Abstract
M.Ed.
The Technical Colleges are important links between the community and industry
since it is eminently responsible for the academic training of mid-level manpower, namely artisans and apprentices.
The responsibility of Technical Colleges is to make post-school education available.
This post-school training is offer with a view to the practice of a career and is geared towards any school leaver, who requires practical-orientated career training. Technical Colleges offer training on a continual basis where the differentiated
secondary school system ceases to prepare students to be able to practice a career, trade-or professional skill in commerce and industry. The technical college focuses on career training aimed towards the practice, which is market orientated and set towards job opportunities. With reference to the aforementioned mission of the Technical Colleges, it becomes essential that
theory becomes reconciled with practice in order to apply practice-orientated career training.
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This study is aimed at compiling a syllabus for Fitting and Machining Theory (N 1N3)
at Technical Colleges on a scientific basis, which will comply with the demands
and needs of the community and industry.
The study has been carried out on the ground that a need has been established during an ATC (Association of Technical Colleges (now Committee of Technical College Principals CTCP) seminar for the curriculum development of the subject Fitting and Machining (N1-N3) at Technical Colleges.
The researcher, as chairman of the CTCP sub-subject committee for Fitting and Machining (N1-N3) as well as Tool, Jig and Die Maker's Theory (N2 and N3) undertook this study with the approval and support of the CTCP under the direction of the University of Pretoria. The dissertation was eventually finalised and completed at the Rand Afrikaans University.
A literary study has been undertaken in order to be able to choose a curriculum model based on the opinions of a number of curriculum experts. This should be useful in setting a direction according to which the present Fitting and Machining Theory syllabi (N1-N3) at Technical Colleges can be developed.
The research includes the distribution of scientifically based questionnaire, which were sent to selected respondents, as well as with structured interviews. This was done to pinpoint the similarities between and the differences in the Fitting and Machining syllabus at Technical Colleges and the training schedules in the Metal Industries. The purpose with this information which has been computerised and processed by the Department of Information Management, Section: Research and Training Support, at the University of Pretoria is to compile well-founded syllabi for Fitting and Machining (N1-N3).
It is nonetheless imperative that the curriculum development of Engineering Studies syllabi at Technical Colleges be developed on a regular basis and in co-
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operation with the industry with cognisance of technological development in order to offer career training in the real sense of the word.