The document discusses integrating conservation agriculture (CA) into formal education systems. It argues that CA facilitators need knowledge of social learning and how to empower local innovation systems in addition to agronomy. The ideal learning framework incorporates knowledge, practice, and experience on farms rather than distant institutions. It also recommends that CA education and training initiatives obtain official accreditation of their qualifications. Finally, formally integrating CA into national education could mainstream understanding of CA and make it a taken-for-granted capability through "ecolacy" acquired in schools.

1. Integrating Conservation Agriculture (CA)
Into Formal Education Systems
Putter C.A.J, Botha R., Kueneman E., Friedrich
T., Kassam A.,Lange D., Smith H., Mampholo K.
tonie.putter@ca-
academy.net
http://ca.ecoport.org

2. Sub-topics

3. Sub-topics
Common sense attributes of qualifications

4. Sub-topics
Common sense attributes of qualifications
Reality check: what´s happening in education
systems and in the UNESCO – ILO universes

5. Sub-topics
Common sense attributes of qualifications
Reality check: what´s happening in education
systems and in the UNESCO – ILO universes
Ideal attributes of an education and training
framework to integrate CA ecology / sociology

6. Sub-topics
Common sense attributes of qualifications
Reality check: what´s happening in education
systems and in the UNESCO – ILO universes
Ideal attributes of an education and training
framework to integrate CA ecology / sociology
The South African education system and
qualification accreditation universe

7. Sub-topics
Common sense attributes of qualifications
Reality check: what´s happening in education
systems and in the UNESCO – ILO universes
Ideal attributes of an education and training
framework to integrate CA ecology / sociology
The South African education system and
qualification accreditation universe
The Conservation Agriculture Academy´s System

8. Common sense attributes of qualifications
I am a doctor I am a geneticist I am a mechanic

9. I am a doctor I am a geneticist I am a mechanic
Identity is associated with qualified competence

10. I am a doctor I am a geneticist I am a mechanic
Identity is associated with qualified competence
As a client, what are your expectations and assumptions
about these occupations?

11. I am a doctor I am a geneticist I am a mechanic
Identity is associated with qualified competence
As a client, what are your expectations and assumptions
about these occupations?
As a doctor, a geneticist, a mechanic
what are your expectations and assumptions ?

12. I am a doctor I am a geneticist I am a mechanic
Identity is associated with qualified competence
As a client, what are your expectations and assumptions
about these occupations?
As a doctor, a geneticist, a mechanic
what are your expectations and assumptions ?
Accredited Qualification
Accredited Qualification

13. Climate Smart
Conservation Agriculture
Green Prosperity

14. Reality check: what´s happening in education
systems and in the UNESCO – ILO universes
Qualifications Frameworks as a global phenomenon

15. National qualifications frameworks
• New Zealand National NQFs
Qualifications Framework Regulatory/mandatory
• Ethiopia National Tool for national policy implementation
Qualifications Framework Establishing national standards and
regulations
RQFs
 Transnational Qualifications
Framework for the Small Voluntary/inclusive
States of the Commonwealth Tool for translation and assessing
 SADC Regional Qualifications comparability of qualifications–
Framework communication between countries

16. What problems do we want to address with the
NCQF?
• Career ‘dead ends’
• Out-of-date irrelevant qualifications
• Inconsistent assessment standards
• Low public confidence in qualifications
• No means of recognising qualifications from other
countries
• Some Botswana qualifications are not recognised in
Botswana
• Lack of international recognition of Botswana qualifications
• No framework of reference for curriculum development
and credit transfer
• Qualification system is too complex and people don’t
understand how it works

17. EQF Ethiopia Botswana SADC ten Example Qualification from General and Higher
Level s Level s Levels level QFs Education
8 9 10 10 PhD
7 8 9 9 Masters degree
6 7 8 8 Graduate Diploma or Certificate
6 7 Bachelor degree
5 5 7 6 Diploma
4 4 6 5
3 3 5 4 Advanced Secondary
2 2 4 3 Senior Secondary
1 1 3 2 Junior Secondary Certificate
- Access 2 Entry 2 1 Primary School Leaving Certificate
- Access 1 Entry 1 - Adult Basic Education

18. Ideal attributes ofparadigm that a swing totraining
It has become a an education and CA requires
a paradigm shift, mind-set changes and new values
framework to integrate CA ecology / sociology

19. It has become a paradigm that a swing to CA requires
a paradigm shift, mind-set changes and new values

20. It has become a paradigm that a swing to CA requires
a paradigm shift, mind-set changes and new values
How?

21. It has become a paradigm that a swing to CA requires
a paradigm shift, mind-set changes and new values
How?
Knowledge (K) Practice (P) Experience (E)

22. It has become a paradigm that a swing to CA requires
a paradigm shift, mind-set changes and new values
How?
Knowledge (K) Practice (P) Experience (E)
Where?

23. It has become a paradigm that a swing to CA requires
a paradigm shift, mind-set changes and new values
How?
Knowledge (K) Practice (P) Experience (E)
Where?
Social
Innovation
System

24. It has become a paradigm that a swing to CA requires
a paradigm shift, mind-set changes and new values
How?
Knowledge (K) Practice (P) Experience (E)
Where?
Social
Innovation
System
“All CA Systems are Social Constructs”
A New Culture of Agriculture

25. It has become a paradigm that a swing to CA requires
a paradigm shift, mind-set changes and new values
How?
Knowledge (K) Practice (P) Experience (E)
Where?
Social
Ecology Innovation Sociology
System
Ecolacy
“All CA Systems are Social Constructs”
A New Culture of Agriculture

26. It has become a paradigm that a swing to CA requires
a paradigm shift, mind-set changes and new values
How?
Knowledge (K) Practice (P) Experience (E)
Where?
Social
Ecology Innovation Sociology
System
Ecolacy
Accredited Qualification
“All CA Systems are Social Constructs”
A New Culture of Agriculture

27. It has become a paradigm that a swing to CA requires
a paradigm shift, mind-set changes and new values
How?
Knowledge (K) Practice (P) Experience (E)
Where?
Social
Ecology Innovation Sociology
CA Ecology System Farmer Field Schools
Ecolacy
Accredited Qualification
“All CA Systems are Social Constructs”
A New Culture of Agriculture

28. The South African education system and qualification accreditation
universe
OFO
Organising Framework for Occupations
The OFO is a skills classification system. Its authority
and purpose is described in the 2008/9 amendment of
the National Skills Development Act (NDA; No. 97 of
1998 as variously amended).

29. OFO
Every occupation in our economy has
a unique name and a numeric serial number.
Conservation Agriculture Systems Manager # 134901.

32. OFO
NQF
National QualificationsFramework
All the qualifications linked to OFO occupations
fall under the jurisdiction of the NQF Act, which is
the legal authority that regulates all qualifications
that are awarded by education and training institutions.

33. OFO
NQF
SAQA
National QualificationsFramework

34. OFO
NQF
SAQA
QCTO
Quality Council: Trades & Occupations
ensuring fit for purpose occupational qualifications
The QCTO is one of the Quality Councils
established under authority of the NQF. The
other two being the HEQC overseeing university
level education & qualification and UMALUSI, which
oversees school level education and qualification.

35. OFO
NQF
SAQA
QCTO
QDP CAA ADP
The QDP‟s role and function is to
design a „model package‟ of
curriculum and open-source
courseware that will be used to
deliver the knowledge- practice- and
experience-focused components of
the learning and qualifying strategy
prescribed by the QCTO.

36. OFO
NQF
SAQA
QCTO
QDP CAA ADP
The ADP‟s role is to develop and
document the specifications and
criteria for the assessment of learner
performance and competence as
required by the SAQA qualification
accreditation process, thereby to
enable the QCTO to confer post-
graduate National Occupational
Awards.

37. OFO
NQF
SAQA
QCTO
QDP CAA ADP
Community of Experts
The QCTO will only engage in the development of a
qualification if the subject is widely endorsed as
important enough to our national
economy to warrant the existence of the new
occupation. In addition, any institution
proposing a new qualification must
have the support of key stakeholders,
assembled as a CoE (Community
of Experts), who will endorse
the enterprise.
Green Communities of Practice

38. Occupational Curriculum 0verall Process map
A Curriculum Scope
C F
B Occupational Profile Learning Process Design Occupational
Qualification
Products/Services Knowledge
- Topics Knowledge topics into subjects
Occupational Task
at each NQF level
Practical Skills
Occupational Subject Specification Knowledge and
- CCFOs
Responsibility - Task skills Disciplinary, Practice, Theory Standard
- Role/job skills Generic
Work Experience
Occupational
Contextual variables
E
Occupational Profile
Context Integrated Final External
Workplace Assessment Specification
Knowledge
Modules per occupational /
developmental task
Products/Services Knowledge Practical Skills Module
Practical Skills
Occupational Task
Specification
Standard
Occupational Given X do Y in order to Z
Practical Skills
Responsibility
Work Experience Work Experience Work Experience
Occupational Module Specification
Context Standard
Workplace Range, Settings,
Knowledge Circumstances, Interfaces
D Curriculum Document

39. Conservation Agriculture System Manager
K P E

41. The Conservation Agriculture Academy´s System

44. Climate Smart
Conservation Agriculture Green Prosperity
So what?
The facilitators required to mainstream CA praxis must know as much about constructivist
learning praxis, communicative action and social learning as they do about CA ecology and
agronomy. They must know how to catalyse and empower innovation systems by working
with, and in, local Communities of Practice and with selected outsiders who understand
that CA systems are, first and foremost, social constructs. Therefore, the learning space
(Conservation Agriculture Ecosystem, CAKE) wherein this competence is acquired and
assessed must be on farms, in response to farmers´ needs and not at distant, academic
institutions.

45. Climate Smart
Conservation Agriculture Green Prosperity
So what?
The facilitators required to mainstream CA praxis must know as much about constructivist
learning praxis, communicative action and social learning as they do about CA ecology and
agronomy. They must know how to catalyse and empower innovation systems by working
with, and in, local Communities of Practice and with selected outsiders who understand
that CA systems are, first and foremost, social constructs. Therefore, the learning space
(Conservation Agriculture Ecosystem, CAKE) wherein this competence is acquired and
assessed must be on farms, in response to farmers´ needs and not at distant, academic
institutions.
The WCCA5 community must take cognizance of global trends in formal education systems
and in particular what other UN agencies such as UNESCO, ILO and others are promoting
and doing. Specifically, WCCA5 should consider a voluntary code of conduct calling on all
education and training initiatives to obtain official and formal accreditation of the
certificates, diplomas and other qualifications that they award.

46. Climate Smart
Conservation Agriculture Green Prosperity
So what?
The facilitators required to mainstream CA praxis must know as much about constructivist
learning praxis, communicative action and social learning as they do about CA ecology and
agronomy. They must know how to catalyse and empower innovation systems by working
with, and in, local Communities of Practice and with selected outsiders who understand
that CA systems are, first and foremost, social constructs. Therefore, the learning space
(Conservation Agriculture Ecosystem, CAKE) wherein this competence is acquired and
assessed must be on farms, in response to farmers´ needs and not at distant, academic
institutions.
The WCCA5 community must take cognizance of global trends in formal education systems
and in particular what other UN agencies such as UNESCO, ILO and others are promoting
and doing. Specifically, WCCA5 should consider a voluntary code of conduct calling on all
education and training initiatives to obtain official and formal accreditation of the
certificates, diplomas and other qualifications that they award.
The WCCA5 community should consider and exploit the fact that an official and formal
process of integrating CA into national education systems is a backdoor into national
agriculture policy, a ´Trojan Horse´ that could, in a few years, make the understanding of
CA a general, internalised capability that is taken for granted and which, therefore, would
not have to be grafted on in post-tertiary corrective training that should have been pre-
empted by ecolacy acquired at school.