The University of the Western Cape has pioneered as a leader in the policy development and implementation of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) within South Africa’s higher education landscape. RPL is an integral part of the Admissions Policy at UWC and finds expression in a range of services to support mature students (23 years and older) seeking alternative access into higher education degree programmes at UWC.
“Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is the formal acknowledgement of the knowledge, skills, competence, expertise and capabilities that people possess as a result of prior learning that may have occurred through formal, informal or non-formal.
means, through self-study, work or other life experiences.”
The domain of RPL is aligned to the main elements of the South African national policy discourse since 1994, with a specific focus of achieving transformation; accreditation; lifelong learning; and complying with the National qualifications framework (NQF) of South Africa. The main purpose of RPL is to facilitate access to, mobility across and progression within education, training, and career paths.
Dr Rekha Rambharose is a Learning and Teaching Specialist at the University of the Western Cape. She is the head of the RPL unit and chairs the IAARPL association for RPL practitioners at the University of the Western Cape. She is the principal investigator on the Technology enhanced RPL implementation (TERI) research project which is based on multimodal pedagogy that includes Kolbs experiential learning model, blooms taxonomy, adult learning, transformational and activity-based learning theory, ubuntu and ethics of care. She is proactive in areas that facilitate access to education, RPL policy development and supporting RPL student success. She is also a nanobiotechnology scientist and has a diverse background in biochemistry and nanobiotechnology for the development of drug delivery applications in chemotherapeutics. She has published several research articles, book chapters and registered a UK Patent for her work in nano drug delivery systems. Rekha is an advocate for access to education, equality, and student success. She is currently completing an MPhil in higher Education at the University of Stellenbosch.
Mr Beltus Sirathaza
Mr Beltus Sinethemba Sirathaza serves the RPL Unit as a RPL administrator: Programme coordinator. Within this capacity, he is also an advisor for undergraduate and post-graduate programmes via RPL and CAT routes, and is a mentor for the RPL portfolio development online programme. He believes being an Administrative practitioner within the Higher Education sector allows one to be visionary, collaborative, innovative and this in turn has allowed him to always seek out efficient and realistic ways where he can enable an African child to flourish in academia and life in general. Beltus has worked within the Higher Degrees Administration (HDA) department at North West University, the division of Prospective Students (Student Access) and at the Centre for Collaboration in Africa (SU International) Stellenbosch University. He holds a BTech in Taxation from Cape Peninsula University of Technology.
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