SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY

I imagine this would require trainers, such as Country Trax and the BMW Riders Academy, Rough and Ready, Two Wheels Africa, Max Lange and others to:

1. Submit their course material and test mechanisms to the SAQA for grading and assessment,
2. Pay registration fees,
3. Await accreditation or confirmation that their courses meet certain unit standards, and/or change their training to meet these standards.

Now, this is symptomatic of our education system in general - the curriculum was adjusted and teachers were 'redeployed', training colleges were closed, all in the implementation of great theory while ignoring the reality.  The result is students at university that can barely read and write, and fail maths 101 because they may not use programmable calculators!

If this unit standard is ever implemented, it will make it economically non-viable for the one-man operations (just the admin of accreditation alone would require them to hire someone with the necessary knowledge and you can bet those consultants won't come cheap).

I don't think it affects ordinary off-road riders, only the people providing training.  Even so, you will end up with expensive, accredited trainers, and cheaper non-accredited one-man trainers.  It may become an issue if you need some kind of off-road license/certificate to ride on dirt roads.

To think there are so many much more important things to work on...

You only need SAQA and NQF acreditation if you are going to register your course to get the benefits of tax rebates and employment equity type returns, or if you are presenting the courses yourself and want to attract students from companies that can claim the expenses back.

The idea is to structure courses so that they can lead to a higher qualification.  I think in our case we just want to just improve our skills to be better riders, not prove that we've done a course.

Personally I don't see the point of a certificate for offroad riding, partly because it implies that you've finished something and reached a level.  Not true!  The course gives you the basics to enable you to learn.  It's a starting point not an end point ... a SAQA certified qualification is useless in our case, but a photo of you handling a corner with perfect body position and eyes in the right direction is far more meaningful on your wall.

Ideally you would go on a formal course with someone who is passionate about helping others improve their riding, then practice, practice, practice and do the course over and over and over on your own or with friends.

It is the spin off from the NOW initiative.  Which was a reaction of the 4x4 fraternaty to the threats of the Government to prevent all types of "off road activity in eco sensitive areas".

It took a few years to put the unit standards together, and to get it accredited.  Currently there are two "levels" for 4x4 drivers:

- basic 4x4 skills

- above + recovery techniques

Currently there are a very small number of accredited trainers.  Note that this is not just "driving/riding skills" but also more focused on how to enjoy your vehicle in such a manner as to have minimum impact on the environment.

I will be doing the 4x4 training in two weeks.  If they mention bike related stuff I will let you know.

PS - Worth noting that they are already talking of Atlantis as an "eco sentsitive" area, just a matter of time till you wont be able to get an entry permit without this accreditation.

PPS - As much as this irks me, I have to admit that the way "some people" behave severely damages trails and the environment.  There is a 4x4 trail outside Somerset West which has gone from a 2 to 4 grading in only 18 months, purely due to bad (abusive) driving.  Granted, it remains to be seen how another "licence" (you actually get a licence card once you pass this) will stop hooligans from being hooligans .....  And again the rest suffers due to the indiscretions of a few

PPPS - There IS "recognition of prior learning" for people wanting to get these unit standards.  Thus if you have done BMW training you CAN use this to get the unit standards quicker.

It will effect ALL off road users, vehicles, quads, overlanders and bikes.

I am also doing the course that Padlangs is doing.

Enforcement will be the problem but the necessary "Qualification" will be a pre-requisite if you ride Off Road.

We can jump up and down, cry, complain & criticise but we will all have to do it in due course.

Why does it work for others but not for actual tax-payers?  And Geoff, are you admitting that you might end up doing an offroad bike course

That is how it will work unfortunately Charles.

With this 4x4 thing I will have to go through (again) a days off road driving evaluation (to see if I can handle a 4x4) despite the fact that I was a 4x4 driving instructor in years gone by and have taken more 4x4 Tours than I care to try and remember. Certainly more than 150. I have done 27 West Coast 4x4 Tours alone!!!!!

So yes.....when "NOW" reaches the bikers I will have to be assessed by an appointed person to see if I am able to handle/control a motor cycle in a manner that meets their criteria!

So what and how do we go about getting accreditation? Not to be an instructor but to simply enjoy the pleasures of off road biking?

You can currently do nothing about the "off road biking" side of things Chris but you can do the 4x4 thing via Greg vd Reis. He recently sent stuff out to his Club members.......cost R695 I think!!

Geoff, I don't want to stir, but let's face it: you are going to struggle to meet civilised standards on a bike! (Mr Catch-me-if-you-can...!)

You must ride with the "new" Geoff..........after all the criticism I am reformed and looking to buy a 650!!!!!!

Yes yes Mr Russell, after that comment you owe me a new keyboard seeing as I have just spilled Monster all over mine reading that.

are you suggesting a 650 is a girl's bike and can only go slow??

careful now!

It must be after the Missus gave him hell on the Gifberg trip.....

It would be nice if the insurance companies would offer us a rebate of sorts for every accredited course successfully completed.