Question NW1887 to the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation

Reply:

DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Yes, the Department is on track to achieve some of the National Development Plan (NDP) 2030 targets. It should be noted that the achievement of the 2030 targets is directly linked to the availability of funding from the fiscus. Whilst positive progress has been made despite funding challenges, the Post-School Education and Training service delivery environment has recently been impacted by the effects of the COVID-19 global health pandemic. The table below provides progress status on the NDP targets. 

NDP 2030 target	Current performance (2021/22)
1. University student enrolments-1.62 million	1 094 808
2. Improve academics’ qualifications: (75% of academics with PhDs)	49.3%
3. Number of masters graduates (all masters degrees annually)	12 922
4. Produce 100 PhDs per million per annum i.e. 5 000 per annum	3 552
5. Full funding for all NSFAS qualifiers (poor) and loans (state surety) for others	504 336 (universities)
	261 404 (TVET colleges)
6. Increase enrolments in Technical and Vocational Education and Training Colleges to 1.25 million	452 277
7. Increase enrolments in Community Education and Training colleges to 1 million	142 538
8. 30 000 artisans produced per annum	15 107

University sector

Access to universities has grown substantially over the past 10 years, indicating that the country is on track to reach the NDP target of 1.6 million enrolments by 2030. Many more students enrolled in universities during the 2020 academic year.  Over 1.3 million students enrolled at public and private universities. Public universities were able to enrol 1 094 808 students, reflecting an increase of 4 808 (44%) from the set target of 1 090 000. In the same period, 504 336 qualifying students in universities received National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) funding for tuition fees and allowances. 

Graduation rates at public universities grew significantly, indicating that the country is on track to reach NDP targets by 2030. Student completions show that 237 882 (107%) students completed a university qualification. Doctoral graduates constitute 3 552 (107%), 12 652 (86%) engineering graduates, 9 642 (91%) life and physical sciences graduates, 9 646 (88%) human health sciences graduates, 12 922 (92%) masters graduates (all masters graduates), 1 075 animal and veterinary sciences graduates, and 30 809 (108%) initial teacher education.

Progress made on the quality of teaching provided at universities demonstrates that the country is on track to meet the 75% NDP target by 2030. To date, 49.3% of university academic staff hold PhD degrees.

TVET college sector

Admittedly, enrolments in the TVET college sector has not been at envisaged levels.  The final 2022 consolidated funding grid indicates that of the planned headcount enrolment into ministerial approved programmes, 508,445, is comprised of 503, 221 headcount enrolments funded by State and 5,224 students are to be funded by TVET Colleges from student fees. This planned enrolment respectively represents a 100% contribution to the target of 503,221 headcount enrolments funded by the state and only 6.02% contribution to the target of 86,779 headcount enrolments funded by TVET Colleges from student fees. This contributes to a combined achievement of 86.18% of the total 2022/23 target set of 590,000 for ministerial approved programmes. The total required budget for this enrolment plan amounts to R14.550 billion of which R14.385 billion is funding by the State with a correlating budget deficit of (R165 million or 1.15% funding deficit) that must be absorbed by TVET Colleges through the recovery of student fees. The NDP target of 2,5 million enrolments in TVET colleges is not likely to be met. Similarly, the target of more students to be enrolled in TVET colleges compared to universities will not be met.

CET college sector

Enrolments in CET colleges are also not growing at the envisaged levels. Enrolment stood at 142 538, showing an underachievement of 78 011 (35%) against the set target of 220 549 in 2020.

Artisan development

The skills development system targets have significantly slowed down when measured against the projected artisan registration and completion. However, since the relaxation of COVID-19 regulations, there were continuous engagements with SETAs to speed up enrolments in meeting the NDP target of producing 30 000 artisans per annum by 2030.

DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND INNOVATION

Please refer to the source document attached Tag A.