A transdisciplinary mechanical skills curriculum for further education and training colleges in South Africa

English: South Africa has a low school completion rate of 40% (2002 - 2009), resulting from low-quality education as prime concern (Van der Berg et al, 2011: 1, 13). Consequently, this situation signifies a majority of learners being unsuccessful in mainstream education leaving them very little opportunities in "further" education. They (unsuccessful school leavers) have poor further education and employment prospects. Some of the unsuccessful school leavers resort to FET colleges for further education, but the programmes are not designed to address their specific educational needs. FET (mainstream) schools also refer poorly performing learners to FET colleges, oblivious of the high standard of vocational education programmes and associated entry requirements. Despite the fact that mathematics and physical science are compulsory for engineering studies (NC(V) and NATED), schools refer learners performing poorly in these subjects to engineering studies to "learn to work with their hands." However, these programmes are not specifically designed for skills training per se. The educational options unsuccessful school leavers have, do not make provision for their educational situation. They cannot learn effectively and this results in poor performance in mainstream school education and vocational education at FET colleges. Their ability to learn is further hampered by poor language, mathematics and science proficiencies fundamental to learning. South Africa does not have an educational component like the second chance schools in Great Britain and Europe to accommodate these learners. The European Commission initiated second chance schools for out-of-school unemployed (NEET) young people in 1995 and ran 12 pilot projects in 11 countries in Europe and England, from 1997 to 1999 (Chistolini, 2008:219). Greece, inter alia, established 48 second-chance schools across the country and reduced school dropout from 22,4% in 1995 to 15,9% in 2006. The situation of unsuccessful school leavers in South Africa, constituting an annual dropout of 60%, necessitates similar education to provide learners opportunities in further education and to give them hope. South Africa needs to improve learners' ability to learn and develop cognitive and psychomotor ability on a much larger scale than that of European second chance education. Simultaneously, school dropout must also be reduced by improving education on all levels of the system. Both of the mentioned aspects should be attempted by changing educational approach and presentation strategies based on sound psychological learning theories. Unsuccessful school leavers' education (the South African version of second chance education) should focus more on development of learning ability than the European counterpart does. Learners need todevelop capacity and shed their aversion to learning. Knowledge, fundamental to learning should be acquired. Unsuccessful school leavers' education requires an approach that initiates education with activities encouraging participation. Cognitive and psychomotor development, founded in these activities, will be more significant and meaningful to learners than subject-focused information (learning content). The attributes, educational foundation and predisposition of the learners should be taken into consideration in designing education for unsuccessful school leavers. What they bring to the learning opportunities is of paramount importance. Their previous experiences in education will have a major impact on how they will react and reflect on future exposure to educational activities. Replicating their previous experiences is a recipe for further failure. Their education should be based on experiences demonstrating to them their own importance in the processes of achieving the competences required. Strategies containing more encouraging activities that can lure learners into active involvement are indispensible. Classroom sessions, similar to those of their previous experiences of education, should be avoided. The unpropitious educational situation of unsuccessful school leavers can be addressed by providing education that can accommodate their specific educational needs. A curriculum based on transdisciplinary-integrated education with practicum-based presentation strategies will allow versatility that can accommodate differentiated development and qualifications. Transdisciplinaryintegrated education, based on practicum.methodology is inherently structured for skills development across the spectrum of a mechanical skills curriculum. Flexibility is further enhanced by constructivist fundamental learning theory denoting personal knowledge construction from personal perceptions and experiences.