Higher Education Amendment Bill: briefing

Meeting report

EDUCATON AND RECREATION SELECT COMMITTEE
18 October 2002
HIGHER EDUCATION AMENDMENT BILL: BRIEFING

Chairperson: Mr Kgware (ANC)

Relevant documents:
Higher Education Amendment Bill [B30B-2002]

SUMMARY
Department of Education explained the Higher Education Bill and the committee seemed to be satisfied with the explanation because few questions were asked. According to the Chairperson, the committee had an understanding of the Bill because it participated in the public hearings of the Bill.

MINUTES
Advocate Boshoff gave background to the Higher Education Amendment Bill. The proposed changes in the institutional landscape of higher education system propelled the amendment of the Higher Education Act. He explained all fifteen clauses of the amendment Bill.

Discussion:
Rev Chabaku (ANC) made an example of the joining of the University of the North and the University of Orange Free State. Would this be the demise of the University of the North as a smaller institution. Advocate Boshoff explained that the process was complex and that it needed to be discussed by the two institutions. He however, suggested that the joining of the two institutions was incorporation rather than a merger.

Mr Tolo (ANC) enquired about the difference between a merger and incorporation. Adv. Boshoff explained that a merger meant that two institutions would loose their individual legal identity and form a new one whereas in an incorporation one institution was assimilated into another thereby losing its legal identity to the other which would not lose its legal identity.

The Chairperson pointed out the fact that the committee was part of the public hearing in preparation of the Bill and that it was keeping pace with developments.

The meeting was adjourned.