as well as those with a few years teaching experience, are offered well-paid jobs with excellent benefits in the industrial sector. The technical lecturer is a member of the college staff. As many lecturers have the required professional qualifications, it is imperative that all lecturers fulfil the requirements set by the teaching profession. This means that most of the newly appointed technical lecturers must be professionally developed. The principal of the college plays a vital role in the professional training and development of the lecturer. He can promote this by adopting the correct managerial attitude and by creating the appropriate college climate. A good evaluation system is also important...
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