Question to the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology - Question:Minister of Higher Education

29 December 2009 - Question:Minister of Higher Education

MPs to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training

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Reply:

QUESTION 1672

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 16/10/2009

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 22-2009)

Dr W G James (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

Whether, since his appointment in May 2009 any renovations or alterations were done at state owned and private residences of him, or any other specified official of his department; if so, (a) where he and the occupants of each such residence were accommodated during the renovations and (b) at what cost to his department in each case? NW2128E

REPLY:

(a) N/A

(b) N/A

(i) Not applicable

(ii) Not applicable

QUESTION 546

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 10/07/09

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 06-2009)

Dr W G James (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(1) Whether his department makes use of private security firms; if so, how much money was spent on such firms in 2008;

(2) Whether these firms are used on a contractual basis; if so, (a) how many contracts did his department take out in this regard in 2008, (b) with which firms were these contracts taken out, (c) for what specific purpose was each contract taken out and (d) what was the value of the contract in each case;

(3) Why is there a need for his department to use a private security firm as opposed to state security? NW610E

REPLY:

The Department of Higher Education is still in the process of being established and as yet has no contractual obligations at all. The Department of Education and its DG is responsible for the 2009/10 budget. Therefore the Department of Higher Education is not making use of any private security firm but uses in-house security.

Not applicable
Not applicable

QUESTION 375

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 03/07/09

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 05-2009)

Dr. WC James (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(1) Whether he a purchased a new vehicle on his new appointment to office; if so , (a) why, (b) what make and model is the vehicle (c) what did the vehicle cost and (d) (i) what accessories were included in excess of the vehicle's purchase price and (ii)what was the cost of such accessories; if not,

(2) Whether he inherited an existing vehicle; if so, (a) what was the make and model (b) how old is the vehicle?

NW435E

REPLY:

Pretoria	Cape Town
(1) The Department purchased a vehicle for use by the Minister on 11th of June 2009.	No
(a) The vehicle used by the previous Minister of Education in Pretoria is used as official vehicle in Cape Town.	Not applicable
(b) BMW 750i	Not applicable
(c) (c) R1 110 750.00	Not applicable
(d)(i) Not applicable	Not applicable
(ii) Not applicable	Not applicable
(2) No	Yes
(a) Not applicable	2008 Mercedes Benz ML320 CDI
(b) Not applicable	16 Months

QUESTIONS FOR WRITTEN REPLY

FRIDAY, 16 OCTOBER 2009

1717. Dr W G James (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(1) What amount was spent by his department on (a) hotel accommodation, (b) restaurant expenses and (c) travel costs (i) in the 2008-09 financial year and (ii) during the period 1 April 2009 up to the latest specified date for which information is available, for (aa) him, (bb) specified officials of his department and (cc) any other specified individuals;

(2) why did each individual use the specified accommodation in each case? NW2209E

REPLY:

(1) (i) (a) (b) (c) (aa) (bb) (cc) Not applicable for the 2008/09 financial year. The establishment of the Department of Higher Education and Training and the subsequent appointment of the Minister of Higher Education and Training occurred during May 2009.

(ii) During the period 1 April 2009 up to 30 September 2009

(a) Hotel accommodation for his department:

Officials: R 416 470.71

Conferences: R 616 867.43

(b) Restaurant (meal) expenses for his department:

Officials: R 43 810.84

Conferences: R 1 638.18

Officials R1 418 732.49

Conferences R 37 638.62

(ii) The breakdown of restaurant expenses for him and officials in the offices of the minister are not readily available and is included in the expenditure on accommodation.

(aa) minister:

(a) & (b) Hotel accommodation & Restaurant (meal) expenses from 1 May 2009 – 30 September 2009:

· R212 735.64

· R397 582.58

(bb) officials in the offices of the minister:

(a) & (b) Hotel accommodation & Restaurant (meal) expenses from 1 May 2009 – 30 September 2009:

· R172 332.77

· R773 645.77

(cc) Not applicable

(2) It was the most cost effective and appropriate accommodation available when the bookings were made.

QUESTION 170

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 13/10/09

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 21-2009)

Mrs L S Makhubela-Mashele (ANC) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

Whether he intends to increase the number of further education and training colleges to address the skills shortages that affect our global competitiveness; if not why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NO1442E

REPLY:

The Department does not envisage increasing the number of FET Colleges. The current FET College landscape of 50 colleges and 360 sites is adequate for the task. At present these sites are well placed to deliver skills and have spare capacity.

The key challenge is to increase the number of students at the colleges. This is being hampered by the current constraints in budget.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

FOR WRITTEN REPLY

QUESTION 1521

Dr W G James (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(1) Whether, with reference to the statements made by the Minister of Health that the strengthening of colleges was the next focus of the Department of Health and that discussions with the Department of Higher Education and Training were at an advanced stage, copies of the report identifying the colleges which are to be strengthened will be made available to the public; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;

(2) (a) what amount does his department envisage spending and (b)(i) when and (ii) on what specifically will it be used to rebuild these colleges;

(3) (a) what officials in his department will (i) lead and (ii) co-lead the project and (b) what is the projected completion date.

REPLY:

It is suggested that the Honourable member direct this question to the Minister of Health.

QUESTION 1591

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 09/10/09

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 20-2009)

Mr. G G Boinamo (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(1) Whether his department developed and adopted a policy providing guidelines for the appointment of persons with a criminal record; if so, (a) when was the policy (i) developed and (ii) adopted and (b) where can a copy of the policy be obtained; if not,

(2) whether his department has any plans in place to develop and adopt such a policy; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;

(3) whether his department does any pre-employment screening of potential employees for criminal records; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;

(4) whether any employees with criminal records are currently employed by his department; if so, (a) how many and (b) what is their (i) job level and (ii) occupational category? NW1997E

REPLY:

(1) The Department of Higher Education and Training is not fully functional as yet and make use of resources of the Department of Education. Except for, Ministerial Staff and the Director-General no official appointments have been made in the Department of Higher Education and Training.

2. A policy providing guidelines for the appointment of persons with criminal records is currently under development and will be functional as soon as the Department starts to advertise and fill posts.

(3) Not applicable at the moment.

4. Not applicable at the moment.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

WRITTEN TO ORAL REPLY

QUESTION 1293

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 11/09/09

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 16-2009)

Dr W G James (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

Whether his department has invested in a university that teaches in languages other than English and/or Afrikaans; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details? NW1640E

REPLY:

The Department of Education has published the Language in Education Policy (1997) and the Language Policy for Higher Education (2002) which, are designed to promote multilingualism in the education sector. Their aim is to ensure that all South African languages are "developed to their full capacity while at the same time ensuring that the existing languages of instruction (English and Afrikaans) do not serve as a barrier to access and success."

As part of our initiative to promote multilingualism in higher education, the Department of Education supports a number of pilot projects under the South African-Norway Tertiary Education Development programme. The focus of the pilot projects is promoting multilingual proficiency for academic staff and students registered in service disciplines such as social work, law, nursing, medicine and other health sciences. Support is also provided for academic tutorials conducted in indigenous languages.

ESTIONS FOR WRITTEN REPLY

FRIDAY, 23 OCTOBER 2009

[No 24 – 2009] First Session, Fourth Parliament

1922. Mr G G Boinamo (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

Whether his department has done a skills audit in order to identify scarce skills prior to formulating the curricular of Further Education and Training Colleges (FET); if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW2486E

RESPONSE:

The NC(V) curricula are the only curricula developed by the Department for FET colleges in the last 5 years. The initial 11 vocational programmes developed in 2005 under the NC (V) qualification were identified through the scarce skills and sector skills reports available from the Department of Labour at the time. The initial 11 programmes included:

v 3 Engineering programmes (Civil, Mechanical and Electrical)

v IT and Computer Science

v Hospitality and Tourism

v Primary Agriculture

v 3 Business- related programmes: Marketing, Office Administration, Management and Finance, Economics & Accounting

To date an additional 3 programmes (Mechatronics, Safety in Society and Education & Development) have been added in response to stakeholder demand, based on a formal application and approval process. Similarly, 3 additional programmes and 4 new subjects are currently under development. The latter are funded by stakeholders.

All programmes on offer respond to the objectives and , where indicated, targets contained in the HRDS. The point of caution is the interpretation of the term 'skills' which is often used in specific relation to occupational categories, which constitute a sub-set of the vocational offerings at FET colleges.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

WRITTEN TO ORAL REPLY

QUESTION 523

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 10/07/09

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 06-2009)

Dr W G James (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

Whether any function was organised to mark the occasion of the delivery of his budget vote in 2009; if so, (a) what total amount was spent on this function, (b) from which budget was the money allocated, (c) what amount was spent on (i) food and refreshments, (ii) venue, (iii) entertainment, (iv) staff and (v) transport and (d) how many persons were invited to attend this function? NW587E

REPLY:

Yes, one function was held for the two departments namely the Department of Basic Education and the Department of Higher education and Training. The amounts spend and number of persons invited is as indicated below.

R267 044.57

The Communications budget

(i) R47 673.99

(ii) None

(iii) R20 500

(iv) None

(v) None

(d) 250

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

FOR ORAL REPLY

QUESTION 182

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 13/10/09

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 21-2009)

Mrs C Dudley (ACDP) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

Whether calendars issued by his department to Members of Parliament indicating only one extra day of holiday during the 2010 FIFA World Cup Soccer tournament is in accordance with Government's plans for school holidays around this event; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details? NO2081E

REPLY:

The school calendar is the responsibility of the Minister of Basic and the Question should be redirected to the Department of Basic Education.

QUESTION 191

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 13/10/09

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 21-2009)

Mr Z S Makhubele (ANC) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(a) What steps has been taken to remove the burden of the cost of education from poor families especially in the light of the underspending by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) and (b) to what degree is the further expansion of the services and the transformation of the NSFAS receiving priority? NO2097E

REPLY:

(a) .The NSFAS has requested institutions to provide information on under-spending in order to redistribute funds to needy students within the current academic year. The Department of Higher Education and Training has been monitoring this matter closely.

(b) I appointed a Ministerial Committee to review the NSFAS in July 2009. A report is expected at the end of this year. The overall purpose of the review is to assess the strengths and shortcomings of the current Scheme and to advise my office on the short, medium and long term needs for student financial aid in order to promote the twin goals of equity of access and providing free undergraduate education to students from working class and poor communities who cannot afford further or higher education. The review will evaluate different models of student financial aid and make recommendations on the policy and operational changes required to ensure the effective and efficient achievement of these goals, which will enable South Africa to produce graduates with the qualifications and skills required to build our developmental state.

QUESTION 195

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 13/10/09

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 21-2009)

Mrs M T Kubayi (ANC) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

What is his plan on dealing with the fee increment in institutions of higher education? NO2101E

REPLY:

The issues of student fees remain a concern to me and my Department. In this regards letters have been sent to all institutions requesting them to provide the Department with the following information amongst others:

 Institutional policies in respect of fees payable and regulations regarding the payment of fees.

 average increase in academic and residence fees for the 2010 academic year compared to the previous years

 The anticipated estimate in fee increases for the 2010 academic year, taking into account the MTEF allocation to higher education.

 The totals which institutions expect to raise from tuition, student housing and the proportions which these represents of the total income of the institutions for the 2010 financial year.

 The average increase in additional student levies i.e. ICT, transport library and catering separately for the 2010 academic year, compared to the previous years.

 The general guidelines and specific rules or requirements for the payment of academic, residence and other fees.

 Institutional processes followed in the determination of fees for the 2010 academic year.

 The provisions being made from institutional and other sources to assist financially disadvantaged and academically deserving students.

This information will then assist us to be able to analyze the trends so that we can make informed decisions in our discussions with different stakeholders. I am also going to meet with Higher Education South Africa (HESA) including all national student organisations to discuss strategies to deal with the tensions that may arise as a result of disagreements on fee increments taking into account that the Department does not determine fees.

QUESTION 435

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 10/07/09

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 06-2009)

Mr L W Greyling (ID) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(1) Whether he will review the National Student Financial Aid Scheme of South Africa (NSFAS) in order for students to be awarded bursaries rather than loans; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;

(2) Whether he will review other aspects of NSFAS; if so, which aspects? NW495E

REPLY:

1. I established a Ministerial Committee for the Review of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme on 10 June 2009 to review the efficacy of the Scheme. The overall purpose of the review is to assess the strengths and shortcomings of the current Scheme and to advise on the short, medium and long term needs for student financial aid in order to promote the twin goals of equity of access and providing free undergraduate education to students from poor communities who cannot afford further and higher education. The Committee will also conduct a needs analysis of students who currently do not qualify for NSFAS support but cannot obtain loans from commercial banks and make recommendations in this regard. The Terms of Reference are contained in Government Gazette, No 32317.

2. The Terms of Reference include but are not limited to assessing amongst others:

 Assess the strengths and shortcomings of the current National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).

Conduct a needs analysis of students who will require financial aid in the short, medium and long terms, taking into account the Government's commitment to providing free undergraduate education to students from poor families who would otherwise not be able to pursue further or higher education.

Undertake a review of the Means Test and provide guidelines to determine the criteria for eligible students.
Make recommendations on appropriate mechanisms for raising and administering the required funds, including the parameters of the recapitalization of NSFAS and for the possible establishment of a student loan bank.
Investigate the feasibility of student financial aid being linked to priority fields of study and levels of academic performance.
Assess the viability of extending financial aid to students in not-for-profit private higher education institutions. Assess the nature and extent of former and current students blacklisted by NSFAS and universities, and recommend appropriate action to be taken to deal with the problem.
Recommend changes to the policy, regulations and operational framework of the NSFAS, including the distribution formula for the allocation of financial aid to institutions, the Means Test, the respective roles and the responsibilities of the institutional financial aid bureaus and the NSFAS.
Recommend changes to the governance, management, operational capacity and systems of the NSFAS to meet the needs of the new policy framework.

QUESTION 445

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 10/07/09

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 06-2009)

Ms N Y Vukuza-Linda (Cope) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

Whether the principle of commonalities that should have existed for mergers to occur between different institutions of higher learning has been upheld; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW506E

REPLY:

The Department released the "Guidelines for Mergers and Incorporations" document in April 2004 to assist merging institutions to map out the essentials and processes all merging institutions will have deal with on the way to creating new institutions. The Department made it very clear from the moment the Ministry released its proposals that the proposed mergers were "mergers of equals" and that throughout the various phases of the mergers all the affected institutions were to be treated equally.

Consequently, all the pre-merger processes and decisions were equally shared amongst the participating institutions and the 'interim' governance and management structures were set up in accordance with the "Standard Institutional Statute" and comprised equal numbers of personnel from the affected institutions irrespective of the size of the participating institution. In short, the principle of commonalities was upheld throughout the highly complex processes of merging diverse institutions of higher education in this country.

It is acknowledged that in practice the dynamics across merging institutions have been complex and that each merger has its own dynamics. The Merger Unit has assisted in contexts where the principles of commonalities needed to be asserted.

QUESTION 2260

13 November 2009

Publication No 28- 2009

Dr W G James (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(a) Who were the members of the Transition Oversight Committee and the six technical task teams appointed to oversee the migration of the Further Education and Training Colleges to his department, (b) what budget was allocated for their work and (c) what are the (i) timelines and (ii) deadlines for the reports to be submitted? NW2969E

REPLY:

(a) The membersof the Transition Oversight Committee are:

Ø Mr J Pampalis

Ø Prof M Metcalfe

Ø Dr M Qhobela

Ø Mr F Patel

Ø Dr B Mahlobo

Ø Adv E Boshoff

Ø Mr S Mommen

Ø Mr T Tredoux

Ø Mr A Schoeman

Ø Ms T Futshane

Ø Ms A Singh

COMPOSITION OF THE SIX TECHNICAL TASK TEAMS ON THE TRANSFER OF COLLEGES

Name of Task Team	Composition
1. Legislation Matters	· Adv E Boshoff (Convenor) · Mr S Richter · Mr C Leukes · Dr BS Mahlobo

2. Institutional support: Governance, Management, IT Support, Information and Data Collection	· Mr S Mommen (Convenor) · Mr ATP Mpanza · Dr BS Mahlobo · Mr A Raubemheimer · Dr J van Rensburg · Ms S Swaratlhe · Mr J Mogale · Dr M Buthelezi · Dr N Nkoe
3. Finance and Funding	· Mr T Tredoux (Convenor) · Dr S Padayachee · Ms Masipa · Dr J van Rensburg · Ms S Swaratlhle · Mr S Mommen · Dr BS Mahlobo

4. Staffing and Human Resources	· Mr A Schoeman (Convenor) · Ms S Gear · Mr J Slater · Dr BS Mahlobo

5. Student Enrolment and Support	· Ms T Futshane (Convenor) · Ms Z Gungwa · Ms K Madumo · Mr S Ntuli

6. Qualifications, Programmes and Assessment	· Ms A Singh (Convenor) · Ms P Vinjevold · Ms R Burger · Ms N Pote · Ms M Koen · Ms M Swart

(b) No budget was allocated for their work.

ii) The Technical Task Teams submit their reports on monthly basis to the Transfer Oversight Committee.

QUESTION 854

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 21/08/09

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 10-2009)

Dr WG James to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

What budget was set aside for the work of the Ministerial Committee for the Review of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme;

Whether the committee is on schedule to report by the deadline of 10 December 2009; if not, why not; if so what are the relevant details? NW1004E

REPLY:

No specific budget was allocated for the work of the committee. The work of the committee is being supported through operational funds of the Higher Education branch of the Department of Education.

Yes, the committee is scheduled to provide my office with an initial report by December 2009.

QUESTION 977

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 28/08/09

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 12-2009)

Dr W G James (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

Whether he has taken any steps with regard to suspending import duties or on finding other means of reducing the cost of imported prescribed text books for university students, especially in the disciplines of science and medicine; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW1178E

REPLY:

I would like to recommend that the Minister of Trade and Industry be approached for a reply as tariffs and related duties are determined by the Ministry of Trade and Industry in consultation with the International Trade and Administration Commission. I will however explore this possibility in the near future and ask my officials to consult with the Department of Trade and Industry.

QUESTION 696

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 07/08/09

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 07-2009)

Mr. L L Bosman (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

Whether, in light of the current recession and the consequent shortfall in state revenue, his department has introduced any austerity measures to reduce its expenditure with regard to (a) official vehicles, (b) travel, (c) travel by departmental officials, (d) accommodation and household help or (e) any other aspects of government business; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?

NW790E

REPLY:

This matter is being dealt with by Cabinet and guidelines are awaited. The Cabinet dealt with the aforementioned matter and the Department is currently waiting for the guidelines. Cabinet will soon announce measures in this regard, which all departments will be expected to implement. Please refer to the statement of the Cabinet meeting of 12 August 2009.

In light of the above, (a); (b); (c); (d); and (e) are not applicable.

QUESTION 1357

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 10/07/09

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 06-2009)

Dr W G James (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

Whether the results of the study of residences commissioned by his department are completed; if not, why not; if so, (a) when will it be released and (b) what are the further relevant details? NW1713E

REPLY:

The Department of Higher Education and Training will, during 2010, be undertaking a study of student housing in the public higher education system. The study will focus on the system's need for additional student housing, and on the ways in which expansion could be financed. The Department will draw on lessons learned from the 2010/11 to 2011/12 residence expansion process funded by government, institutions and the private sector. The implementation of these expansion plans will lead to the number of student housing places rising by 7 000 by the 2011 academic year, from the current total of 100 000. This expansion programme includes provision for the major renovation of 2 000 existing residence places, primarily in smaller rural universities.

QUESTION 124

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 12/06/09

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 02 - 2009):

Mr. G. G. Boinamo (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

Whether he has met with any stakeholders to discuss the problems pertaining to (a) students not permitted to write examinations if they have not paid their study fees, (b) the banning of student organisations and (c) the issuing of study material at Unisa; if not, why not; if so, (i) when and (ii) what were the outcomes of these meetings?

NW134E

REPLY:

Yes I have met with stakeholders. Assuming that the question relates to Unisa, I have met the Vice-chancellor.

(a) We agreed with the Vice-chancellor that this requirement will be waived and we are given to understand that this has been done.

(b) We are not aware of any student organisations being banned.

(i) Not applicable

(ii) Not applicable

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

WRITTEN TO ORAL REPLY

QUESTION 916

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 21/08/09

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 10-2009)

Dr WG James (DA) to ask the Minister of Minister of Higher Education and Training:

1. Whether his Director-General signed a performance contract with him; if not, why not; if so, when;

2. Whether all senior managers in his department signed performance contracts with the Director-General; if not, (a) which senior managers did not sign, (b) for what reason and (c) when will it be done; if so, on which date each senior manager sign a performance contract? NW1072E

REPLY:

1 No, the Director-General assumed duty on 1 September 2009, however, she is in the process of signing the performance agreement and it will still be finalised and submitted within three months from her date of assumption of duty.

2. No, not all senior managers signed performance agreements with the Director-General

(a) The following senior managers did not sign the performance contracts:

 Mabizela M

 Motaung N

(b) Performance Agreement of Mabizela M is in the process of being signed and will be forwarded to the DPSA soon, and that of Motaung N is delayed owing to changes in her job description.

(c) As soon as the Director-General has taken a final decision on the matters raised in the official's new job description, the contract will be finalised.

QUESTION 1648

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 09/10/09

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 20-2009)

Mr I M Ollis (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(1) Whether all (a)(i) offices and (ii) sites of his department and (b) entities reporting to him adhere to the Occupational Health and Safety Act, Act 85 of 1993; if not, (aa) why not, (bb) which facilities fail to adhere to the Act, (cc) where are they situated and (dd) what (aaa) aspects of the Act does each such facility not comply with and (bbb) action has been taken in each case; if so, what are the relevant details;

(2) (a) how often should each facility be inspected and (b) when last was each facility inspected? NW2054E

REPLY:

(1) (a) (i) and (ii) The Department of Higher Education is not fully functional yet and is currently making use of the facilities and resources of the Department of Education. The Department of Education Higher is accommodated in one of the three buildings occupied by the Department of Education, in Central Pretoria and all these adhere to the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

(b) CHE, SAQA and UMALUSI, are entities that report to the Minister for Higher Education and Training. They all adhere to the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

(2). The Act does not specify how frequent inspections must take place.

The Landlord does inspect monthly and the internal Office Services at least weekly

QUESTION 1165

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 11/09/09

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 16-2009)

Dr W G James (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

Whether his department uses temporary employment services and/or labour brokers; if so, (a) why, (b) how many positions have been filled by temporary employment services in the (i) 2006- 07, (ii) 2007-08 and (iii) 2008-09 financial years, (c) what percentage of the total staff complement did temporary employment services contribute in each of these years and (d) how much money has been spent on temporary employment services in each year?NW1500E

REPLY:

The Department of Higher Education and Training does not make use of temporary employment services and/or labour brokers.

a. Not Applicable

b. Not Applicable

c. Not Applicable

d. Not Applicable

QUESTION 460

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 10/07/09 (INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 06 - 2009)

The Leader of the Opposition (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

In each of the past three years up to the latest specified date for which information is available, how many engineers (a) graduated and (b) registered with the Engineering Council of South Africa to increase the acquisition of priority skills as required by Joint Initiative on Priority Skills Acquisition (Jipsa) programmes?

NW521E

REPLY:

(a)

Year	2005	2006	2007
Total Engineering Graduates	6624	7714	8381

(b)

Year	2005	2006	2007
Total Engineering Registrations	5488	6090	6384
Source: Engineering Council SA

QUESTION 376

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 03/07/09

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 05-2009)

Dr. WG James (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(1) Whether a function was held by his department to celebrate his appointment as minister; if so, (a) how much did the function cost, (b) what is the breakdown of the cost and (c) how many guests attended the function;

(2) Whether there were any related costs for the travel and accommodation of guests; if so, (a) what were the costs and (b) what was the breakdown of these costs?

NW436E

REPLY:

(1) There was no function held by the Department to celebrate the appointment of the Minister of Higher Education and Training

(a) Not applicable. (b) Not applicable. (c) Not applicable.

(2) Not applicable. (a) Not applicable. (b) Not applicable

QUESTION 977
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 28/08/09
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 12-2009)
Dr W G James (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

Whether he has taken any steps with regard to suspending import duties or on finding other means of reducing the cost of imported prescribed text books for university students, especially in the disciplines of science and medicine; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW1178E

REPLY:

I would like to recommend that the Minister of Trade and Industry be approached for a reply as tariffs and related duties are determined by the Ministry of Trade and Industry in consultation with the International Trade and Administration Commission. I will however explore this possibility in the near future and ask my officials to consult with the Department of Trade and Industry

QUESTIONS FOR WRITTEN REPLY

FRIDAY, 23 OCTOBER 2009

[No 24 – 2009] First Session, Fourth Parliament

1841. Dr W G James (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

Whether there are any plans to re-open the Giyani College of Education in Limpopo; if not, why not; if so, what plans?

REPLY:

The facilities of the former Giyani College of Education are currently being used by the Limpopo Department of Education for purposes other than teacher education. The Department of Higher Education and Training and the Limpopo Department of Education have not discussed the future use of these facilities as a site for training teachers.

However, given the importance of increasing the number of quality teachers trained by universities, and colleges previously incorporated into universities, the Ministry of Higher Education and Training has approved a range of projects designed to increase the intake and output of teacher training graduates. In this regard, funding of R474 million has been allocated to 19 universities for the 2010/11 and 2011/12 financial years, while a further R139 million will be added by institutions, making the total available for this initiative R 613 million. The commitment made by universities is to increase, by 2012 compared to their 2007, their enrolments of new (or first time entering) Bachelor of Education enrolments by 1 000, and their new Postgraduate Certificate in Education enrolments by 700. This annual total of 1 700 additional new students would, over a 4 year period, raise the total of students in teacher training in universities by a total of over 4 000, compared to the 2007 enrolment total.

QUESTIONS FOR WRITTEN REPLY

FRIDAY, 23 OCTOBER 2009

[No 24 – 2009] First Session, Fourth Parliament

1840. Dr W G James (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(1) In respect of each version of the 2008-09 annual report of his department and the annual reports of each statutory and other entity reporting to his department, (a) what was the (i) budgeted cost, (ii) actual cost and (iii) breakdown of cost in respect of (aa) printing, (bb) graphic design, (cc) other costs and (dd) unit cost of each annual report and (b) how many copies of each were (i) produced and (ii) distributed;

(2) whether any version of the abovementioned reports was retracted or withdrawn; if so, (a) how many times were each annual report withdrawn or retracted, (b) what (i) were the reasons for each withdrawal or retraction and (ii) was the amount spent on each version and (c) how many copies were withdrawn in each case;

(3) how was the decision taken to award the contract to the (a) graphic design company and (b) printing company;

(4) whether (a) his department or (b) any of those public entities that fall under his department held a function on tabling their 2008-09 annual report; if so, in each case (i) what was the name of the public entity, (ii) how much did the function cost, (iii) what is the breakdown of that cost, (iv) where was the function held and (v) how many guests were invited?

(1) The Department of Higher Education and Training only came into effect in May 2009, therefore no Annual Report has been developed or tabled during the period mentioned. Therefore questions 2-4 are not applicable to DoHET

REPLY regarding entities that report to the Minister of Higher Education and Training.

QUESTION (1a)	i) Public Entity Budgeted cost of the Annual Report	ii) Actual cost of the Annual Report	iii) Breakdown of cost in respect of
PUBLIC ENTITY			Printing	Graphic Design	Other costs	Unit cost of each Annual Report
Council on Higher Education (CHE)	140 000	139 701	92 545	20 000	27 156	139,70
National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS)	367 382	228 601	154 200	39 923	34 478	226,00
South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA)	250 000	209 833	125 416	71 980	12 437	67,78

Question (1b)	i) How many copies were produced?	ii) How many copies were distributed
Public Entity	2008/09	2008/09
CHE	1 000	1 000
NSFAS	1 010	510
SAQA	3 000	2 505

	CHE	NSFAS	SAQA
QUESTION 2 (b)	NO version retracted or withdrawn from Parliament	NO version retracted or withdrawn from Parliament	NO version retracted or withdrawn from Parliament

QUESTION 3	Tender Evaluation Method: Price, HDI, WE, Disability, SMME, Skills Emp, HR, Community, Locality, Rural Area	For graphic design, a request for proposals were sent out to suppliers on the supplier database and for printing quotations were requested through design companies	One company was contracted to do design, layout, editing and printing. The contract was awarded after an open tender was advertised. 21 companies sent in bids and the contract was awarded to the company that scored the highest points in the tender evaluation process.

QUESTION 4 (b)	No function held.	No function held.	No function held.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

FOR WRITTEN REPLY

QUESTION 1839

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 23/10/2009

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 22-2009)

Dr W G James (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(1) Whether (a) he, (b) any specified officials and (c) any other persons have been issued with a government or official credit card; if so, what are the relevant details for him and each holder of a credit card in respect of the (i) name, (ii) job title, (iii) credit limit, (iv) outstanding amount as at the latest specified date for which information is available, (v) monthly expenses incurred for each month since receiving the credit card, (vi) reason for such persons being issued with a credit card and (vii) uses that such a credit card is intended for;

(2) whether any such credit cards are over their credit limit; if so, (a) whose credit cards are over the limit and (b) what is the reason for the credit cards exceeding the limit;

(3) whether any action has been taken against such persons for exceeding their credit card limits; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW2398E

REPLY:

(1) (a), (b) & (c): No

(1) (i) to (vii): Not applicable

(2) (a) and (b): Not applicable

(3) Not applicable.

QUESTION 92

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 08/06/09

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 01-2009)

Mr AM Mpontshane (IFP) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

Whether his department has taken any steps with regard to the high number of outstanding loans owed to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) and the impact this is having on both students and administrators; if not, why not; if so, what steps?

NW95E

REPLY:

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is currently recovering approximately R40 million per month in loan repayments from past student debtors. The total recovered from loans, including interest in 2008 was R616 million. The recovered funds are reallocated to fund new students in the subsequent year. The amount is significant against the total budget of R2.496 billion for 2009.

The scheme has however identified the need to responsibly maximize the recovery of outstanding loans from all eligible debtors. Through its partnership with the South African Revenue Services, NSFAS is able to track students who secure formal employment and who are then registered on the Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE) taxpayer register. In this regard, one of the strategic goals of the NSFAS for the period 2009 to 2011 is to review its loan recovery strategy.

As part of the terms of reference of the review of the Scheme, the committee will also assess the nature and extent of former and current students indebted and blacklisted by NSFAS and universities, and to recommend appropriate action to be taken to deal with the problem. This Committee has commenced its work and will provide the Minister of Higher Education and Training with a report before the end of 2009. The report will be published for public comment.

QUESTION 579

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 10/07/09

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 06 - 2009)

Dr. W G James (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

What has been the (a) expected and (b) actual number of graduates at each (i) university, (ii) technikon and (iii) further education and training (FET) colleges, in each of the past five years up to and including 2008?

NW645E

REPLY:

UNIVERSITIES AND TECHNIKONS

INSTITUTION NAME	Actual 2003	Actual 2004
UNIVERSITIES
University of Cape Town	5.1	5.2
University of Durban Westville	1.9	(2)
University of Fort Hare	0.9	1.2
Medical University of South Africa	0.8	0.7
University of Natal	7.6	(2)
University of the North	1.1	1.5
University of the Free State	4.5	5.1
University of Port Elizabeth	2.9	4.2
Potchefstroom University	6.0	(3)
University of Pretoria	9.2	10.7
Rand Afrikaans University	5.8	7.1
Rhodes University	2.4	1.7
University of South Africa	10.6	14.5
University of Stellenbosch	5.3	5.3
University of the Western Cape	2.2	2.3
University of Witwatersrand	4.1	4.7
University of Zululand	1.9	2.1
Vista University	2.4	(4)
University of Transkei	1.4	1.1
University of the North West	1.1	(3)
University of Venda	1.3	1.3
University of KwaZulu-Natal		8.3
North West University		9.6
Sub Total: Universities	78.5	86.6

INSTITUTION NAME	Actual 2003	Actual 2004
TECHNIKONS
Cape Technikon	3.1	3.4
Technikon Northern Gauteng	1.6	(5)
Mangosuthu Technikon	0.9	0.9
ML Sultan Technikon	(1)	(1)
Natal Technikon	(1)	(1)
Technikon Free State	1.4	1.9
Peninsula Technikon	2.1	2.2
Port Elizabeth Technikon	2.0	1.9
Technikon Pretoria	6.0	(5)
Technikon SA	2.7	(6)
Vaal Triangle Technikon	2.1	2.3
Technikon Witwatersrand	1.9	2.1
Border Technikon	0.8	0.8
Technikon North West	0.6	(5)
Eastern Cape Technikon	1.5	1.2
Durban Institute of Technology	3.1	3.8
Tshwane University of Technology		9.8
Sub Total: Technikons	29.8	30.3
TOTAL: UNIVERSITIES AND TECHNIKONS	108.3	116.9

NUMBER OF GRADUATES AND OUTPUT TARGETS ( '000 )
Institution	Actual 2005	Actual 2006	Actual 2007	2010 target: approved October 2007 (A)
Cape Peninsula University of Technology	5.7	6.8	6.9	7.0
University of Cape Town	6.1	5.3	5.4	6.2
Central University of Technology	2.1	2.3	2.3	2.4
Durban University of Technology	4.3	4.4	4.7	4.7
University of Fort Hare	1.8	1.9	1.6	2.1
University of Free State	5.2	5.4	4.7	6.2
University of Johannesburg	10.1	10.2	9.5	10.2
University of KwaZulu-Natal	8.3	8.6	7.6	9.8
University of Limpopo	3.0	3.3	4.1	3.6
Mangosuthu Technikon	1.2	1.9	1.8	1.6
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University	5.4	4.9	6.0	5.9
North West University	7.7	9.8	11.3	10.1
University of Pretoria	11.6	11.4	10.9	11.9
Rhodes University	2.1	1.9	1.8	2.1
University of South Africa	14.1	13.8	14.3	20.3
University of Stellenbosch	5.5	5.6	5.7	6.2
Tshwane University of Technology	9.4	9.1	9.8	10.1
Vaal University of Technology	2.3	2.4	2.7	3.0
University of Venda	1.6	1.8	1.9	1.9
Walter Sisulu University	2.7	3.5	3.0	3.6
University of the Western Cape	3.0	2.8	3.1	4.0
University of the Witwatersrand	5.0	4.9	5.4	6.4
University of Zululand	2.1	2.2	2.0	2.6
TOTAL	120.3	124.2	126.5	141.9

(A) NOTES: The graduate targets for 2010 are based on agreed upon targets with the institutions and approved by the Minister in 2007.

Notes:

(1) See Durban Institute of Technology

(2) See University of KwaZulu-Natal

(3) See North West University

(4) Campuses Incorporated into University of Pretoria, RAU

University of the Free State, University of Port Elizabeth, Technikon Free State,

Potchefstroom University and UNISA

(5) See Tshwane University of Technology

(6) See University of South Africa

FET COLLEGE GRADUATES: 2004 – 2008

Year	Nr of Passes
2004	135337
2005	138122
2006	152484
2007	132256
2008	127335

NOTES: The above figures reflect those students who passed 7 subjects. Students who passed 5 and 6 subjects out of the 7 were excluded.

QUESTION 588

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 07/08/09

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 07-2009)

Mr M J Ellis (DA) to the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(1) Whether the SA Qualifications Authority Standards Generating Body (SGB) task team has been constituted; if not, why not; if so, (a) who was appointed to the task team and (b) what are their qualifications;

(2) whether the task team has commenced with the standards generating body process; if not, why not; if so, (a) what are the relevant details and (b) when will the process be completed? NW650E

REPLY:

(1) The South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) has not constituted any Standards Generating Body (SGB) task team, as these structures are already established in terms of the National Standards Body Regulations. In terms of these regulations 12 National Standards Bodies and 152 Standards Generating Bodies were established and are operational since 1999. Some of the SGBs have since been disestablished upon completion of their tasks.

(2) This is not applicable as there no task team has been established as per the response above.

QUESTION 1799

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 16/10/09

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 22-2009)

Mr J H van der Merwe (IFP) to ask the Minister of Higher Education:

1. Whether remedial action will be taken with regard to Unisa's policy of only (a) issuing degree and diploma certificates in English and (b) hosting graduation ceremonies in English; if not, why not, in each case; if so, what are the relevant details in each case;

2. Whether he will make a statement on the matter? NW2300E

REPLY:

1. Unisa recognizes that the country has eleven official languages, and English is but one of them. However, fiscal constraints militate against the University hosting graduation ceremonies in all eleven languages and for practical and operational purposes, Unisa graduation ceremonies are hosted in English. For internal purposes, Unisa has a Language Policy that we, believe, will eventually lead to practical multi-lingualism. As a matter of interest, Unisa is in the process of establishing an Academy of African Languages and Science, the aim being to give practical effect to the use of languages other than English and Afrikaans, to be used as languages of science.

However, with specific reference to the award for doctoral degrees, where the thesis has been submitted in Afrikaans and the student indicates a preference for Afrikaans, the citation which accompanies the award of the degree, is read by the supervisor in Afrikaans during the graduation ceremony. (To date, Unisa has not had any doctoral thesis submitted in languages other than English and Afrikaans). In the event any student presents in Afrikaans, the awards is also presented in Afrikaans (This has not happened with other languages). This is easily and usually the case, where such students have received their degrees with distinction.

In addition, Unisa will prepare and award a graduation certificate in any of the eleven languages if a request for same were made by any of the graduation students. Again, however, to date, Unisa has not received a request of such a nature.

2. The issue of the language used on certificates and at graduation ceremonies is part of the wider debate on language policy at higher education institutions. The Department of Education has published policy to give effect to the provisions of the Constitution. The Language in Education Policy (1997) and the Language Policy for Higher Education (2002) were designed to promote multilingualism in the education sector.

Their aim is to ensure that all South African languages are "developed to their full capacity while at the same time ensuring that the existing languages of instruction (English and Afrikaans) do not serve as a barrier to access and success." Amongst other matters receiving my attention, close monitoring of the implementation of the above forms part of the work of the Department.

QUESTION 1065

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 04/09/09

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 14-2009)

Dr W G James (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

What is the present staff establishment of his department;

Whether any new positions have been or will be created; if so, (a) when, (b) how many and (c) which positions;

Whether there are any vacancies that need to be filled; if so, (a) how many, (b) at what level and (c) when will they be filled? NW1326E

REPLY:

1. The staff establishment of the Department of Higher Education and Training is currently under consideration.

2. It is envisaged that new positions will have to be created especially in the field of the corporate services function.

According to the Department of Public Service and Administration staff establishments of newly created departments should be finalised by the end of October 2009.

It is not yet clear how many new positions need to be created as the staff establishment is still under consideration.

Please see explanation under 2 (b).

It is envisaged that vacancies will occur that need to be filled. It is however at this stage not clear how many and at what level.

QUESTION 24

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 08/06/09

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 01-2009)

Mr GG Boinamo (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Education:

1. Whether is department's initiative of merging institutions of higher learning has produced the desired outcomes; if so, what is the breakdown of the (a) success of each of these tertiary institutions mergers and (b) impact it has had on (i) transformation and (ii) restructuring of higher education; if not, what is the breakdown of all institutions of higher learning that have emerged and failed to produce desired outcomes,

2. Whether his department has taken any steps to rectify this situation, if not, why not; if so, what steps? NW25E

REPLY:

The Department of Education has been supporting, monitoring and evaluating the progress of mergers and incorporations to ensure the goals and objectives of the restructuring process are realised. A recent priority has been to provide technical and financial assistance to develop and rehabilitate the physical infrastructure of institutions. In this regard, I allocated for the triennium 2007/08 to 2009/10, R3 856 million, for infrastructure development and efficiency gains to higher education institutions. These funds are being used to build or renovate student residences, lecture theaters, libraries and laboratories, as well as improve enrolments and graduation rates in scarce and critical skills.

While the outcomes of mergers are generally long term, the mergers have necessitated different approaches in the context of individual institutional requirements and adjustments have had to be made in light of the continuous monitoring and evaluation of the process. As an example, the former MEDUNSA will be retained as a separate campus of the University of Limpopo in Ga-Rankuwa and not re-locate to Polokwane as initially proposed. Currently, the Department is providing technical support and advice to the Universityof Limpopo in the physical development of the respective campuses.

Although progress toward the merger goals has not always been even during the past five years, by August 2009 all the institutions had achieved the desired levels of integration as depicted in the indicative table below. Other areas of successful integration include ICT, finance, student administration and facilities.

QUESTION 1404

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 25/09/09

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 18-2009)

Mr AP van der Westhuizen (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(1) When will the funding model for further education and training (FET) colleges be implemented in full;

(2) Whether the funding model will enable FET colleges to expand their offering of more courses, such as those needed for the training of technicians; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;

(3) Whether he will make a statement on the matter?

REPLY:

In terms of Gazette 32010 of 16 March 2009, the funding model for FET Colleges will be implemented in full from 1 April 2010.

(2) The colleges will be able to expand their offering of more courses. The funding norms are focussed on the division of State funding into approved programmes. The current list of approved programmes consists of the NC(V) programmes, NQF Levels 2 to 4. These programmes were developed based on the priority skills areas as identified in 2006 and 2007 via the ASGISA and JIPSA processes. The approval of new programmes is an annual cycle which is initiated by the FET Colleges. The approved programme list with the relevant funding weights and programme costs is then circulated to the colleges by July of each year.

(3) The content of these replies are already in the public domain and no statement is necessary. QUESTION 1956

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 23/10/2009

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 22-2009)

Dr A Lotriet (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(1) Whether his department provides additional financial support to higher education institutions where more than one language has to be provided for as a language of instruction; if so, what are the relevant details; if not,

(2) whether he intends providing such financial support; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;

(3) whether only historically Afrikaans universities are expected to provide education in more than one medium of instruction; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the (a) reasons in this regard and (b) further relevant details? NW2520E

REPLY:

The funding formula that distributes public funding to public higher education institutions currently does not allocate funds to institutions that provide tuition in more than one language of teaching and learning. The Department of Higher Education and Training however has funded, through donor support a number of projects that support multi-lingualism in higher education institutions.

There are currently no plans to revise the subsidy allocation formula to the delivery of teaching and learning in more than one language.

The Ministry of Education published the Language in Education Policy (1997) and the Language Policy for Higher Education (2002), which are designed to promote multilingualism in the education sector. Their aim is to ensure that all South African languages are "developed to their full capacity while at the same time ensuring that the existing languages of instruction (English and Afrikaans) do not serve as a barrier to access and success." Universities have the prerogative to develop and determine their language policies, consistent with the above policies in terms of the Higher Education Act. It is thus the choice of individual institutions to have more than one language of teaching and learning.

QUESTIONS FOR WRITTEN REPLY

FRIDAY, 23 OCTOBER 2009

[No 24 – 2009] First Session, Fourth Parliament

1956. Dr A Lotriet (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(2) whether he intends providing such financial support; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;

(1) The funding formula that distributes public funding to public higher education institutions currently does not allocate funds to institutions that provide tuition in more than one language of teaching and learning. The Department of Higher Education and Training however has funded, through donor support a number of projects that support multi-lingualism in higher education institutions.

(2) There are currently no plans to revise the subsidy allocation formula to the delivery of teaching and learning in more than one language. However, the Ministerial Statement on Higher Education Funding for 2010/11 does indicate a review of the subsidy allocation formula.

(3) The Ministry of Education published the Language in Education Policy (1997) and the Language Policy for Higher Education (2002), which are designed to promote multilingualism in the education sector. Their aim is to ensure that all South African languages are "developed to their full capacity while at the same time ensuring that the existing languages of instruction (English and Afrikaans) do not serve as a barrier to access and success." Universities have the prerogative to develop and determine their language policies, consistent with the above policies in terms of the Higher Education Act. It is thus the choice of individual institutions to have more than one language of teaching and learning.

QUESTION 1672

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 16/10/09

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 22-2009)

Dr W G James (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

REPLY:

(i) Not applicable

(ii) Not applicable

(a) Not applicable

(b) Not applicable

Source file

RNW2009-091229.docx

29 December 2009 - Question:Minister of Higher Education

MPs to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training

Reply:

Source file

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