Question NW1741 to the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation
15 June 2021 - NW1741
Nxumalo, Mr MN to ask the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation
(a) What other strategies, besides new stipulations on courses funded by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, is the Government adopting and implementing to encourage the uptake of science, technology, engineering and mathematics and related courses in 2021 and (b) how are such strategies expected to influence (i) universities in general and (ii) the offering of social sciences and humanities in particular?
Reply:
(a) Since the introduction of the Performance Monitoring and Evaluation System in 2010 and subsequent Medium-Term Strategic Framework, the Department has been engaging with universities through enrolment planning on their targets for scarce skills areas. In the new enrolment planning cycle, the targets for first time entering students into the scarce skills areas of engineering, life and physical sciences, human health, animal health and vet science, and teacher education are indicated in Table 1 below:
|
TABLE 1: 2020 to 2025 Proposed targets for first time entering students in scarce skills |
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|
|
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
|
Engineering |
16 152 |
16 647 |
17 085 |
17 639 |
18 100 |
18 317 |
|
Life and Physical Science |
16 948 |
17 161 |
17 584 |
17 391 |
17 459 |
17 614 |
|
Human Health |
9 796 |
10 155 |
10 418 |
10 838 |
11 155 |
11 516 |
|
Animal and Veterinary Science |
1 116 |
1 154 |
1 194 |
1 209 |
1 229 |
1 257 |
|
Initial Teacher Education |
22 752 |
22 746 |
22 788 |
22 855 |
22 951 |
23 380 |
The targets for all undergraduate enrolments for the scarce skills are in Table 2 below:
|
TABLE 2: 2020 to 2025 Proposed targets for all undergraduate qualifications in scarce skills |
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|
|
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
|
Engineering |
77 062 |
77 003 |
77 158 |
78 916 |
80 796 |
83 019 |
|
Life and Physical Science |
58 267 |
59 240 |
60 613 |
61 218 |
62 092 |
62 890 |
|
Human Health |
47 411 |
47 488 |
47 597 |
49 120 |
50 406 |
51 926 |
|
Animal and Veterinary Science |
5 001 |
5 208 |
5 343 |
5 469 |
5 592 |
5 729 |
|
Initial Teacher Education |
136 272 |
139 733 |
142 893 |
144 791 |
147 471 |
150 117 |
(b) (i) Universities are funded through Teaching Input Units (TIUs) based on their approved enrolment plans. If the universities adhere to the agreed upon targets, they will receive their full funding in terms of their approved TIUs. If they are more than 2% under-enrolled, universities will be penalised financially and if they are more than 2% over-enrolled in their first-time entering enrolments, they will also be penalised due to the impact which over-enrolment has on the sector.
(ii) The above-mentioned strategy is not expected to have a significant impact on the Social and Human Sciences as the enrolment plan targets are also set in terms of the percentage in the Human Sciences (includes Social Sciences). The targets are reflected in Table 3 below:
