Question NW1217 to the Minister of Higher Education and Training

Reply:

(a) Against the strategic goal of building institutional capacity in the Community Education and Training (CET) system, the Department took a decision to rationalize the CET institutional landscape in the interest of efficiency, effective service delivery and economic use of the limited resources. In order to guide the process of rationalization, the CET College System: National Plan for the Implementation of the White Paper on Post-School Education and Training was developed. The Councils of the CET colleges took resolutions in support of the proposal in the plan to rationalize the Community Learning Centres (CLCs) nationally from 3 276 to 200. For the Northern Cape CET College, the Council approved 7 CLCs and 80 satellite centres for accessibility.

The four CLCs in the Hantam Local Municipality were affected due to extremely low student headcount enrolments, which impacted on the provision of quality education and training. In the 2018 examination cycle, the four centres combined had 21 candidates, i.e. Williston with five candidates, Loerisfontein with five candidates, Niewoudtville with seven candidates and Brandvlei with four candidates.

In quality, planning and resource terms, there must be a lecturer for each subject and examination procedures in place, i.e. appointment of invigilators and markers. In the context of limited resources matched with the uptake of the CET opportunities by the communities, the situation was unsustainable.

(b) In terms of the Policy and Procedures for Regulating the Opening, Merging and Closing of CET Colleges’ learning sites, the rationalization process does not preclude the Council from opening and merging centres where there is a need. If the demand increases the college Council can be approached to open a satellite centre and deploy lecturers accordingly.