Abstract
M.Ed. (Tertiary and Adult Education)
The technical teacher often enters the teaching profession via industry. He/she comes to realise that, because he/she is professionally unqualified, the posibilities for the
development of his/her career are extremely limited. since 1986 the College of Education of South Africa has made provision for these teachers by offering a course that enables them to gain admission to a Higher Diploma in Education. The study showed that the adult learner differs from the typical bridging course student. Among other things, the CESA bridging course student differs in respect of age and finality
of vocational choice, and generally has no particular academic needs requiring academic support. The technical teacher as a bridging course student receives no academic support; neither is he/she offered any course to compensate for underachievement or educational deprivation. The connotation in the term bridging course leads to comparisons with traditional bridging courses, and a change of name for the existing course would be advisable. The bridging course covers the acquisition
of additional techical qualifications, thus complying with the reguirements for admission to a Higher Diploma in Education (Technical) . The empirical investigation revealed that these teachers are to a large extent academically under-qualified, almost 74% of them have not been promoted at all, with only 8,2% being granted a single promotion to post level 2. From the research it appears that the bridging course student's course should be adapted in such a way that its completion will enable the teacher to complete both his/her technical and professional qualifications simultaneously. After the successful completion of the course a Teachers Diploma should be awarded.