Question no: 852
Ms MR Shinn (DA) to ask the Minister of Science and Technology:
(1) Whether any progress has been made with regard to the establishment of the Bachelor of Indigenous Knowledge Systems qualification by 2010. If not, what is the position in this regard, if so, what progress
Reply:
(1) The development of the Bachelor of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (BIKS) qualification started in 2006 and was completed in 2008. The qualification was developed in collaboration with the North West University, University of Limpopo and Venda University.
The South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) guided the Department of Science and Technology and its partners throughout the process of developing the qualification until it was registered with SAQA in November 2008.
It is a four year professional degree with six main streams covering indigenous knowledge development and management, public health and medicine, food technology, socio-ecological studies, law and African technological innovations.
The Department of Science and Technology is in the process of marketing the qualification while at the same time developing Unit Standards for the courses under each stream. The Honours and Masters Qualifications were developed and submitted to SAQA in June 2009 and the outcome will be submitted to the Department of Science and Technology in November 2009.
Plans are underway to use the North West University as a pilot as of 2010. The reason for using the North West University is because the Mafikeng Campus has an established IKS within the Arts Department. Lessons learnt from the pilot in 2010 will be used to implement the qualification in other universities throughout the country from 2011.
Issued by: Department of Science and Technology
25 September 2009
