In addressing the research problem, the researcher is reminded of Ackhoff who, in the 1950s said: “Many scientists owe their greatness not in their skill in solving problems but in their wisdom in choosing them.” He added: “A problem well put is half solved” (1954:14). According to Smit (1983:14), the first step in the demarcation and defining process of a problem is to put forward a complete list of problems. What follows are the main problems that the researcher encountered through the literary studies, through general observations and through the pre-testing questionnaires.
1.8.1 The need for more relevant curricula
The need for more relevant curricula for the training of theologians was tested in 2006 at the annual general meeting of NetACT in Windhoek, Namibia, 1 to 4 August 2006. Results indicated that there was a strong need for restructuring curricula as the current curricula were not at an appropriate level, not contextualised enough and did not contribute effectively to the spiritual development of students. According to some delegates, “a more flexible, problem-solving hermeneutic of theological thinking” was also lacking.
It is clear that there exists a need for curricula to be relevant within the African context. The expectations are also that curricula should lead to the spiritual formation and character formation of the students, but not sacrificing a good academic level in the process.
1.8.2 The need for well-equipped pastors to face challenges
The above remarks and observations are in accordance with findings by the IAPCHE (International Association for the Promotion of Christian Higher Education) that reported generally quite negatively about the plight of higher education in Africa at their conference in Potchefstroom 12 to 16 August, 2000 (Van der Walt 2001: 98, 99). They warn against generalisation, but on the other hand talk about a “near total collapse” at
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universities and institutions of Higher Education in Africa. The following are alarming signals:
(i) Academic mediocrity and declining standards. (ii) Curricula irrelevant to the African situation.
(iii) Poor planning and arbitrary changes in academic programs and policies. (iv) Lack of properly qualified teaching staff.
(v) Lack of textbooks and other teaching materials. (vi) Lack of computer literacy.
(vii) Students left with few models of excellence to emulate.
Van der Walt (2001:99) declares quite harshly about higher education in Africa:
The consequences of this state of affairs are that many African universities have become mere factories, churning out half-baked rote learners, ill-trained and ill- equipped.
The researcher is of the opinion that this is also to a large extent applicable to many theological institutions in sub-Saharan Africa, with the result that many pastors are passing through the theological schools ill-equipped for the challenges of their ministries and unable to make the potential impact towards a mature Christianity in Africa.
1.8.3 The need for a Reformed grounding in curricula
It became clear from the pre-testing questionnaires that the theological grounding and worldview of some of the theological institutions under question are not always entirely Reformed by nature. Theological training on the African continent tends to divide life into a sacred and a secular sphere, rather than following a more holistic, world- transforming reformed approach that can contribute to what Van der Walt (2001:99) calls:
Introverted Christians with a schizophrenic existence between a small ‘sacred’ sphere (personal devotional and church life) and a large ‘secular’ sphere (daily work, politics, economics, education …)
22 1.8.4 The need for designing missional and contextualised curricula
Little has been done to guide designers of the mentioned theological institutions in writing curricula within the framework of a Reformed theology, a sub-Saharan African context and with a missional orientation. Staff members of the different institutions feel ill-equipped to redesign their own curricula. This leads to the uncritical copying of other curricula without contextualising them. It was established that only the Instituto Superior Emanuel Unido (ISEU) in Angola designed their own curricula. All other delegates indicated that they simply took over the curricula from other European-orientated theological institutions. This affects the impact that these institutions could have in their different countries and the lack of their own input prevents them from taking full ownership of their curricula.
1.8.5 The need for academic excellence and accreditation
The acceptance of theological students from Africa at post-graduate level in South Africa has become a problem for the accreditation authorities in South Africa as well as for the different theological institutes in Africa. The major problem is that the universities in South Africa are not always convinced of the adequate academic standards of institutions in the rest of Africa. Academic excellence, then in particular at NetACT institutions, needs urgent attention.
Until recently, the majority of the institutions affiliated with NetACT had no acceptance at NQF level 7 with the University of Stellenbosch. At other universities in South Africa, there exists even less flexibility and everyone is referred to pass the qualification requirements of SAQA (The South Africa Qualification Association). At the annual meeting of NetACT in 2006, this was identified as a major problem (Minutes of the AGM, NB154).
Only one of the ten theological institutions of NetACT under survey has accreditation with ACTEA (the Accrediting Council for Theological Education in Africa), namely the Justo Mwale Theological University College (JMTUC) in Zambia. The Board of NetACT, together with many other credible and established institutions, has identified ACTEA as a trustworthy accreditation authority and is encouraging all its members to apply for accreditation. The need for accreditation was also highlighted in NetACT’s decision at
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the annual meeting in Windhoek, Namibia, to appoint a delegation to start with negotiations between ACTEA, HEQC (Higher Education Qualifying Council of South Africa) and NetACT concerning “a unified strategy for the accreditation of theological institutions” (Decision NB154.4b). Amendable are the successful applications of HEFSIBA ICHE (2004) and NETS (Namibia Evangelical Theological Seminary (2010)), to get official recognition as institutes of Higher Education at their respective national Education Departments in Mozambique and Namibia.
It can be deduced from the above that the majority of the institutions under discussion do not comply with the standards of ACTEA, especially in relation with their educational programs and quality assurance systems where assessment and self-evaluation should play a pivotal role.