Department of Higher Education & Training on its 2014 Strategic Plan

Meeting report

Opening Remarks

The Chairperson requested that a moment of silence be observed in memory of Professor Russell Bottman and Professor Francois de Villiers before the commencement of the meeting.

She welcomed the Ministers and Members of the Committee. The aspirations for a cooperative working team were noted in the interest of achieving the common aims of the Committee and the Department

It was reiterated that Parliament maintained oversight over government to ensure accountability. It was further indicated that strategic planning and the Annual Performance Plan (APP) are necessary to understand and consolidate national gains.

Emphasis was placed on understanding that education is key to the development of the country, and this required a shared vision, despite differing political affiliations.

Minister’s Address

Dr Blade Nzimande, Minister of the Department of Higher Education and Training, thanked the Committee and echoed the sentiments of the Chairperson for collaboration, support and cooperation between the Committee and the Department.  He agreed to a system of mutual support between the Department and the Committee, and light-heartedly noted that the support should not be as Nelson Mandela put it: “don’t call me, I’ll call you”.  He also paid tribute to the late Professor Bottman for his work on transformation at the University of Stellenbosch and to the late Professor De Villiers, who was called upon to rebuild the Law faculty of his former university after retirement.

The Minister congratulated Members of the Fifth Parliament on their appointment and congratulated the Deputy Minister, Mr Mduduzi Manana, on his re-appointment.

Minister Nzimande indicated that the broader political issues concerning the Department would be addressed after the presentation by the Director-General of Higher Education and Training, Mr Gwebinkundla Qonde.

He noted the growth of the Department, with an increase of experts in basic education. However, it was indicated that there was an insufficient growth in the post-school sector.  He elaborated on the vision of the Department and said that education and training remain the pillars of the effort to eliminate poverty and reduce inequality.

The core mandate of the Department is all education and training needs for those who have left school before and after Matric, and those who did not attend schools. The common reference to “higher education” could be substituted with the terminology “post-school education.”  The Department is required to respond to key imperatives and challenges, which include the issue of 3.3million people -- according to the 2011 census -- who are not in education, employment or training.  This group accounts for the 15 to 24 years of age category, and is therefore a central group which requires the Department’s focus.  In addition to this, the changes and nature of post-school qualifications and needs are no longer solely academically-oriented. Germany was utilised as an illustration, where 30% of high school graduates to further education, whereas 70% engage in apprenticeships.

The targets envisaged in the White Paper were adopted by Cabinet in November 2013.  Technical and vocational institutions have received 800 000 enrolments for 2014 and the Department projects the enrolments to increase to 1 million in 2015/2016.   The current ratio of university students to students at Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges is 3 to 1. The Department intends to invert the ratio to 1 to 3 by the year 2030.

Challenges

Minister Nzimande indicated that the need to grow to absorb these students and maintain quality is a great challenge.  The transformation and consolidation of adult education centres is a concern for the Department.   Night school is insufficient in addressing the needs of South African adults, and the shortage of skills needs to be addressed.

Last year was the Year of the Artisan, and the Department aims to prioritise this group of individuals through a focused ten-year plan.  The Deputy Minister aims to convince the youth that being an artisan is “cool,” with the key focus areas being the absorption of graduates by industry, especially if workplace experience is required for the completion of their qualification.

There is a need for state-owned companies and government to provide more learnerships and internships to provide the necessary experience for young people who have completed the two years required for their diploma.

The post-school system requires high levels of attrition to be considered viable. The policy on contact institutions and distance learning has been published, but the establishment of contact institutions is an expensive undertaking.

The Department will endeavour to direct efforts to create an enabling environment for an inclusive post-school system, with the success of post-school individuals as its priority.

Minister Nzimande concluded that the Department would like, as soon as practically possible, to sit with the Portfolio Committee for a day to engage on the details and receive critical but constructive feedback.  A performance agreement would be established and a strategic planning session for the five-year plan has been scheduled.

Members of the Department and the Committee were introduced.

The Director General, Mr Qonde, stressed the Department’s emphasis on the provision of quality post-school education and training.  The government had 12 outcomes.  The Department was responsible for outcome number five, which was “the creation of a skilled and capable workforce to support an inclusive growth path.”

Discussion

Prof B Bozzoli (DA) said universities are under-funded, demoralised and overcrowded, and that TVETs are prone to maladministration.  There was a lack of strategic input and budget to address this concern regarding quality.  He queried the Department’s consistency with the White Paper, as the issues of concern had not been remedied before the proposal of expansion, as indicated in the document.  The differentiation between the different types of universities had been weakly implemented and he queried whether the Department envisaged changing the current funding formula for a more tangible effect.

Mr N Khubisa (NFP) enquired about the progress of the Department since 2010 with regard to improving the quality of accommodation, and overcoming the shortage of accommodation.  The long queues during registration exposed students to various dangers, and he queried how this could be avoided through preparation.  He was pleased with the Department’s efforts to increase teacher education colleges. However, he queried how they would be accredited to provide tangible and quality qualifications.

Ms J Kilian (COPE) said that limited resources was a challenge, and pointed out that international success for the economy was not guaranteed solely by universities, but also by vocational centres.  A university was perceived as the standard of a quality education and qualification, and she enquired how this perception would be addressed by the Department.   She said there was a need for the Committee and the Department to make artisanship “sexy”.  Some institutions were able to accommodate various shortfalls better than others, but the misalignment of study years posed a challenge to these institutions.  How would this concern be addressed by the Department?  She asked if the Department had developed the proposed system to seek out post-school youth, or if the system was still in the process of being developed.  How would the dual-system, based on the German precedent system, operate?

Mr M Tshishonga (AGANG) posited that perhaps education alone is insufficient and that student require a change in mind-set.

Mr Tshishonga (AGANG) noted the work of Edward de Bono, and suggested that people should be taught how to think through the provision of a subject of this nature.

Mr M Mbatha (EFF) enquired as to the nature and reason for delays in the release of Further Education and Training (FET) certificates at some institutions.  He queried whether political provisions should not be implemented with regard to the waiving of registration fees for underprivileged students.

Mr C Kekana (ANC) noted that South Africa would be liberated upon the successful implementation of all the programmes proposed by the Department.  He enquired as to the applicability of community colleges to old men with practical experience, and if it would be possible for courses to be taught in indigenous languages. He suggested that the success in Germany may be attributed to people being taught in their mother-tongue.

Commenting on Mr Tshishonga’s suggestion that students be “taught how to think”, he said there was a large number of thinkers, and more “doers” were required.

The Chairperson asked how long the Deputy Director-Generals (DDGs) had been in “acting positions,” and what had been done by the Department to fill these posts.

Mr Qonde responded to Prof Bozzoli by indicating that the Department had spent R2.8 billion on infrastructure for a variety of programmes, including teaching, engineering and medicine.  R1.6 billion had been allocated for accommodation and R1.2 billion had been allocated to formerly historically disadvantaged universities.  Funding for the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) had been increased from R3.1 million in 2001, to R9.1 million, which indicated a concerted effort by the government at various levels.

The programme of career guidance and advocacy of the country placed importance on artisan and technical skills.  According to Mr Qonde, this was changing the perception of society greatly and enrolment had increased to 80 000 this year as a result of the concerted effort and systemic responses.

The Department acknowledged the backlogs regarding the consolidation of results which had occurred in 2007, and had since then addressed the issue.

Mr Qonde responded to the concern raised by Mr Khubisa by saying that the role of Department in reducing the length of queues following the incident at the University of Johannesburg had been the “Apply Now” campaign, which had been launched to raise awareness.  The campaign targeted Grade 10-12 learners to plan their career paths so they could submit their applications on time.  In 2013, long queues had been reduced and no stampedes related to late applications had taken place.  A central application system would be implemented in the near future.  There was a need to elevate the campaign.

Minister Nzimande noted that Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) should open offices in Further Education and Training (FET) colleges to link graduates with workplaces.

In response to Prof Bozzoli, he said the Department has chosen to expand whilst addressing quality, and indicated that the Department had a comprehensive turn-around strategy.  Differentiation affected many institutions and teacher training was the responsibility of the university.   A teacher training site was being opened as a campus at the new University of Mpumalanga.

He said that Ms Kilian was correct, and that there was a need to raise black participation in university education, especially in scarce skills areas.

He responded to the concern raised by Mr Mbatha regarding underprivileged students being required to pay registration fees, by indicating that registration fees were no longer a requirement at institutions where the National Student Financial Aid Scheme had been implemented.

He supported the recommendation of teaching African languages, which required the training of teachers and developing the languages.

The Department would soon be starting with interviews for posts, and making appointments. The Minister asked to be held accountable for completing the interview and appointment process.

Mr Kekana noted that 10% of university graduates were not employed. The Department should emphasise technical colleges, and people from rural areas with no accreditation should be accepted.

Mr Khubisa enquired about the Department’s expansion plans for colleges.

The Chairperson asked about the Department’s progress in implementing the 2013 budget recommendations.  Was the increase in VET enrolment matched with funding? 

Minister Nzimande responded to Mr Kekana by indicating that unaccredited colleges were not held accountable by the justice system.  A detailed discussion with the police and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) was necessary as a short-term solution to the issue. The medium to long term solution was to develop the capacity to better monitor and evaluate the accreditation and operation of these colleges. However, the challenge facing the Department was that too many centres of accreditation currently existed, and colleges offered courses they were not accredited to do.  He recommended that information be provided to prospective students with regard to this concern, as a part of their career guidance. The Department, in collaboration with the police, should go“door-to-door” of each institution to verify registration and accreditation.

The Minister invited the Committee to meet members of the Department at their head office in Pretoria.

Strategic Goals: Briefing

The following strategic goals were indicated:

 

1.     To increase the number of skilled youth by expanding access to education and training.

2.     To establish adequately capacitated individual institutions for the effective provision and facilitation of all learning.

3.     To increase the number of students successfully entering the labour market upon completion of training.

4.     To expand research, development and innovation capacity for economic growth and social development.

5.     To establish a college curriculum that is responsive to the demands of the market place and which is able to transform and adapt quickly and effectively to changing skills needs, with a special emphasis on artisan training.

6.     To establish a credible institutional mechanism for skills planning to support an inclusive economic growth path.

7.     To establish a highly effective, professional, efficient administration informed by good corporate governance practices.

Budget

Mr Theuns Tredoux, Chief Financial Officer (DHET) presented the financial information and budget programmes of the Annual Performance Plan (APP) and budget for 2014/15.

He indicated that the five programmes endorsed by the plan covered the five branches of the Department, namely: Administration; Human Resource Development; Planning and Monitoring Coordination; University Education; Vocational and Continuing Education and Training; and Skills Development.

The current fiscal constraints of government had been evaluated with the Minister of Finance. This had direct Implications on the service delivery of the Department, in addition to the Department’s limitations to establish a regional presence and maintain its operation functions.

Funding for examination services remained stable, but money was required from other Departments to fund examinations.  The “Apply Now” campaign relied on  donor funding – and therefore there were limitations, as funding did not currently exist.

Financial Performance

Mr Tredoux indicated that the actual estimates are done by the National Treasury, in collaboration with SARS, and noted a healthy growth of 6.8% in the 2014 budget.

The Department’s budget is dominated by Programme 3: University Education, and transfer payments to institutions account for 98% of the budget.  This left the Department with 1.5% of the budget for operational costs.

NSFAS had experienced the biggest growth in terms of the budget and had made recoveries of over R250 million per annum, which was reallocated as new bursaries.

Money allocated to TVET colleges will be paid by the Department, and no longer by the provisional government.

The Department has remained within budget since the commencement of operations on 1 April 2010.

Discussion

Prof Bozzoli noted that the Department of Basic Education represented a high proportion of the overall budget. He asked if the Department had comparative international proportions.  He asked about the figures regarding infrastructure backlogs, and whether the SETA budget could be “top-sliced” to create additional funds.

Ms Kilian queried how the real rates will affect the mandate, and how goals will be achieved in terms of the budget.  She asked whether the Department  incentivises institutions which are utilising the budget successfully. How did one balance the oversight function of these institutions?

Mr Mbatha enquired as to how the Department intended to sustain the provisional increase in vocational applications.

Mr Khubisa asked how the Department intended to ensure that lecturers engage extensively in research.

Mr Khubisa asked how the Department would ensure that the money allocated would produce the desired aims and how it would assist in improving the standard of institutions and information and communication technology (ICT).

Mr Kekana said that artisans were convinced that the economy did not require their skills.  Vocational and technical colleges needed to be marketed and that once this occurred, they would have permanent relevance.

The Chairperson asked what the Department’s turnaround strategy on the key budget pressures was. She congratulated the Department for maintaining its unqualified audit, but emphasised that the auditor would require a report for the Auditor-General.  There was room for improvement, and the Department should aspire to producing a clean audit .

Mr Qonde said that the Department had sought to encourage and fund collaboration among institutions so that they were able to assist each other in increasing research outputs. Venda was collaborating with Wits successfully. There was a need for programmes to support professors.  This required focus from institutions, however, so the Department was implementing certain measures.

Mr Tredoux said that in addition to Treasury standards on cost containment, the Department followed its own standards strictly.  The Department was discussing how the budget could be re-prioritised to emphasise certain projects.

The AIDS campaign had no funding, despite the success of securing R7 million from alternate programmes to fund the programme.

He explained that consideration of international trends were not the Department’s first priority.

Administration

Programme 1: Administration

Ms Lulama Mbobo, Deputy Director-General: Corporate Services, DHET, presented on the programme.

The following strategic objectives were indicated:

1.     To improve efficiency by implementing the necessary technology infrastructure and systems.

2.     To provide effective and efficient human resource planning and management services.

3.     To ensure adherence to policies and standards on Supply Chain Management (SCM) services.

The specifics of the programme, as indicated in the APP, were described.

Human Resources

Programme 2: Human Resource Development, Planning and Monitoring Coordination.

Mr Firoz Patel, Deputy Director-General: Planning and Monitoring (DHET) presented on the programme.

The following strategic objectives were indicated:

1.     To establish and maintain an integrated education and training management information system, linking all providers of education and training into a single system, to provide accurate data on the national skills supply and demand.

2.     To establish and maintain coherent Career Development Services by March 2017

3.     To pursue and strengthen bilateral relations with priority countries in Africa, the Middle East, South and the North, as well as multilateral agencies such as the Conference of Ministers of Education of the African Union (COMEDAF), South African Development Community (SADC), the African Union (AU), the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA), UNESCO, ILO, OECD and the Commonwealth.

Discussion

Prof Bozzoli said that the lack of mechanisms to “put people on the books”, as indicated by Mr Patel, was a concern.

Mr E Siwela (ANC) enquired if the Department would be able to manage risks.

Mr Tshishonga asked about the current vacancy rate.

Mr Kekana said that the programmes and allocations required public buy-in, and asked how the Department could achieve this.

The Chairperson wanted to know if the Department had adopted an organogram.  She enquired as to the level of vacancies, and whether the Department had an implementation plan and manager.  Did the budget provide for the new developments which had been transferred to the Department?  Had the Department made transactional arrangements for the shift of agricultural colleges to the Department -- and was budget available?  Did the Department have pending labour-related cases, and what was the nature of the cases?

Mr Patel responded that statistics indicated that the Department had achieved its estimated performance regarding integration.

Ms Mbobo said that the Department had implemented a fraud prevention plan and adopted a whistle-blowing policy to mitigate the risk of corruption, in collaboration with the Public Service Commission (PSC). The Department had not experienced incidents of corruption.

Ms Mbobo responded to the question raised by the Chairperson regarding the adoption of an organogram.  It had been submitted to the Minister of Public Service and Administration (DPSA), and had been approved.  The White Paper established new directions, and the review of the organogram was in alignment.  There were currently 1 039 posts in the Department and 72 vacancies, which accounted for 8% of the staff posts. She said that 55 additional posts needed to be added to the structure of the Department.  The 55 posts had been advertised for career development services.

Regarding supply chain management, she said that the system had been revised last year and was in line with Treasury regulations.   The Department was driving the policy development process and furthering it in TVET colleges, to ensure an alignment of policies.

In response to the comment made by the Chairperson regarding the requirements of the recruitment cycle, Ms Mbobo indicated that the Department was compliant with the prescribed four-month period, and this was an achievement for the Department.  The recruitment cycle had been seven months on average in previous years, and the Department was currently working towards ensuring that posts would be filled within the four month period.

She said that labour-related cases had to be resolved within a 90-day period, and the Department had been able to resolve cases internally within that period, with the exception of a few unique cases.  A report indicating the cases and number of cases being managed could be sent to the Committee. The Department has taken over more than 400 cases from FET colleges.

Mr Qonde reported that the teacher-student ratio of one to four had been reduced tremendously over four years.  The ratio was currently one to two which the Department endeavoured to sustain in universities and VET colleges. He noted the rapid growth in the TVET college sector.

University Education

Programme 3: University Education

Dr Engela van Staden, Chief Director: University Academic Planning and Management Support, DHET, presented on the programme.

The following strategic objectives were indicated:

1.     To expand the Higher Education sector in order to successfully increase equitable access.

2.     To improve success rates in Higher Education studies at public institutions and therefore increase graduate outputs by 2014/15.

3.     To monitor good governance and management of the public Higher Education system in order to build capacity and efficiency.

4.     To develop and enhance the research capacity and productivity of universities.

5.     To maintain and enhance the Higher Education Management Information System (HEMIS).

She said that institutions are requested to submit plans for infrastructure development grants in order to maintain institutions and provide additional space for expansion.  The provision of a central application service to universities and a standardised application fee of R100 is currently under discussion.  The regularisation of reports through revised reporting regulations will be implemented for the for the first time.

Dr Van Staden indicated that a document has been drafted regarding differentiation and the Department is slowly introducing differentiated funding through the enrolment planning.  Interim councils monitoring development, in line with the implementation plan, will be established with regard to the new universities.

The major focus of the Department is to expand Health Sciences.  The university in Limpopo is soon to be promulgated and the protocol engagement document has been signed to guide the process.  The Department had invited public recommendations for the naming of the university and had received 25 nominations which were currently being deliberated at an administrative level.  This university represented a new and specialised academic model which was expensive. A proposal based on an international programme had been utilised to sustain the model.   Courses and programmes which incorporate Health Sciences will be accommodated, thus encouraging students in other faculties to support the health profession. Female enrolment is currently 57%, and the Department aims to implement a strategy and process to increase females in under-represented and scarce-skills programmes.

Discussion

Prof Bozzoli noted that funding to universities for infrastructure for enrolment planning was a challenge, as it required matching funding from the institution, thus incurring great costs and creating possible debt for the institution.  He added that the expansion of infrastructure created an increase in class size which undermined the quality of teaching and the pass rates.  Set targets were not being met, owing to university autonomy.   This occurrence was also linked to the total failure by the Department to sufficiently staff and fund programmes.  The new targets neglected research-intensive universities and the output did not determine targets, which was needed.  He noted that engineers required six years of study and that by the time they graduated, the economy had changed, therefore current statistics from industry were insufficient.

Ms Kilian asked how monitoring would be facilitated in terms of capacity and the limitations of the budget.  How many people would conduct the monitoring and how responsive would the Department be in ensuring that the graduates produced were internationally competitive?  To what extent would the system create different levels of support for different institutions, and how would this be incentivised and monitored by the Department?   International postgraduates often did not contribute to the South African economy upon graduation, but benefited from government subsidies. Could the system be differentiated to create more funds for South African students?

Mr Kekana recommended that engineers should be required to update skills and qualifications after a specified period of time.  He enquired as to the percentage of foreign students being absorbed.

Mr Mbatha suggested that the stay of appointed administrators be regulated, and that achievable goals should be set.   The development of universities should not be hindered by curators overstaying their term of office.  He asked who funded the stay and salaries of these administrators, and criticised the use of consultants and “old order” technicians and professionals.

Mr Mbatha noted that infrastructure grants reduced the contribution of historically black institutions, which created heightened responsibility for universities. It was necessary to establish the extent to which the universities were able to achieve what they intended, and to strategically redirect universities towards goals based on the country’s future education needs.

Mr Tshishonga asked how the Department intended to encourage a mind-set change and encourage potential graduates to consider self-employment.

He said that a challenge existed in regard to health and student wellness, and asked how education could contribute to curing obesity in South Africa.

Mr Siwela suggested that contributions to nation building should be considered, and that university research should be assessed to determine whether it contributed to nation-building.  He agreed with the recommendation that universities be redirected to accommodate the national needs of future education. He said there was a gap in the salaries between principals and lecturers, with principals earning approximately R2 million a year, while lecturers received approximately R10 000 a month. He recommended that the Department evaluate this distinction in salary.

The Chairperson pointed out that the proposal to increase access to FET colleges would require an acceleration in the training of FET lecturers.  She recommended that a preliminary monitoring report, on a six-month basis, be conducted in order to meet targets by end of the financial year. She asked if the programme targets for October 2013 and June 2014 had been achieved.  Did the Department have a policy to regulate foreign student students and university employees?

Mr Qonde, responding to Prof Bozzoli, said that a university was a juristic person and it had been designated as autonomous through legislation.   A university had the right to obtain funds from other sources, and some institutions possessed substantial reserve funds.   Institutions were engaged in securing alternative sources of resources to match funding, when funding for infrastructure was provided.   This would help address backlogs and the current needs of the system.

Mr Qonde said that foreign students were not subsidised by the South African government, and that it was the mandate of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

Legislation provided that administrators could not exceed a two year stay in an institution. The utility of these administrators was to remedy the failure in the provision of quality programmes, and were responsible for re-establishing good corporate governance principles.  The two year period was a challenge in helping an institution to recover.  The State did not fund the stay of an exceeded duration.  The prescribing of consultants was a decision made by management within an institution.

Mr Qonde said that institutions developed their own programmes, and it was in the Department’s interests for nation-building to be conducted through research.   However, the terms of graduates and the conditions of service was an institutional matter.   The Committee should address this concern with the councils of the universities.

Dr Van Staden said that a university had to provide an indication of past enrolment capacity in order for funding to address issues affecting the efficiency of teaching, and to prevent exceeding resources.  She said that the targets of research-intensive institutions were measured by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and in terms of research output targets. The Department was redirecting universities through the White Paper to create an integrated post-school environment.  The Department also aimed to create collaboration and integration with FET colleges to offer higher certificates.

Dr Mahlobo indicated that the focus in research-intensive universities the focus is on the transformation and integration young, black and female researcher targets.

Dr Bheki Mahlobo, Chief Director, DHET, said a Brazilian study had indicated that South African research rates were higher than the other BRICS countries in terms of impact.   He pointed out the relevance of the research to immediate communities, which contributed to nation-building.  The Department would welcome suggestions for subsiding students at the postgraduate level.  South Africa was benefiting from foreign postgraduate students, as some stayed.  Dr Mahlobo emphasised the contribution this made to forming and sustaining relationships with neighbouring African countries.

Currently, not more than three foreign Higher Education institutions operated in South Africa.  Online programmes also attributed their presence to foreign institutions, however.  Only contact-learning was regulated by the Department.

Dr Mahlobo said that wellness programmes were taken seriously at the institution, which consisted of an internal community of practitioners which dealt with these concerns.

Dr Mahlobo referred to the Department’s policy on internationalisation and joint degrees.  Developing a policy of joint degrees aimed to encourage internationalisation and not regulate it but rather maintain it within quality and law measurements. The programme is in process and the terms of reference had been established.   A document should be available by the end of the financial year.

Vocational and Continuing Education and Training

Programme 4: Vocational and Continuing Education and Training

Ms Gerda Magnus, Chief Director of Vocational and Continuing Education, DHET, complimented the Committee on the rigour of their questions.

The following strategic objectives were indicated:

1.     To increase access to and improve success in programmes leading to intermediate and high-level learning by 2014/15.

2.     To strengthen the institutional capacity of VET institutions with the aim of improving their performance and efficiency.

 

Ms Magnus emphasised that the skills being developed within institutions must have relevance to the communities and industries they related to.  The dual-system had been initiated through a small pilot in two colleges with approximately 50 learners.

Ms Magnus noted that the NCD Programme aimed to identify challenges and blockages in order to find a systemic approach to address them.  Through the National Senior Certificate for Adults (NASCA), learners who were unable to complete Matric would be granted a second chance.  Implementation in 2016/2017 was anticipated, but funding was limited and R1 billion was needed.  She said that bursary recipients had increased by 40 000.  A lecturing development policy would be run at universities to improve through-put, and hubs to promote maths at college level would be established.

Skills Development

Programme 5: Skills Development

Mr  Zukile Mvalo, Acting Deputy Director-General: Skills Development (DHET) presented the programme.

 

The following strategic objective was indicated:

1.     To provide a dynamic interface between the workplace and learning institutions and to promote quality learning at work and for work by 2016.

 

Discussion

Mr Mbatha commented that mathematics was a constraint which prevented students from graduating on time.  He recommended assistance programmes for rural schools that were near to vocational training centres to enable learners to progress at their own time and pace within the basic education system. This provision would contribute to a higher vocational training success rate.  

Mr Khubisa asked if the targets to promote quality learning had been met and what the Department’s current progress was.

Ms Kilian asked how many colleges were under forensic investigation and administration. She noted that the Department had proposed a 150 000 increase in TVET enrolment.  However, there was insufficient administrative capacity.  She queried whether the establishment of nine more community colleges was a reasonable proposal.

Mr Qonde responded that approximately 13 colleges were currently under investigation/administration.

Mr Kekana also noted that mathematics was a challenge, and recommended incentives. He said that human resource development was necessary, and queried why students excelled in mathematics abroad, but not in South Africa.

The Chairperson noted that the Department had prioritised the moving of six TVET campuses in 2013, and asked if the Department had targeted more campuses for the current financial year.  Did the funding for the establishment of the campuses come from the budget vote, and did all colleges have functional councils?

Ms Magnus said that mathematics programmes were not within the Department’s domain, but they could be considered by the Department of Basic Education.

She pointed out that the Department chose the best performing learners for programmes to focus on vocational aspects.  However, employers were reluctant to engage with students owing to labour legislation with regard to students as employees.   Workplace experience elevated the motivation of the learners, as their employers were impressed and they developed work aspirations.  Human resource capabilities were a concern, and a policy on minimum qualifications was being implemented.

Ms Magnus said that the nine community colleges were needed and would start on a small scale and be organised internally.  There was no incentive for mathematics teachers, but the emphasis was there to promote mathematics literacy through practice, training and the development of a foundational maths programme.  The previous six campuses would be supplemented by an additional six campuses, resulting in 12 altogether. Work had gone into the operational programming of the campuses.

Dr Mahlobo indicated that there were currently 3 083 adult learning centres. He recommended that they should be established as institutions so that they could improve management and governance.

He said that certain variables affect the quality of mathematics teaching in South Africa, compared to abroad. The capacity to teach was an important variable, as well as teacher attitudes, student commitment and social, economic and environmental values and factors.

Mr Zukile Mvalo, Acting Deputy Director General: Skills Development, said that the Department had met all of its targets with regard to artisan development.   The instruments used to measure the achievements were the National Scales Accord and the Youth Employment Accord, signed by all social partners

Summary of key issues

The Chairperson summarised the following key issues identified during the briefing:

Key points and concerns:

·         The Annual Performance Plan had been received and accepted by the Committee.

·         The Committee was disturbed by insufficient funding and would recommend more funding for the Department and support the budget recommendations.

·         Filling vacant funded posts should be prioritised, as not doing so would result in the Department losing money.

·         The shifting of FET colleges and the migration process of college staff needed to be fast-tracked.

·         The Committee commended the Department on maintaining an unqualified audit, but emphasised the need for upward movement with the aim of producing a clean audit.

·         Cost attainment measures were required to deal with budget pressures.

·         The promotion of graduate absorption from TVETs was supported.  However, the Department required a strategy, with the cooperation from industry, to empower people.

·         The Committee observed a high number of labour relations cases, and recommended that they be addressed and reduced. 

It was recommended that the Department submit a progress report on these recommendations, in line with the obligation to the Committee to implement them.

The Chairperson indicated that the full-day workshop, suggested by Minister Nzimande, would be prioritised by the Committee.

Mr Qonde encouraged one-on-one meetings between the Committee and members of the Department.

Mr Kekana thanked the Department and support staff for their presentations.

The Chairperson reminded the Committee of the briefing by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) taking place tomorrow.

The meeting was adjourned.