SACAP News
the latest from SACAP
The South African Council for the Architectural Profession (SACAP) is
about to unveil an online platform that will launch its Recognition of Prior
Learning (RPL) programme, a key transformation driver of the 4th Term
Council’s plan that aims to realise economic redress within the profession
and the broader Built Environment.
T
By Yashaen Luckan. First Published by BBQ in its April 2017 Edition
he architectural profession has been
plagued by a lack of representivity
albeit some 23 years into democracy.
The general focus of public institutions,
including universities, has been on
recruiting more students from the
historically disadvantaged communities
– a pipeline approach. Given the
historic disparity in schooling, related
to socio-economic challenges faced by
these students, curricula and resources have not
adequately adapted to this reality.
Yashaen Luckan
RPL info launch
It takes a minimum of six years to graduate as
candidate architect while a real consideration of the
socio-economic realities of a changed student body
has not been forthcoming; this has greatly stifled
transformation.
Institutions of higher learning are generally ill
equipped as their resources, infrastructural and
human alike, cannot support students in need in
order to succeed through a long period of study
towards an architectural qualification. The drop-out
rate of black students is of serious concern – one
has to look at a sample study of the demographic
representation among first year students in
comparison to the final year students, which reveals
a bleak picture.
On the other hand, those few students that do
manage to progress, will only qualify as architects
after a minimum period of eight years, including
a candidacy period and board exam. This implies,
that in any event the pipeline approach may realise
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