NQF Principles is a set of principles and guidelines by which records of learner achievement are registered to enable national recognition of acquired skills and knowledge, thereby ensuring an integrated system that encourages life-long learning.
The objectives of the NQF are to:
- to apply a single integrated national framework for learning achievements,
- facilitate access to, and mobility and progression within, education, training and career paths,
- enhance the quality of education and training, and
- accelerate the redress of past unfair discrimination in education, training and employment opportunities.
These objectives are designed to contribute to the full personal development of each learner and the social and economic development of the nation at large.
Some qualifications are made of unit standards while others are based on modules. There are qualification rules for each qualification that specify the combination of unit standards and/or modules and their credits.
Qualification rules
There are different credit values for the 3 different components (fundamental, core and elective).
Fundamental component:
There are unit standards to the value of 25 credits in the fundamental component. All the fundamental unit standards are compulsory.
Core component:
Unit standards to the value of 91 credits have been included in this component. All the unit standards in the core component are compulsory.
Elective component:
The learner must choose elective unit standards totalling 22 credits from this component related to the business/ computer/ information technology field in which they operate.
The NQF is a single integrated system which comprises of 3 co-ordinated qualifications sub-frameworks, including the:
- General and Further Education and Training Sub-Framework (GFETQSF),
- Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework (HEQSF), and
- Occupational Qualifications Sub-Framework (OQSF).
The sub-frameworks have qualifications registered at the following NQF levels:
- GFETQSF – levels 1 to 4;
- HEQSF – levels 5 to 10;
- OQSF – levels 1 to 6. For NQF levels 7 and 8 the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations can motivate for a qualification only in collaboration with a recognised professional body and the Council on Higher Education, in a process co-ordinated by SAQA.