ABSTRACT
The South African architectural education system expresses entrenched imperial modes that disregard alternative learning pathways to professional qualification. All schools of architecture are impacted by this system and grapple with issues of curriculum and pedagogic transformation for socio-economic redress. The recognition of prior learning (RPL) – established in 2002 by the South African Qualifications Authority and the most recent national policy on the RPL – was analyzed as a pedagogical strategy for redress. The qualitative study supported by a mixed-methods approach comprised a literature review that critically analyzed the colonial influences on South African architectural education, and semi-structured interviews on a purposive sample of disadvantaged architectural practitioners, augmented by the author’s personal life experiences as a historically disadvantaged architect. The research found that RPL was a pedagogically inclusive system that effectively responded to the socio-economic challenges of marginalized communities. The key contribution of the chapter was the definition of a quality-assured RPL model, developed by the author in 2021.
