Master of Law in Child Care and Protection

Purpose

The purpose of the qualification is to enable learners to become more knowledgeable as well as effective socio-legal researchers and to critically engage with the child care and protection socio-legal principles within this broader context ensuring their professional development as legal scholars and/or practitioners. Learners are assisted to engage with the underlying legal theories and to assess the legal principles that ultimately impact the child care and protection environment and society as a whole. An opportunity is provided for learners to obtain detailed socio-legal knowledge into specific child care and protection area, and to critically reflect, analyse and synthesize divergent legal concepts. The purpose is to engage relevant material for use in a national, regional African and international context, thus enabling learners to interpret law and policy in the broader context to effect positive legal change. The aim is to develop various competencies and skills that facilitate life-long learning.

Rationale

There is a high need for well-trained professionals to deal with the high incidences involving children. New knowledge created by trained researchers as professional child care and protection socio-legal practitioners is necessary for the enhancement of the broader legal and social work professions, private and public practice, the judiciary and the court system, government and the legislature, as the legal field is ever-changing and developing within a broader constitutional, national and international context.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

The institution has an approved Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) policy which is applicable with equivalent qualifications for admission into the qualification. RPL will be applied to accommodate applicants who qualify. RPL thus provides alternative access and admission to qualifications, as well as advancement within qualifications. RPL may be applied for access, credits from modules and credits for or towards the qualification.

RPL for access

• Learners who do not meet the minimum entrance requirements or the required qualification that is at the same NQF level as the qualification required for admission may be considered for admission through RPL.
• To be considered for admission in the qualification based on RPL, applicants should provide evidence in the form of a portfolio that demonstrates that they have acquired the relevant knowledge, skills, and competencies through formal, non-formal and/or informal learning to cope with the qualification expectations should they be allowed entrance into the qualification.

RPL for exemption of modules

• Learners may apply for RPL to be exempted from modules that form part of the qualification. For a learner to be exempted from a module, the learner needs to provide sufficient evidence in the form of a portfolio that demonstrates that competency was achieved for the learning outcomes that are equivalent to the learning outcomes of the module.

RPL for credit

• Learners may also apply for RPL for credit for or towards the qualification, in which they must provide evidence in the form of a portfolio that demonstrates prior learning through formal, non-formal and/or informal learning to obtain credits towards the qualification.
• Credit shall be appropriate to the context in which it is awarded and accepted.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is the

• Bachelor of Laws, NQF Level 8.

or

• A relevant qualification in the related field, NQF Level 8.

This qualification consists of the following compulsory and electives modules at National Qualifications Framework Level 9 totaling 192 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, Level 9, 168 Credits

• Role of Professional in proceedings, 24 Credits.
• Children's rights (Local & International), 24 Credits.
• Mini Dissertation, 96 Credits.
• Research Methodology, 24 Credits.

Elective Modules, Level 9, 24 Credits (Select one module)

• Child Care Policy & Legislation, 24 Credits.
• Medico-Legal & Social Aspects of Child Care &, 24 Credits.
• Crime: Children as victims & perpetrators, 24 Credits.

1. Identify, describe, critically evaluate and apply the main concepts and legal principles pertaining to the selected area of legal study within a broader constitutional and international context.
2. Identify issues and solve practical and perceived legal problems through analytical thinking and evaluative techniques.

With regard to the dissertation component, the learner will be able to

1. Demonstrate advanced legal research skills pertaining to national, regional and international child care and protection laws and policy.
2. Apply a critical and evaluative approach to analysing complex socio-legal issues in the field of child care and protection.
3. Analyse complex socio-legal problems relating to child care and protection and motivate the appropriate way of dealing with these problems, with reference to specific legal principles.
4. Critically engage with socio-legal principles specifically within the context of child care and protection, and identify how they should be applied to complex legal problems in a child care and protection context.
5. Undertake independent socio-legal research and write a dissertation that reflects advanced research skills, independent thinking, critical analysis and advanced insight into the selected areas of child care and protection laws.

The following Associated Assessment Criteria will be used in an integrated manner across the Exit Level Outcomes

• Identify issues and solve practical and perceived legal problems through analytical thinking and evaluative techniques.
• Conduct independent research on the relevant area of study using appropriate research methodology and skills.

Dissertation work of learners will be assessed to see whether it meets the module requirements in relation to whether it:

• Focuses to the topic and has a depth of coverage.
• The methodology is appropriate and the argument is logically-structured.
• Meets validity requirements in planning and execution and shows an independent approach.
• Utilises analysis and critical evaluation rather than mere descriptive accounts
• Develops persuasive and coherent arguments and accurately and logically interprets data/evidence.
• Acknowledges sources and provides consistent and detailed citations.
• Utilises an appropriate and sufficiently up-to-date range of sources.
• Is written fluently and grammatically using correct spelling, and makes proper use of paragraphs of approximately 20,000 words, without undue repetition.

Integrated Assessment

Each module will be assessed through an integrated individual written assignment or test, in addition to a range of oral and written, group and individual class assignments in order to give learners the opportunities to demonstrate a variety of competencies. Formative Assessments (tests/assignments and oral presentations) will comprise 40% of the final module mark. A summative assessment in the form of a 3-hour exam will comprise 60% of the final module mark. The dissertation assesses the ability of learners to integrate solutions from different modules to the applicable legal issue. It requires learners to apply their learning in an integrated way to analyse a specific area related to their work context in a work-based assignment and to apply the theoretical frameworks to recommend solutions to identified legal problem areas. The dissertation's final draft will be summatively-assessed by an internal examiner: 50%; and by an external examiner: 50% respectively.