Conceptualising the redesign of the office administration and management curriculum at a polytechnic in Lesotho

Abstract

The Higher Education Sub-sector in Lesotho is governed by the Lesotho Higher Education Act 2004 which provides for the regulation of higher education; the establishment, composition and functions of Council for Higher Education (CHE); the governance and funding of higher education public institutions; registration of higher education private institutions; and for quality assurance. The importance of Technical Vocational education is to prepare workers for skilled positions in the workplace through a public system of pre-employment; on-the-job training; skills-upgrading; and worker-retraining programs. In order for career and technical education to meet its obligations to society, to the education community, to business and industry, and to its student-clients, identification of employability and workplace skills must be transmitted to students. Polytechnic A is classified as an institution of higher learning in Lesotho. Therefore, it has to provide programmes that meet the requirements set by the Council of Higher Education (CHE). The purpose of this study was to determine to what extends the curriculum of the Office Administration and Management Programme (OAMP) at Polytechnic A in Lesotho was conceptualized from a theoretical and a practical perspective to address the needs of the local, regional and international demands. The research methodology that the researcher used was qualitative research. Semi-structured interviews and the analysis of documents were used to collect data from the lecturers who are curriculum developers; the alumni of the programme, and the Ministry of Public Service which represents the employment sector. The research findings indicated that there is a need for curriculum improvement of the programme of Office Administration and Management Programme (OAMP) with emphasis on technological education, and professionalism of learners when they enter the realm of work. The labour market needs must be considered when a new curriculum is developed. The improvement should also include the qualification of the programme from diploma to degree level.