In South Africa there are three bands of education:

1. General Education and Training: Training provided in primary and secondary schools from Grade R to grade 9. The ABET equivalent is levels 1 to 4.
2. Further Education and Training: Training provided by high schools from Grade 10 to grade 12 and vocational qualifications at NQF levels 2 to 4.
3. Higher Education: Post grade 12 and tertiry education.

ABET levels and their school equivalents are as follows

Adult Education and Training is the foundation towards lifelong learning, and provides learning at ABET levels 1 – 3.

The NQF and their school equivalents are as follows

NQF Level 1	Grade 9 certificate or equivalent (also equates with ABET Level 4)
NQF Level 2	Grade 10 certificate or equivalent
NQF Level 3	Grade 11 certificate or equivalent
NQF Level 4	Grade 12 certificate or equivalent
NQF Level 5	Higher Certificate
NQF Level 6	Diploma
NQF Level 7	Bachelor’s Degree
NQF Level 8	Honours Degree
NQF Level 9	Master’s Degree
NQF Level 10	Doctorate Degree

Statistics

StatsSA in their a recent General Household Survey, noted that while literacy rates were decreasing, results of their nationwide survey indicate a consistently high number. Women were more likely to be functionally illiterate than men (functional literacy refers to individuals who have either received no schooling or who have not completed Grade 7) and the older the population, the higher the illiteracy rate.

Types of ABET

ABET has been called several names with subtly different meanings.

AET: Adult Education and Training. This term is often used interchangeably with that of ABET and is mostly used overseas.

FET: Further Education and Training. Most often used n the context of vocational training. The term used mostly nowadays is TVET

TVET: Technical and Vocational Education and Training. This name took over from that of FET.

CET: Continuing Education and Training. This refers mainly to higher education training.