Hansard: Appropriation Bill Debate on Vote No 17 – Higher Education and Training
House: National Assembly
Date of Meeting: 08 May 2013
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Minutes
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Wednesday, 8 May 2013 Take: 324
WEDNESDAY, 8 May 2013
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
____________
The House met at 14:02.
House Chairperson Mr C T Frolick took the Chair and requested members to observe a moment of silence for prayer or meditation.
The MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Wednesday, 8 May 2013 Take: 324
START OF DAY
APPROPRIATION BILL
Debate on Vote No 17 – Higher Education and Training:
The MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING: Thank you very much, hon Chairperson. Hon Deputy President, Cabinet colleagues, chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training, as well as hon members of the committee, all Members of Parliament, Director-General and staff of the department, heads and executives of all our postschool institutions, and my family, I would like to quickly introduce the following persons. All my guests are very important today, but there are two that I would like to highlight.
The first one is Samkelo Radebe, a 24-year-old South African who was a paralympic gold medallist in London. [Applause.] He burnt both his hands at a young age, but is now doing LLB fourth year. It is his birthday today – happy birthday, Samkelo! [Applause.] We plan to make him our career guidance ambassador.
The second special guest is Mrs Corlia Olivier, foster mother to Anene Booysen who was sexually assaulted and brutally murdered at Bredasdorp. Together with the Construction Education and Training Authority, Ceta, we have established the Anene Booysen Skills Development Centre to give hope especially to coloured youth in Bredasdorp and the Western Cape in general. [Applause.]
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Bantu Education Act which introduced and systematised the racist system of education aimed at severely restricting the educational opportunities of black people. Most of our government's efforts with regard to education since 1994 have been aimed at overcoming this burdensome legacy together with the entire oppressive inheritance of colonialism and apartheid.
Great progress has been made over the past 19 years in expanding access to and gaining success in postschool education and training, but much still needs to be done. We must not forget the past – not because we want to use it as an excuse, but because it keeps at the forefront of our thoughts the transformation that is still necessary in order to overcome this legacy.
Education at all levels remains a top priority of the South African government. The Department of Higher Education and Training, responsible for postschool education and training, has been steadily building a single, coherent, differentiated and highly articulated postschool education and training system.
For the 2013 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF, the department's budget, excluding direct charges, increases at an annual average rate of 7,8% over the three years, from R31,6 billion in 2012-13 to R39,5 billion in 2015-16. The amount of R34,3 billion for 2013-14 is an increase of R2,7 billion, or 8,6%, on the 2012-13 allocation, excluding funds from the skills levy. The skills levy, which is channelled through the Sector Education and Training Authorities and the National Skills Fund, NSF, is expected to increase at an average annual rate of 9,1% over the three years from R11,4 billion in 2012-13 to R14,8 billion in 2015-16.
Approximately a million young people leave school every year, and should be absorbed into postschool education or directly into the workforce if they are not to be unemployed. In the first quarter of 2013, as you know, 3,5 million between the ages of 15 and 24 were not absorbed into employment, education or training and many adults also find themselves in a similar predicament.
One of the highest priorities of my department is to ensure that the large numbers of these youth are given postschool education and training opportunities that will improve their employability. Policies to achieve our objectives will be set out in a White Paper on Post-School Education and Training which I expect to be ready in the next few months.
Our top priority is to expand and improve the quality of further education and training colleges, soon to be renamed technical and vocational education and training, TVET, colleges. Our message to South Africans that FET colleges should be institutions of choice is starting to bear fruit. For the 2012 academic year we set a target of 550 000 student headcount enrolments. However, a total of 657 690 was achieved, representing an increase of 54% over the preceding year. Over the 2013 MTEF period, we have allocated R17,4 billion to ensure that FET college enrolments continue on this expansion trajectory.
This includes investment in FET college infrastructure in order to turn college campuses into learning, information and communications technology, sports, entertainment and business incubation centres. Though, Deputy President, no one is allowed to mention Maluti FET College today! [Laughter.]
In 2012 we provided financial assistance through the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, NSFAS, to 187 497 FET college students, exceeding our projection of 180 000 students for the year. To cater for the expansion in student enrolments in FET colleges, we have set aside R6,3 billion over the 2013 MTEF period, beginning with R1,98 billion in 2013 and culminating in R2,2 billion in 2015. This will enable us to ensure greater access to education and training opportunities for 702 000 poor and academically capable young people over the three-year period.
Currently postschool education and training institutions are unevenly distributed across the country, with rural areas being particularly poorly served. In order to correct this spatial distribution, the President last year announced the availability of R2,5 billion for infrastructure expansion and refurbishment. Last year I also committed to establishing 12 new campuses. I am now pleased to report that construction of these campuses will start this year and the first student intake in the new campuses will be in 2014. [Applause.] In addition we are upgrading two existing campuses. This represents the first phase of our FET college infrastructure expansion and should cater for up to 28 000 additional students next year.
The R2,5 billion – this is an additional R2,5 billion – that we have set aside for capacity building and programmes has been allocated to FET colleges to focus on expansion of enrolment, on which we are going to spend R2 billion, building institutional capacity which will need just under R400 million, and upgrading of equipment which will need just under R200 million.
Building the institutional capacity of the colleges is essential and we are drawing on the expertise in professional councils to assist us. During 2012 we developed the Further Education and Training (FET) Colleges Turnaround Strategy, which focused on building college capacity in management, governance and leadership, and financial management, amongst other things.
With the assistance of the SA Institute of Chartered Accountants, Saica, we are pleased to say that we have now appointed 48 chartered accountants as chief financial officers at FET colleges, with the remaining two colleges to receive their appointments shortly. [Applause.] Also in partnership with Saica, the department has appointed 20 human resources specialists to support clusters of colleges in setting up proper systems in human resource management.
We have also agreed to a partnership with the Engineering Council of South Africa, partly using the structures of the Human Resource Development Council, led by our Deputy President, in order to improve the FET curriculum, make it more relevant to the world of work, and facilitate articulation into higher education. In addition, our department is developing an FET college-based maths and science foundation programme that will enable young people to take up university studies or continue in college in the engineering, science and technology fields. We expect this programme to be piloted as from next year. [Applause.]
During the 2013-14 financial year we will ensure that each college has structures that enable the learning institution to function optimally. This includes the filling of all vacant senior management posts, the appointment of college councils and the election of student leadership.
An analysis of the current funding framework for FET colleges and public adult learning centres has brought me to the conclusion that the framework is inconsistent with the vision of an integrated yet differentiated postschool education and training system. To remedy this anomaly I will soon be setting up a ministerial committee to advise me on how best to fund the TVET system and the envisaged community colleges, both from the fiscus and levy funds. For that, cheers, ...
IsiZulu:
... nilalele nina enihlezi ngapha. [Ihlombe.]
English:
At the beginning of this year I published a notice in the Government Gazette which effectively transfers authority over FET college management staff from the provincial departments of education to the Department of Higher Education and Training with effect from 1 April 2013. To finalise the migration process, in the course of 2013-14 parties in the Education Labour Relations Council, the General Public Service Sector Bargaining Council, and the Further Education and Training Colleges Bargaining Unit will negotiate to finalise the necessary collective agreements.
Census 2011 provides a sobering reminder of the need to pay attention to adult education and training. The census indicates that there are potentially 18 million adult learners that the education system should address. The Further Education and Training Colleges Amendment Act provides for the creation of a new institutional type, to be known as community education and training colleges, called CET colleges. The present public adult learning centres will in time be absorbed into these community colleges, with additional staff and facilities provided, so that they have offerings that respond to community needs. I have published for public comment the report of a task team which made recommendations for the community colleges. In 2015 we will pilot the establishment of these community colleges in selected sectors.
On universities, I am pleased to report that there was a 12% growth rate in university enrolments from 2009 up to 2011, from 837 779 students to 938 200 in 2011. Chairperson, Deputy President and hon members, we are chasing the million mark, which will help us to reach a total enrolment of 1,62 million by 2030, as envisaged in the National Development Plan, NDP.
Overall, the number of university graduates for this period has also increased by 11%. The number of postgraduates increased at a higher rate than the overall graduation rate. This is important because it is on postgraduates that we depend for our future academics, researchers and other leaders in knowledge-intensive professions. Research master's graduates increased by 26% and doctoral graduates increased by 15% between 2009 and 2011.
In my view though, this is quite insufficient to meet our needs, and is not really comparable with other leading developing countries, let alone developed ones. Deputy President, in line with your request, our department, together with the Department of Science and Technology, will soon be presenting a comprehensive programme for significantly increasing the number of master's and doctoral graduates in South Africa. We hope we are going to get more doctorates from that side of the House as well, because we have quite a number on this side! [Applause.]
Linked to the expansion of the university system is the establishment of the two new universities in Mpumalanga and the Northern Cape. Much preparatory work has been done, and I now expect to establish the two institutions as legal entities next month. R2,1 billion has been earmarked for the development of the universities over the next three years. Both universities will open their doors in 2014 in selected academic programmes, using existing buildings. We will be holding architectural competitions for the design of the main facilities, and we will be launching these sites for construction in September this year.
Progress has also been made in separating the campus of the Medical University of Southern Africa, Medunsa, from the University of Limpopo, and in establishing a new university incorporating the Medunsa campus. This new university will be a comprehensive university of health and allied sciences, including veterinary science and dentistry. In the next few weeks I will publish my intention to establish this university and invite public comments. [Applause.]
At the beginning of this year I successfully established a Central Application Clearing House as the first phase towards the central application system. The Deputy Minister will further elaborate on this matter.
Last November I received a report from the working group on fee-free university education and I am studying its recommendations. I am preparing a submission to Cabinet to implement the ANC Mangaung Conference resolution to phase in fee-free education. [Applause.]
IsiZulu:
Sesikhuluma njengeqembu elibusayo manje elikhethwe ngabantu. [Ihlombe.]
English:
With regard to funding more broadly, I have received a comprehensive report from the Ministerial Committee on the Review of the Funding of Universities which will be published soon. We will model the various recommendations and develop a revised funding framework before the end of this financial year. The framework must ensure an effectively funded and strengthened university sector. Our aim is to ensure that all institutions, particularly those that service the poor, are able to offer quality higher education.
Teaching and learning are at the heart of our university system. An amount of R575 million has been allocated to all universities for teaching development grants to assist in improving graduate outputs and R205 million for foundation programmes to improve the success rates of students from disadvantaged educational backgrounds. A teaching development policy framework will be implemented and we will be initiating some programmes in the coming year.
In addition, R177 million for research development has been allocated to all 23 universities to develop the research capabilities of university staff, including the production of master's degrees and PhDs.
I must say I am extremely concerned about the allegations of "sex for marks" practices at our higher education institutions, which mainly affect our female students. This happens where male lecturers demand sex in order to pass some of the female students. This must be strongly condemned and in dealing with this I will be asking the Oversight Committee on Transformation in the South African Public Universities to investigate these allegations and provide me with recommendations. [Applause.]
My department has continued to prioritise the expansion and strengthening of teacher education for all education subsectors, including preschooling, schooling and postschooling. Additional resources have resulted in an increase from just under 6 000 new teacher graduates in 2008 to 10 361 in 2011, an increase of 73% in the number of new teachers that graduate annually. We expect to exceed 14 000 new teacher graduates by 2015.
Plans are progressing to open new teacher education college campuses under the jurisdiction of existing universities. The Siyabuswa Teacher Education Campus was opened in Mpumalanga this year. It is being managed as part of the University of Johannesburg, but will later be transferred to the new university in Mpumalanga. [Applause.] Processes to establish new teacher education campuses are in place, and we will open one each in KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape and Limpopo this year.
I have extended the period of the infrastructure grant to universities from two to three years, increasing the R3,8 billion to R6 billion over the period 2012-13 to 2014-15. This includes amounts aimed at overcoming backlogs in historically disadvantaged institutions. Through co-funding, institutions will contribute a further R2 billion over this period to bring the total investment in university infrastructure to R8 billion. [Applause.] This is concrete proof that President Zuma is serious about investment in infrastructure in our country. [Applause.]
I have gazetted for comment a draft Policy on Student Housing at Public Universities. Minister Sexwale, this policy will require universities to improve student housing in many areas, such as governance, maintenance and admission for first years. It will also set minimum standards for a proper living and learning environment for students across the sector. For the period 2012-13 to 2014-15 I have allocated R1,6 billion for universities to build and refurbish student residences. What is more important about this is that 86% of this funding is going to historically disadvantaged institutions. [Applause.] We are also negotiating with the Public Investment Corporation and the Development Bank of Southern Africa to get additional funding for student accommodation.
Although our public university system as a whole is relatively stable, I have been compelled to take action in some institutions to ensure their integrity and proper functioning in the face of corruption or maladministration. This has included putting universities under administration. I refuse – I repeat, I refuse – to be intimidated by those who say this violates university autonomy but ignore the need for universities to be publicly accountable.
IsiZulu:
Ngiyinsizwa yakwaDambuza mina ngifuna ukubazisa [Uhleko] ukuthi ngeke ngithuswe ngabantu abangazifuni izinguquko kumanyuvesi akithi.
English:
I saw some of my vice-chancellors, and I wish to express the irritation I feel. Here I am sure that hon Wilmot James will agree with me. I am uncomfortable with the ease with which universities give professorships – we must maintain standards. You cannot have someone with a junior degree, who has never done any serious scholarship work, being awarded a PhD just because he fundraised for a chair in a university! That is completely unacceptable. We cannot lower our standards in that way. [Applause.] I am asking the vice-chancellors to look into this matter closely. Let us open a debate. A professor must be a professor. Asibafuni osolwazimbumbulu! [We do not want fake professors!]
On the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, I am pleased to say that our National Student Financial Aid Scheme has really increased and the amount allocated for 2013-2014 amounts to R5,769 billion. This includes R3,6 billion for loans and bursaries to universities and R1,98 billion for bursaries for further education and training. Since its establishment NSFAS has reached 1,4 million students.
The last thing that I would really like talk about briefly is the fact that we as a department have established a dedicated unit to promote work-integrated learning, so that those of our students who require workplace experience are able to get it in order to complete their qualification, or to get the very necessary 12 months of experience in the workplace – 12 months at least. We have also changed the Seta regulations, partly to facilitate this, so that we release more money, amongst other things, to resource the recently signed Youth Employment Accord. Goodbye to the DA's reactionary notion of a youth wage subsidy! [Applause.] For the first time in our history, the NSF has reached a stage where it has been able to spend all its backlogs and all the resources in its hands.
In conclusion, my sincere gratitude goes to the President and my Cabinet colleagues for their support; our Director-General; my special advisor, John Pampallis, who is being awarded an honorary doctorate at the University of Fort Hare today; ... [Applause.] ... the presiding officers who take the Chair; the members of the portfolio committee; and, as I have said, my family.
Finally, what we want to say is that all these things would not have happened if it had not been for the ANC and its government. Thank you very much. [Applause.]
Mr M I MALALE
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Wednesday, 8 May 2013 Take: 325
The MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
Mr M I MALALE: Thank you, House Chairperson. Deputy President, Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr Blade Nzimande, and your colleagues in the Cabinet, hon members, senior management from the department, and CEOs of the Setas and other entities accountable to our department, this debate takes place on the day on which the final Constitution that heralded our democracy was adopted by the Constitutional Assembly 17 years ago.
It is very important for me to raise this point for the following reasons. Last year the portfolio committee processed three pieces of legislation, including the Higher Education and Training Laws Amendment Bill. This piece of legislation ignited serious debate amongst some academics. I don't know whether that includes those who could have been awarded professorial status on the basis of getting chairs organised for auditoria in our institutions!
I would like to use this time to clarify the point that this House adopted legislation that empowered the Minister to appoint an independent assessor if in an institution there were serious allegations which related to financial impropriety, mismanagement and other unlawful practices in the university. He would be able to undertake investigations into these.
Our experience has been that in some institutions, particularly where the Minister appointed assessors, the investigators did not receive the necessary support and co-operation from the administration in order for them to be able to conduct investigations and bring recommendations for the resolution of the problems that had emanated from these institutions. Now we have intervened by way of legislation to empower the Minister to appoint an independent assessor who will be able to summons witnesses and enter into premises where evidence is alleged to be situated for the purpose of investigation.
The other power that was given to the Minister in terms of this piece of legislation was that the Minister would be able to cause the university council to undertake investigations and take action against people that were alleged to have been involved in illegal acts.
There is a serious concern that has been raised. We understand that there are some people that are galvanising university councils around the country to register a protest against this Bill, on the basis that this Act is unlawful and unconstitutional. The basis for the argument is that when there are allegations of corruption in a university, it must be left to the whim of the university council to undertake investigations. If nothing happens or gets done, we will then believe that institutional autonomy will somehow resolve our issues!
We would like to indicate that the Constitution which we celebrate today enshrines only academic freedom and scientific research as fundamental constitutional rights. It does not provide for the aspect of institutional autonomy. The issue that is being raised, of institutional autonomy, finds its expression in the Higher Education Act and people cannot utilise this notion to repel our efforts to exact transformation in our universities that have been historical enclaves of the privileged classes and strata.
We would like to indicate that as a portfolio committee we have a responsibility to exact oversight in all our universities, public further education and training, FET, colleges and Setas, to ensure that there is public accountability for the finances that are being appropriated today.
We would like to applaud the efforts of Stellenbosch University to integrate residences in the university, including expanding the entry of African students into their institution.
We would like other institutions, such as the North-West University, to emulate this good example. In our last visit as a portfolio committee to North-West University, specifically to the Potchefstroom campus, we realised that 95% of the students on that campus are lily-white. Black students are found only at the Vaal and Mahikeng campuses. It is our view that the sort of programmes that are being offered at the African campuses are of comparatively lower quality than those that are being offered at the Potchefstroom campus.
Whilst we were experiencing that sad reality, the chairperson of the Institutional Forum in that institution strangely remarked that their institution boasted 38 years of remarkable and progressive transformation. We are surprised that a leader of the Institutional Forum would have the audacity to make such a claim, when 63% of the staff complement in the institution are white, and the student leadership on that campus are being victimised on the basis of their holding views that are not congruent with those of the leadership at the institution. We think these sorts of matters have got to be raised in such a debate so that we can highlight the challenges that relate to transformation in higher education, which all of us as a society must be seized with in order to resolve them.
We commend the Minister for having raised the issue of "sex for a cause" in our universities. The people who say we must not investigate practices of this nature in our institutions suggest that when there are such practices we should twiddle our thumbs helplessly, without the ability to intervene and ensure that there is order in the institutions.
At the Polokwane 52nd National Conference we as the ANC adopted a resolution that we should strive to achieve free education. The first president of SA Students Congress, Sasco, Robinson Ramaite, in his speech delivered 20 years ago in Norway, approvingly quoted the profound, seminal assertion of Amilcar Cabral which reads as follows:
Always bear in mind that the people are not fighting for ideas, for the things in anyone's head. They are fighting to win material benefits, to live better and in peace, to see their lives go forward, to guarantee the future of their children.
In this connection, our government has seen 400 000 FET students being enrolled and studying in our institutions free of charge. We have also witnessed successful final-year university students having their loans converted into full-year cost of study. We have seen the allocation of a loan scheme that has ensured that graduates are able to receive their results, certificates and academic transcripts from their universities.
These are solid steps that give practical expression to our commitment to the progressive realisation of free education. I know that Sasco expressed concern with regard to the concept of fee-free education. The reality of the situation is that free education comes at a cost. The billions that the Minister talked about are going to be pumped into our various universities in order for them to be able to pay the staff, and expand infrastructure so that we can provide education to our people. It also gives us the responsibility to replenish these resources for future generations. That is going to be the responsibility of all of us who go through the education system.
It is notable that there are improvements of 12% in the student headcount enrolment in our universities, and 24% in such enrolment in our FET colleges and research master's graduates in various institutions. We would like to indicate in this regard that what belies these improvements is that the high band of graduate outputs is impregnated with students coming from rich families. A lot of our students from poor backgrounds are not able to pursue studies beyond undergraduate programmes because of family pressure to seek jobs, and they do not proceed to higher levels to optimise our efforts to ensure a high-skills base that will respond to the global economy.
We would like to indicate, Minister, that the construction of the two universities in Mpumalanga and the Northern Cape are against the wishes of a certain Mr Van Coller, cited in Mouton, Louw and Strydom and arguing that South Africa does not need more tertiary institutions, and also stating that there is a decline in the quality of school education and graduate unemployment, and poor research output. We would like to say that these critics want to continue entrenching the unequal distribution of educational facilities, which perpetuates inequalities inherited by the democratic government.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): Hon member, will you just take your seat please? Hon members on both sides of the House, the noise level is too high. There are too many private meetings and discussions taking place. If you wish to have your private meetings, please leave the Chamber. We need to respect the debate and the content that is currently being discussed.
Mr P J GROENEWALD: It is the ANC.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): Hon member, that includes you.
Mr M I MALALE: We agree with the Council for Higher Education in their correctly observing that the apartheid government generated a historical geography of higher education that resulted in an excessive concentration of institutions and provisioning in certain areas of the country, and an absence of readily accessible contact provision in other areas. We think the efforts to open 12 campuses will improve access to education for our people and ensure that we realise the hopes of a strong economy and also a strong base of workers.
Two weeks ago Woolworths in the Western Cape, in partnership with the Wholesale and Retail Seta, launched a project to familiarise lecturers in the public FET colleges in the Western Cape with the retail industry. We would like to applaud these efforts and urge other Setas, together with sector partners, to follow suit, in line with the National Skills Accord, which was entered into by the partners.
It will be remiss of me if I do not reflect on the concerns about the Seta grant regulations. The Seta grant regulations are intended to direct the spending of levy resources to resolve challenges around the youth that are not in education, employment or any training, and aim to ensure effective and efficient utilisation of skills development funding and surpluses or reserves thereof. The regulations are also aimed at ensuring that the bulk of the funding goes to critical and scarce skills required to improve the skills base of our country, and ultimately improve the growth of our economy. We know that there are concerns amongst service providers that used to be beneficiaries of some indefinable programmes offered by Setas in the past. The situation where 95% of skills funds were spent on private providers was wrong. There has to be a better balance, with FET colleges and universities playing a significant role.
The Department of Higher Education and Training must ensure that the Setas are no longer treated as ATMs or a predictable lottery. We are, however, not going back on our commitment to realising the objectives of the National Skills Development Strategy III and supporting the regulations that have been announced, in order to actualise our end state. This is a long-term process of reform that is in the interests of employers, industry and the economy, and the ANC is determined to see that these reforms are carried through in order to achieve the impact that we require to build a strong economy in our country.
Our FET colleges have raised concerns regarding the issuing of certificates to FET graduates. We would like to urge the Minister to ensure a response that gives clarity on this matter and also to increase the pace of efforts to bring finality to the issuing of certificates. We think this issue is also compounded by leakage of question papers in some of the FET colleges during examinations, which causes the courses that are affected to be pending in the entire system. We should be able to look at this urgently.
We should take this opportunity as the ANC to affirm our commitment to realising our objective of free education, and ensuring that we build a single, coherent and highly educative system. Thank you, Chairperson. [Applause.]
Dr A LOTRIET
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Wednesday, 8 May 2013 Take: 326
Mr M I MALALE
Dr A LOTRIET: Mr Chairperson, allow me the opportunity to start by making special mention of the Maluti FET College. Coming from my constituency, their soccer prowess is one of the few things in the further education and training sector that we can be truly proud of. [Laughter.]
It has been stated in various policy documents and speeches that university and college enrolments have to be expanded. The Minister has also alluded to this. This is to give adherence to the call in the Freedom Charter of 1955 to open the doors of learning and culture and, hon Minister, it is also imperative if we want to address the skills shortage in the country.
In my listening to the Minister's budget speech today, and in looking at the department's plans, it does seem that all the right boxes can be ticked. For example, the funds made available this past year to achieve this goal have to be commended. The funding for infrastructure, student loans and bursaries is also welcome, and will indeed improve the number of students who can enter through the doors of learning.
However, the reality is that if we look at the current undergraduate and college performance, the increase in intake is not necessarily in itself an efficient means of increasing graduate output. Given the problems in our school system, universities and FET colleges are faced with an increase of poorly prepared students. As it is, only 30% of all students entering for the first time graduate within five years. If we have funding focusing on enrolment growth, rather than on improving the educational process, the question is whether it is money well spent. The further question is whether the focus is on the numbers that have to be expanded at the input end, or it also includes efforts to improve the output by increasing the efficiency and the quality of the system.
Critical to success in any education system is quality – the quality of the curriculum and especially the quality of the teaching. Ticking the boxes is not a guarantee that quality will follow. If we look at the increase in funding made available to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, NSFAS, it does seem that NSFAS is contributing to increasing participation, but unfortunately not necessarily to increasing successful participation. The success rate of students receiving financial assistance from NSFAS is very worrying.
The way in which NSFAS is administered at some universities and FET colleges is also a point of concern. There have been a number of cases at FET colleges where the funds have been mismanaged by the college administration, and students have been left without the necessary funds to pay for transport and accommodation. Many have also been excluded because their study fees have been in arrears because NSFAS funds were not made available timeously.
At the end of last year the students at Walter Sisulu University compiled a petition, indicating their concerns regarding NSFAS bursaries and loans not paid out, and the fact that they then faced financial exclusion the next year. In fact, the problem has still not been resolved, as the students protested only a few weeks ago and the campus in Mthatha was closed down last week.
Mr Minister, the NSFAS situation has to be addressed as a matter of urgency. The new plans look wonderful on paper, but students are facing these problems now. Even though it is totally unacceptable that students protest to the extent that they damage property, there has to be some recognition of the frustration that has built up over a period of time.
Another box that can be ticked is the appointment of chartered accountants trained by the SA Institute of Chartered Accountants, Saica, as chief financial officers, CFOs, at FET colleges. This is a necessary step to address the longstanding problem of colleges without CFOs, with resultant poor financial management. However, the appointments themselves will not solve the problem. An example of this is the following. As part of this project a person was appointed as a CFO at an FET college in the Eastern Cape. This person had been implicated in financial mismanagement as a CFO at a municipality. This is definitely not going to ensure quality financial management!
The additional allocation for student accommodation is welcome. This is another box that can be ticked. The state of student accommodation at some universities is shocking and totally unfit for any person to live in. It is a tragedy that the buildings were allowed to deteriorate to this extent without any intervention. While the funds will assist in alleviating accommodation problems at the different universities, it is totally unacceptable that students were recently left destitute, without any accommodation, at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. A vast number of our students are already on the back foot as a result of coming from poor environments, and having to worry about fees, meals and their studies. They should not be left on the street or in temporary accommodation in an unsafe area. Proper student accommodation forms an important part of a transformed university sector.
That is why, Mr Minister – and I have to mention this here – it is noteworthy that this situation at the University of KwaZulu-Natal has occurred under the leadership of the vice-chancellor whom the Minister has appointed as the chairperson of the Oversight Committee on Transformation in the South African Public Universities to oversee transformation at other universities! Would it not have been better if a retired vice-chancellor had been appointed? That would have been much more appropriate and much more effective to monitor needed transformation.
Key to quality higher education and training is the quality of the teaching offered at institutions. Quality teaching requires knowledgeable, experienced and qualified lecturers. The situation at our FET colleges is dire, but another box to be ticked here is the efforts made to improve training for FET college lecturers. The policy for minimum requirements for vocational training lecturers must be welcomed. The question is, however, what processes are in place, or are going to be put in place, to ensure that all FET lecturers are upskilled.
At universities the problem facing the sector is an aging academic staff complement. The reality is that within our current higher education sector we don't have enough young academics with PhDs entering the sector. The Minister also referred to this.
A tick in another box is the two new universities that are going to be built in the Northern Cape and Mpumalanga. Funding has been made available and decisions have been taken on the academic courses that these universities will focus on, but buildings, courses and students are not enough to make these institutions viable and successful. There have to be quality teaching and research.
The need for additional academics at these institutions implies that even more postgraduate students will have to be enrolled and encouraged to work in academia – this, against the reality of an impending shortage of academics. It also implies that students who graduate with master's and doctor's degrees will have to be of a high quality and, importantly, have an interest in teaching and research. Our current PhD production is not sufficient, as the Minister also noted.
A further element of quality education and training is the relevance, quality and, importantly, level of the curricula and courses offered. It is very worrying if data shows that more than half of the students in FET colleges have already gained a Grade 12 certificate. Colleges thus have two groups of students – those who have completed Grade 12 and those who left school before reaching Grade 12, or who have failed the National Senior Certificate. This means that there is a mix of learners in one programme, and lecturers struggle to adapt to these mixed groups. The result is that students don't receive adequate support and they have to struggle with course content. The question is also whether it is an efficient use of resources when a student with Grade 12 does a course that is capped at the Grade 12 level.
Regarding the FET colleges, it is clear that much needs to be done to make them institutions of first choice. The problem is, however, that centralising colleges under the national department is not necessarily the answer, because it implies and requires capacity within the department to actually cope with this. We have seen problems with certificates not being issued, results not being released timeously, and students having to wait and not being able to enter the job market.
Afrikaans:
Alhoewel die agb Minister en sy departement in baie gevalle reg merkies kry in die blokkies om die probleme en uitdagings in ons hoëronderwysstelsel aan te spreek, beteken dit nie dat hierdie planne en strategieë tot kwaliteit onderwys sal lei nie. In die hoëronderwyssektor is dit veral belangrik om te besef dat kommissies, verslae en komitees nie noodwendig die eise gaan aanspreek nie. lmplementering van planne en aanbevelings, en voldoening aan die verwagtinge wat geskep is, gaan die gewenste verskil teweeg bring.
Dit is van kritiese belang dat ons hoëronderwyssektor nie gereduseer word tot politiek-gedienstige instellings nie. Dit is te betwyfel of transformasie komitees – nog meer verslae wat jaarliks ingedien moet word – werklik sukkelende universiteite gaan help. Wat belangrik is, is dat universiteite die vryheid moet hê om as kritiese, kreatiewe kennisskeppers by die uitdagings van die land betrokke te raak sonder dat 'n politieke swaard oor hul koppe hang.
English:
The doors of learning have to be opened, Mr Minister, and they are opening, but an open door is of no consequence or value if it leads to a shut door. It is only within the DA's open opportunity society ... [Interjections.] ... that the open door to learning will lead to even wider doors of opportunity and success. Thank you. [Applause.]
Mr B M BHANGA
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Wednesday, 8 May 2013 Take: 327
Dr A LOTRIET
Mr B M BHANGA: Thank you, hon Chairperson. Your Excellency, Deputy President, Minister and Deputy Minister, hon members, those from academia and the student leadership, I have learned that the Minister has been talking about "I" all along and he has left the "we" out - the collective responsibility of the communists. [Laughter.]
The strategic task in our approach to transforming the higher and further education landscape in our country is reflected in the Freedom Charter and the Constitution of democratic South Africa.
The Charter states:
The aim of education shall be to teach the youth to love their people and their culture, to honour human brotherhood, liberty and peace;
The above can only be achieved through promoting equity of access and a fair chance of success for all who seek to realise their potential through higher education, while eradicating all forms of unfair discrimination and advancing redress of past inequalities.
In 2009 these inequalities were still prevalent in the enrolment of students. The enrolment of the 18 to 24-year-olds in higher education was still racially divided. Sir, 60% of white students had access to higher education, compared to 11% of Africans and 7% of coloureds. Only 2,5% of Africans aged 18 to 40 were studying in 2009, compared to 10,8% of whites.
We congratulate the government on their success in expanding access to poor and needy students in both higher education and further education and training. The number of enrolments is growing as a result of the new school-leaving certificate that was introduced in 2008. I must admit that since 2009 we have had extremely changed enrolment patterns, and are indeed on track in realising the Freedom Charter's call:
Education shall be free, compulsory, universal and equal for all children;
Higher education and technical training shall be opened to all by means of state allowances and scholarships awarded on the basis of merit;
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme, NSFAS, has been extended to further education; funding has been extended to the rural poor; focused funding for research has been expanded; and funding has been made available to the Setas.
As a nation we must celebrate the above in recognition of the tireless struggles waged by the student movement in South Africa. I therefore salute student leaders like Steve Bantu Biko, Siphiwo Mtimkulu, Thamsanqa Rubusane, Sheya Kulati, Claude Qavane, Nonkululeko Mahabane and Babalwa Ntabeni for these achievements. I am from the student movement and I celebrate that as success.
What would pain these combatants is what one writer, Joel Netshitenzhe, said:
In the comfort of freedom, we have started to define normalcy as individual survival – the shifting sands of illusion that make us forget who we are and where we come from.
This is a danger to the liberation of all our people, black and white. He further states that there's a new ambition to pursue a lifestyle we cannot afford, thus getting tempted to make it by fair means or foul.
It is high time that as a country faced with the trappings of capitalism – utter greed, corruption and abuse of state power – we ask ourselves the difficult question of whether we are funding graduates who understand their collective responsibility in building a winning nation, national pride, and addressing the poverty that confronts the majority of all our people, or we are funding graduates who will hold positions at certain levels in government and the private sector to serve their greed by selling the interests of the nation to the highest bidder – as we have seen in the recent incident relating to the Gupta family wedding. Misconduct by some of our graduates from institutions in the marketplace tells a story of the ethos of our universities and the products we are producing.
The above revolutionaries expect these graduates to be people's graduates – corruption-free graduates of the people – as stated in the Freedom Charter:
The aim of education shall be to teach the youth to love their people and their culture, to honour human brotherhood, liberty and peace;
Most importantly, unity in knowledge contributes to the global advancement of moral societies, and it is the duty of higher education institutions to instil this knowledge in aspiring students. We owe this generation of students an education that will liberate their minds for the benefit of advancing our democratic cause. The SA Black Consciousness Movement of Steve Biko must be the type of outcome of the kind of graduates that we are producing.
It is also the duty of higher education institutions to empower students and youth with skills to fill the shortages in engineering, life and physical sciences, animal and human health, teacher education, accountancy, actuarial sciences, artisanry and technology.
Moreover, Cope is concerned about the dropout rate – as we speak it stands at 50%. This undermines the gaining of access to tertiary institutions. Most affected are students from poor families and those who are beneficiaries of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme.
With regard to building universities of the people, Cope's wish is that the proposed new universities will not be like failing government departments, or institutions used to dispense patronage and corruption, but be successful institutions of choice for students. The two universities should be a beacon of hope in attaining people's education for people's power. Currently, we are concerned about the lack of consultation with the people of the Northern Cape community concerning the concept development.
Concerning the skills shortage, in the financial sector alone it was found that the skills shortage was worsening. Sir, 79% of companies have difficulty in recruiting chartered accountants, and 80% have difficulty in retaining scarce skills. We need to move with speed in building capacity to transform the financial sector. The department must have tangible plans to deal with this difficulty. The emergence of the two universities should attempt to deal with the transformation of the financial sector, and science and technology needs.
Management and governance on the Seta boards need special attention. These Setas should work closely with universities and not only with FET colleges in developing their capacity in all these areas. Financial mismanagement is the order of the day. The most corrupt elements in higher education are the Setas – I think we can agree on this issue. It's worse with the Seta in local government, where we are supposed to build capacity in our local councillors and our local graduates.
Regarding further education and training, the things that count are the things that get counted. The degree of importance given to FET colleges depends on whether they are reported, irrespective of their real significance. We hear and read a lot about the possible role of FET colleges. [Time expired.] Thank you very much, Minister. [Applause.]
Mr A M MPONTSHANE
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Wednesday, 8 May 2013 Take: 328
Mr B M BHANGA
Afrikaans:
Mnr A M MPONTSHANE: Agb Voorsitter ... [Gelag.]
IsiZulu:
Phini likaMongameli, bahlonishwa oNgqongqoshe namaPhini oNgqongqoshe, Mhlonishwa ngikuthande kakhulu ngakujabulela lapho uthi usukhuluma njengoKhongolose. Ake ungivumele nami ngikhulume njengeNkatha manje. [Uhleko.] Ungilalele futhi mhlonishwa.
English:
The IFP and its leader, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, have always recognised the value of tertiary education in the development of both individuals and society. The birth of the present University of Zululand bears testimony to this recognition. Under the instructions of the late King Cyprian kaSolomon, Prince Buthelezi mobilised amakhosi of Zululand and the community for funds to establish what was then called the University College of Zululand, with its first intake of 60 students in 1960. This happened in spite of the fierce propaganda which was directed at this initiative, calling this institution pejoratively a "bush university".
Today we stand very proud of that so-called "bush university" which has gone on to produce many leaders who have made a substantial mark on the development of both our country and our continent. Among those leaders we can mention the hon Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the hon Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr B E Nzimande, ... [Applause.] ... the hon Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mr J T Radebe, and, of course, the current Vice-Chancellor of the University of Zululand, Prof F N M Mazibuko-Mwelase who is sitting there in the gallery amongst the vice-chancellors.
The establishment of Mangosuthu Technikon, now the Mangosuthu University of Technology, was as a result of the personal efforts of Prince Buthelezi, and not the government. Through his friend, Mr Harry Oppenheimer of Anglo American, Prince Buthelezi obtained funds for the establishment of that technikon. The institution is today a major contributor to the skills development which our country so desperately requires. This is a prime example of how the corporate world can contribute to the building of a strong skills-based future for South Africa. Therefore, hon Minister, our support for your efforts in skills development in South Africa is historical.
We are also proud of the fact that our tertiary institutions rank consistently high on the continent, with South African universities holding the top five places in the university web ranking for 2013. This must be commended. [Applause.]
We know it will require bold and decisive leadership on your part – I've heard that uwumfana wakwaDambuza and we recommend that – as people become entrenched in their comfort zones. [Laughter.] One of these comfort zones is the institutional autonomy of universities, which you have mentioned. Some universities have become too complacent with regard to bringing about transformation. If autonomy is to be respected, transformation needs to be brought about.
The struggles in our education have always been fought mainly on two issues – language as a medium of tuition, and funding. Whilst we have done away with discriminatory funding in our education system, the sector still faces immense challenges. We welcome and appreciate the role that NSFAS has played in promoting wider access to tertiary education for our youth. NSFAS has disbursed R7,7 billion in loans to students, which has ensured not only that it spent its entire budget, but that the number of students assisted increased.
Challenges that remain include registration delays, the abuse of the system by those who present false documentation in order to pass the means test, and officials who use the system for political patronage. If this situation is allowed to continue, access to funding will end up being a case of survival of the most loyal to the ruling party, irrespective of merit! We hope this will not be the case and that this kind of dysfunctional and toxic modus operandi will no longer be tolerated. Chairperson, time permitting I hope to come back to this point of political patronage when it comes to the disbursing of NSFAS funds.
With the increased number of students applying to universities each year, the need for more universities is apparent. Therefore, the declared September 2013 commencement of the building of the two universities in Mpumalanga and the Northern Cape must be adhered to. The department must also clarify where the proposed nine public institutions being turned into community colleges will be and when this will be done.
In conclusion, the department is making progress, but more can always be done, and it is in this vein that we urge the Minister to press on with his mission of providing our youth with high quality, accessible tertiary education.
Let me go back to this point of political patronage.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: No, you can't. You can't ...
Mr A M MPONTSHANE: I was attending a meeting on 1 May ...
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: ... because your time is up.
Mr A M MPONTSHANE: Is my time ...
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: It is up, and 20 seconds more! Thank you very much.
Mr A M MPONTSHANE: Oh, thank you very much. The IFP supports this Budget Vote. [Applause.]
Mr Z S MAKHUBELE
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Wednesday, 8 May 2013 Take: 329
Mr A M MPONTSHANE
Mr Z S MAKHUBELE: Hon Deputy Speaker, hon Deputy President, hon Minister, hon Deputy Minister, hon Members of Parliament, distinguished guests, and ladies and gentlemen, allow me firstly talk about those who have a tendency to take what is ours. They quote the Freedom Charter opportunistically – when they are given time, they don't waste it, but quote from the Freedom Charter. Also, they have taken the Congress of the People, the true Congress of the People at Kliptown. They take our history and our heroes, and display them as if they are theirs. [Interjections.] I'm not talking to you but, because you are responding, you are clarifying the fact that you are the guilty party in this particular instance! [Laughter.] I'm not going to quote it for convenience – we are living the Freedom Charter ourselves!
Education is fundamental for the achievement of the society envisaged in the Freedom Charter ... [Interjections.]
Mr M R SAYEDALI SHAH: What has corruption to do with the Freedom Charter?
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Please, hon member. Continue, hon member.
Mr Z S MAKHUBELE: In the meantime allow me to continue with the debate, and, if you need to talk to me, I'll talk with you outside. I'm ready for you. [Laughter.]
When our people faced the oppressive impact of Bantu education, it was teachers who stood up and ensured that we confounded the architects of apartheid by producing doctors, lawyers and engineers. Now that we are free, we need a similar resolute commitment. Education must be elevated from being a departmental or governmental issue to a societal issue, one that occupies the attention and energy of all our people. According to the National Development Plan, in 2030 South Africa should have over 10 million university graduates with a minimum of a bachelor's degree.
With regard to higher education, the Medium-Term Strategic Framework provides for the strengthening of the skills and human resources base, which relates to Strategic Priority No 4. This speaks to the issues of broadening access to post-secondary education and improving the higher education throughput rate by 20% by 2014. Within this broader objective more emphasis is on ensuring that financial need is not a barrier to access to and success in higher education and training.
Hon Minister, if you say to two individuals that they have equal access to getting to Cuba, where one is well-to-do and the other is not, effectively what you are saying is that one person will get to Cuba, and the other will not, unless you create an enabling environment in regard to the means and mechanisms to get there for those who may not be able to do so.
Education White Paper 3 alluded to the fact that there is an inequitable distribution of access and opportunities for students and staff in regard to race, gender, class and geography. There are gross discrepancies in the participation rates of students from different population groups. It further indicated that the principle of equity requires fair opportunities both to enter higher education programmes and to succeed in them.
We congratulate the ANC-led government for notable change in the lives of the poor since the advent of the NSFAS. This is further evidenced by the debt recovery base that NSFAS has achieved. The recovery of loans shows that the previous beneficiaries, who were poor, have now moved onto a new level and are earning better salaries.
In 2006 the scheme's loan recovery exceeded R26 million per month with a total recovery of loans per financial year of R329 million in that year. The loan recovery from previous beneficiaries increased tremendously in 2011, with a monthly recovery base of R45 million per month and over R700 million in that year. These recoveries are injected back into NSFAS to complement government's allocation.
It should also be acknowledged that the demand for access and financial assistance far exceeds the NSFAS voted funds. There is a need to rethink other sources of funding, in order to ensure that every NSFAS beneficiary gets funded for the full cost of study, and for it to take care of potential beneficiaries who could be covered if the funds were to be increased.
In February 2013 the university NSFAS shortfall was reported to be at R700 million, while by the end of April it was R2 billion. This shows that the top slicing policy is not going to go away any time soon. This policy greatly reduces the financial packages of students and has the potential to reduce students' ability to graduate.
The issue of paying registration fees upfront by NSFAS beneficiaries should be addressed. Students are even made to sign blank NSFAS loan forms, which may be open to abuse.
Let me take this opportunity to commend the work done by some national and provincial departments in providing financial assistance in the form of bursaries to indigent students. In addressing skills shortages in the provinces, provincial departments are increasingly offering financial assistance to students in the form of bursaries. I should also commend the contribution that the Sector Education and Training Authorities and the corporate sector, in partnering with NSFAS, have made to providing more financial assistance.
Inasmuch as we are increasing access through financial assistance, we acknowledge that our current infrastructure is inadequate to absorb these numbers. We are pleased at the knowledge that the construction of the two new universities will commence in September 2013, as indicated in the state of the nation address. This will go a long way towards broadening access to higher education for previously disadvantaged communities. What should be addressed though is the uncertainty that is apparently facing the national institutions of higher education in that regard.
We applaud the piloting of the Central Application Clearing House from January 2013 to assist prospective students who passed but did not apply for admission. The South African Qualifications Authority reported that 90 000 calls were received and 15% of the learners who applied were accepted into institutions. We are also pleased that the Apply Now! campaign has helped in getting messages to prospective students about post-school education and training in order for them to apply in time. This campaign has reduced the number of walk-ins at universities. We are interested in finding out to what extent this system has assisted the rural poor, who need the system the most.
Comparative research studies found that South Africa's spending on
education is internationally comparable, though the proportion of spending on higher education is still low. We are concerned that the graduation and throughput rate is not reflecting the spending. In this current financial year our department is targeting 83% of our universities with good governance and management. We still have institutions that are under administration and we must ensure that this number does not increase. The Ministry should stabilise that environment.
Quality of higher education, and increased graduation and throughput rates also depend on the good co-operative governance of our universities. The councils and management of our institutions should be committed to adhering to institutional policies and regulations. There is a growing concern that in some institutions councils are not carrying out their fiduciary role of exercising oversight through providing support and guidance to the executive management. There are claims that they just rubber stamp decisions taken by the management while in some institutions there are continuous conflicts between council members and management.
We further heard during our committee oversight visits to institutions of higher learning that there is a lack of commitment among ministerial appointees. Apparently they do not attend meetings regularly and their contribution in supporting management is often missed. Hon Minister, we urge the department to look into this matter and ensure that all council members participate as required.
We are pleased that the Auditor-General reported that universities' financial management has improved over the past three years. In the 2011-12 financial year, 87% of universities got unqualified audit report opinions. This is encouraging and we hope that other universities will work hard towards moving out of financial qualification.
The Auditor-General also found that there were still certain challenges in some institutions regarding supply chain management, internal control deficiencies, and procurements which were not competitive. Let me remind the university vice-chancellors and council members present here that the department has allocated funds for student accommodation. We trust that these projects are not going to increase the number of tenderpreneurs in our universities. We are hoping that fair and competitive bidding processes will be followed when procuring services for student accommodation projects.
While on student accommodation, let me say that we also welcome and applaud the Minister's ground-breaking investigation into student housing. The ministerial task team report on student housing has found that only 5% of the students entering for the first time are housed in university student residences. The report has revealed a dire need of student accommodation in our institutions, especially the historically disadvantaged institutions. The conditions our students are living under are appalling to say the least. This shortage of student accommodation has created a situation where the students are academically and socially vulnerable.
Our country's higher education is unequally distributed geographically. It is obvious that the shortage of student accommodation hinders access to and success in higher education, especially for migrant students from provinces where higher education is not easily accessible, and this contributes to the high dropout rate. We have heard media reports about female students' being raped in the private rented shacks on their way to and from campus libraries, and so on. Some have been murdered by thugs who have wanted to steal their cellphones and laptops. Our children have to endure these hard conditions because they are desperate for education.
We have also learnt of student hunger in our institutions. Most of the universities have privatised or outsourced their in-house catering services, while in some institutions dining halls are white elephants – some have been turned into storerooms! The private catering companies have increased the prices of food and many poor students are not able to afford this. Hence their NSFAS meal vouchers get depleted within a short time. We as a portfolio committee urge universities to reconsider taking back catering services and also reopening the dining halls.
Hon Minister, we thank you for your dedication in ensuring that funds are allocated to building new residences, and minimum norms and standards for student residences were gazetted for public comment. These minimum standards will ensure that institutions of higher learning have comparable infrastructure, as proposed by the National Development Plan.
The PhD study conducted by the Academy of Science for South Africa in 2010 revealed that our country needs to produce 6 000 PhDs per annum, of which 3 000 need to be in science, engineering and technology. However, we as a country are still far from reaching these targets.
The National Development Plan alluded to the fact that only 34% of academic staff in higher education have PhDs. We need to be realistic if we want to produce the required number of PhDs as proposed by the NDP. Current promoters and supervisors are overworked with teaching, administration and supervision. Hence they provide inadequate support to students.
I know it is not only academic support that causes dropout, but financial need is also a challenge for many aspiring students. Some countries are investing in their students by providing better scholarships which encourage student retention.
We as the ANC are concerned about the allegations that some political organisations in general, and the DA in particular, are creating the impression that assistance given to NSFAS beneficiaries during registration comes from their parties. We therefore call upon the Ministry to investigate whether the allegations are true or not.
Xitsonga:
Muhlonipheki Xandla xa Xipikara, mfumo wa ANC wu tirhile swinene ku antswisa vutomi bya vanhu va tiko ra hina, ngopfungopfu eka vadyondzi lava humaka evuswetini na le matikoxikaya.
English:
The ANC supports Budget Vote 17. I thank you. [Applause.]
Mr P J GROENEWALD
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Wednesday, 8 May 2013 Take: 330
Mr Z S MAKHUBELE
Afrikaans:
Mnr P J GROENEWALD: Agb Adjunkspeaker, ek wil begin deur vir die agb Minister te sê dat die VF Plus met hom saamstem dat 'n professor 'n professor moet wees. Die standaarde moet van so 'n aard wees dat hulle internasionaal erkenning kan kry en dat daar groot waardering is vir hul navorsing. Dit is 'n professor. Hulle is soms 'n bietjie verstrooid, maar as dit oor hul vakgebied gaan, is hulle kundiges. Hulle is hoogleraars wat dit betref.
Ek wil vir die agb Minister vra waarom, indien hy wil hê professors moet professors wees, hy dan kan toelaat dat 'n universiteit soos die Universiteit van Kaapstad verskillende toelatingsvereistes het vir mediese studente, waar die kriterium byvoorbeeld, argumentsonthalwe, 90 punte is vir wit studente, 85 vir Indiër studente, 80 vir bruin studente, en 72 vir swart studente. Dan kan u nie professors kry wat 'n professor is nie, want u verlaag die standaarde vir toelating tot 'n universiteit. Ek wil vir die agb Minister sê dat 'n universiteit nie sy beheer en sy kontrole nodig het nie. Die internasionale wetenskap is die kriteria waaraan 'n universiteit gemeet word. Sy gehalte van navorsing, sy gehalte van onderrig, en of 'n professor 'n professor is, word bepaal ingevolge internasionale standaarde. Die VF Plus maak ernstig beswaar daarteen dat die agb Minister wil inmeng by die bestuur en die beheer van universiteite.
U is behep met regstellende aksie, agb Minister, maar u kla. U sê aan hierdie kant is daar meer doktorandi as aan die kant van die ANC. Nou moet u vir die mense sê: Wil u die standaarde verlaag sodat dat meer doktorandi aan die kant van die ANC ook is soos aan die linkerkant? Dan is dit 'n belediging vir daardie doktorandi. Daarom wil die VF Plus sê dat daar nie ingemeng moet word met universiteite nie.
Laastens wil ek aan die agb Minister vra of hy 'n probleem met Afrikaans het. Wil u Afrikaans tot niet maak in Suid-Afrika? Wees dan eerlik. Sê vir die mense van Suid-Afrika, want in 1994 was daar 22 universiteite in Suid-Afrika, waarvan sewe Afrikaans was. Tans is daar vyf wat tweetalig is en basies net twee wat oorwegend Afrikaans is, nie net Afrikaans nie – oorwegend. Tog is u soos Lord Kitchener: u wil alles Engels hê – Engels, alles Engels. U wil die universiteite herkolonialiseer, agb Minister. Sê vir die mense waar u met Afrikaans en onderrig staan, want dan kan ons vorder en sorg dat 'n professor 'n professor is. Ek dank u. [Applous.]
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Wednesday, 8 May 2013 Take: 331
Mr P J GROENEWALD
English:
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING: Hon Deputy Speaker; Your Excellency, Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe; hon Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr Blade Nzimande and members of his family present; hon Ministers and Deputy Ministers present; chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training, Adv Malale; hon Members of Parliament; the Director-General of the Department of Higher Education and Training and the entire staff component of the department; heads and executives of all our portfolio organisations and institutions; ANC Gauteng Provincial Secretary, Comrade David Makhura ... [Applause.] ... ; National Co-ordinator of the ANCYL National Task Team, Comrade Magasela Mzobe ... [Applause.] ... ; student organisations present; my family in the public gallery; my distinguished guests; and comrades and compatriots, I greet you all.
Hon Deputy Speaker, over the past year we have been on a journey of discovery – discovery of our nation's capacity to rise to the many challenges of our times. The road we have travelled is full of pitfalls that are not only evidence of where we have come from, but also evidence of how we have carried out our mandate as elected servants of the people. On each stone there is a small acknowledgement next to each achievement which reads: "Only those who know where we come from, and where we are going, can know how much we have achieved." This acknowledgement comes from the people whose dream of access to quality higher education was always deferred in pre-1994 South Africa.
This is the fourth budget speech of the Minister of Higher Education and Training to the fourth Democratic Parliament of post-1994 South Africa. It is indeed an honour and privilege for me to deliver my first budget speech as the Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training. In it I will share some insights regarding some of the key areas that form part of the work that has been delegated to me. [Applause.]
We fully agree with the National Development Plan to accelerate efforts to integrate issues of disability into all facets of society and ensure equitable service provision for persons with disabilities, and to eradicate the physical, information and communication barriers which may prevent persons with disabilities from participating fully in the learning experience.
This year, I took the initiative of visiting selected high schools for persons with special needs, in order to encourage them to enter the postschool education and training system under the theme, "Disability is no barrier to learning", guided by the understanding that inclusivity is one of the underpinning principles of the South African education system. [Applause.]
I am happy to report that we have since set aside or ring-fenced funding for building capacity within our institutions to accommodate the needs of all persons with disabilities. We have also set aside student financial aid to fully support disabled learners to overcome the barriers that continue to face them. [Applause.]
To get our Setas involved, a partnership between the Wholesale and Retail Seta and the SA Disability Development Trust ensued, which saw 404 disabled people being trained in five provinces: the Eastern Cape, Gauteng, the Free State, KZN, and the Western Cape. The purpose of this intervention was to introduce disabled people to the wholesale and retail environment, equip them with workplace skills and increase their employability.
I am happy to report that several host employers have since opened up their workplaces for the 404 disabled people to acquire workplace skills. [Applause.] One of the beneficiaries of this programme is my special guest in the gallery today, Mr Sizakele Mdladla, who is wheelchair-bound and hails from Khayelitsha, and who gave a testimony during one of the graduation ceremonies that I attended regarding how this programme had changed his life. [Applause.]
Appreciating that our Higher Education and Training institutions are not exempt from the risk of HIV, we felt that there was a definite responsibility for us and a role for us to play in the mitigation of HIV and Aids and TB in order to improve access and build a strong skilled human resource for national development.
The Higher Education HIV/Aids programme, Heaids, is a dedicated national facility to develop and support HIV mitigation programmes at South Africa's public higher education institutions. We applaud Heaids for driving the First Things First programme and the tremendous work that they have been doing in our universities and universities of technology in the past few years.
In 2013, I directed Heaids under the leadership of its director, Dr Ramneek Ahluwalia, who is in the public gallery, to extend the HIV/Aids testing and TB screening programme to FET colleges, as the students in this sector are vulnerable and more susceptible to the pandemic. This was to further align the programme to the National Strategic Plan on HIV, STIs and TB 2012-2016, which emphasises the effective, practical implementation of a comprehensive response at all our institutions. I'm happy to inform the people of South Africa that in February this year I launched the First Things First programme in the FET sector at Mnambithi FET College in Ladysmith. I must say, this is a major breakthrough!
Just last week we visited the Gert Sibande FET College as part of our First Things First HIV/Aids and TB Counselling and Testing roll-out plan. We will also be visiting the Goldfields FET College in the Free State on a similar mission in August this year. We thank the Deputy President for his leadership in this regard as Chairperson of the SA National Aids Council. [Applause.]
The Minister of Higher Education and Training launched 2013 as the Year of the Artisan at a remarkable event at the Tembisa Campus of the Ekurhuleni West FET College in Gauteng. The launch signalled the beginning of an artisan development advocacy programme that is being rolled out across the country, led by my office, as mandated by the Minister.
The advocacy programme is being rolled out under the theme, "It's cool to be an artisan", and is already finding considerable resonance among many young South Africans. It is being supported by large numbers of persons, mainly our high school learners. Each event also links a local secondary school to a local FET college, and in this regard we are working very closely with our Setas so that they facilitate workplace training for our students. We have further directed our FET colleges to host open days for high schools in order to promote their programme offerings.
We call on all South Africans to heed our call and join us as we promote artisan development in our country. This is really to elevate the status of artisans and further build a strong skills base in South Africa in our final attempt to improve the employment prospects of our young people.
Mr Welcome Mduduzi Phiri posted a message on my wall on Facebook this morning and said:
Deputy Minister, the revitalisation of FET colleges by your department has been great. These institutions were ignored and downgraded. It was not "ayoba" to be a graduate from an FET college, but the hard work of Dr Nzimande and yourself is bearing good fruit.
[Applause.] This year I launched World Skills SA or what we refer to as the South African chapter of the world Olympics in skills. The Minister of Higher Education and Training felt strongly that for a developmental state like South Africa it makes more sense to organise sessions of this nature, where international perspectives specifically on skills development are shared, given the need for the country to thrive as a global partner and competitor. International best practice and benchmarks are the critical elements for a progressive economic system.
Two of my special guests in the public gallery today are Mr Thulani Mzayidume, a past participant in mechatronics at the 41st World Skills Competition in London, United Kingdom in 2011, and Mr Marvin Lottering, who will be participating in drywalling and plastering at the 42nd World Skills Competition in Leipzig, Germany next month. [Applause.] I must commend both the Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services Seta, Merseta, and the Services Seta for their good work, as we see these skills competitions as a great way of harnessing our energy for the Year of the Artisan.
When we launched the Apply Now! campaign last year, the aim was to create awareness of career options and application procedures to be followed for postschool education and training. The intention really was to reduce the long queues, and some of the chaos that generally takes place at our universities, at the beginning of each academic year. I am pleased to report that we reached out to Grade 9 to Grade 12 learners in all of the 6 000 public high schools and distributed 600 000 booklets throughout South Africa in 2012.
I also visited selected universities at the beginning of the year, namely, the University of Venda, the University of Johannesburg, the University of Fort Hare, and the University of Zululand, to monitor the impact of the Apply Now! campaign, and I am pleased to report that the registration and late application processes ran very smoothly. During this academic year we had a minimal number of walk-ins, fewer long queues, no reported student protest linked to the registration process, and no stampedes whatsoever. [Applause.] We are happy to report that this intervention impacted positively on the marginalised and rural youth.
For 2013 we have updated the Apply Now! booklet and will distribute it to all high schools in the country in June. We will continue to reach out to as many learners as possible during this current year. In the final phase of the Apply Now! campaign we want to focus on raising awareness about the Central Application Clearing House facility.
This facility was successfully implemented at the beginning of this year as a precursor to the central application system. The service managed to advise prospective students of the various educational opportunities within the postschool system, and helped direct them to available spaces in the system.
I am happy to announce that the department will be developing and testing the IT system for the central applications service during this financial year, and will pilot the system for phased implementation from 2015. [Applause.] We are on course!
Let me take this opportunity to express my gratitude and thanks to the President of the Republic, His Excellency J G Zuma, for his continued guidance and support.
To the Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr Nzimande, ...
IsiZulu:
... ngibonga kakhulu ukungixhasa nokungesekela kuwo wonke umsebenzi engiwenzayo.
English:
To my colleagues in the executive, thank you very much for your support and teamwork.
To members of the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training, your constructive role in fulfilling your oversight function is most commendable.
To the management and staff of the department, under the stewardship of the director-general, continue to be patriotic South Africans, as you have demonstrated in the past year that you are, in our final quest to bring quality service to our people.
To my movement, the oldest liberation movement in Africa, I couldn't have served my people to the best of my ability under any other ticket than that of the ANC. [Applause.]
To my family and friends, my mother in particular, Comrade Sibongile Manana, who is sitting in the gallery, thank you very much for affording me the space ... [Applause.] ... to execute my duties and for the support you have given me since I heeded the public call to service and duty.
My sincere gratitude goes to all the personnel in my office for their dedication, commitment and willingness to work beyond the call of duty.
Let me reiterate what I have said above. Now that we have achieved so much, we must claim our rightful place among the achievers in deliverables. The task at hand remains a daunting one, but the prize is big. Forging change is not easy. We have to confront established ways of thinking and working. We must continue to gain momentum in fighting for a truly educated and skilled workforce in our country. I thank you very much. [Applause.]
Mrs C DUDLEY
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Wednesday, 8 May 2013 Take: 332
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
Mrs C DUDLEY: Thank you, Deputy Speaker. Hon Minister, what effect does a strike like that at Walter Sisulu University, WSU, have on the budget for Higher Education and Training, after students have gone on the rampage, burning down a dining hall, toppling fences, smashing windows and scattering litter?
Is an urgent investigation being done into the circumstances that triggered the violent protests, in which students accused management of dragging its feet regarding the NSFAS loan agreements, of not issuing IntelliCards, that is, the meal vouchers, and of irregularly appointing a private security company?
Other students, of course, have complained about student residences, which they say are in a foul state – filthy dirty, run-down and overcrowded. That is not to mention the ablution facilities! Apparently there is no operational dining hall at WSU either. Instead the students are entitled to vouchers to spend at a nearby Spar Supermarket, and even those vouchers have not been forthcoming, leaving many students on a diet of bread and milk.
While this sort of behaviour by the students is indefensible, and the responsible students must face serious consequences, the ACDP is concerned that conditions are deteriorating to the degree that living conditions are intolerable. What measures are in place to assist students affected by the closures? This is the kind of question we are getting more and more.
The need for higher and further education and training in South Africa is, of course, intensifying in the face of an extremely competitive job market and the fact that the national unemployment rate is 25% to 40%, depending on whose eyes you are looking through. I believe that one standard used in counting those unemployed is that if you work one hour a week, you are employed! So, we are probably looking more at 40% than 25%.
The Milpark Business School has pointed out key factors that may impact future budgets for Higher Education and Training, and it may be interesting for the department to take a look at these factors. Some of those mentioned here are: the immense growth of mobile technology, with smart cellphones and tablets that will enable the delivery of educational material; the improving bandwidth quality and lower Internet prices, which make it possible for students to access distance learning resources on line; responsible on-line business banking and financial skills, which support the expansion of the economy, not to mention greater access to job openings; and the Worldwide Web, which enables learning years beyond school to facilitate possible career changes, and the updating of skills in the global corporate environment.
How is the department doing in the area of creating more bridging courses, which can play a vital role in assisting students to gain access to degree programmes. This, of course, is a need many have identified as being key in producing students better prepared for higher and further education.
The budget for the National Student Financial Aid Scheme appears to have increased to R6 billion, up from R5,4 billion last year, which we welcome, in the hope, of course, that it is going to result in greater numbers of students accessing tertiary education. But what has happened to the plans that were in place apparently for NSFAS personnel to be at tertiary institutions to ensure that there is problem-free access to the financial aid?
The ACDP sincerely hopes that between you and Minister Motsoaledi you will also manage to get the provision of nursing colleges sorted out as quickly as possible. This very important issue seems to have fallen into the cracks between the two departments.
The ACDP will be supporting this Budget Vote. I thank you. [Applause.]
Mr S M MAYATULA
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Wednesday, 8 May 2013 Take: 333
Mrs C DUDLEY
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I call hon Mayatula to the podium. While he is going there, let me say this.
IsiXhosa:
Malungu ahloniphekileyo, ndihleli apha ndisokuyika ukuthi kuni thulani kuba kukho abantwana abancinci phaya phezulu abangangxoliyo. Ngoku ndoyika nokukhwaza ndithi kuni thulani kwaye nezithethi andiziva kuba niyangxola nyhani apha ezantsi. [Kwaqhwatywa.]
Mr S M MAYATULA: Hon Deputy Speaker, your Excellency, Deputy President, hon Ministers, Deputy Ministers and hon members, maybe I should also acknowledge my last born daughter, who is up in the gallery, a typical example of those graduates who are unemployed. [Applause.]
I feel very honoured today on being afforded the opportunity to address you on the Vocational and Continuing Education and Training programme, which is the weapon of the ANC-led government in addressing the learning needs of young people aged 18 to 24 who are not employed, or in education or training, and are referred to as Neets. According to Sheppard:
... in 2007 there were over a million young people in this age group with primary school education and less than Grade 10 attainment, a further one million with Grade 10 but less than Senior Certificate, and nearly 700 000 young people with Senior Certificates – nearly three million not in employment, nor in education or training.
To get a better understanding of this crisis, the hon Minister has established a Task Team on Community Education and Training Centres. The task team provides a working definition of adult learners:
... to include the age range of 15 to 55 years as most likely interested in still completing their education or in learning more generally. These adults in 2001 amounted to nearly 7 million with less than a Grade 7 and a further 11 million who completed a level lower than Grade 9.
The Green Paper proposes a new vision for a postschool education and training system that should, and I quote:
... (be) a single, coherent, differentiated and highly articulated ... system. ...
... (be) equitable, accessible and affordable ... including free education and training for the poor.
To achieve this, the Green Paper and the National Planning
Commission's proposed vision for 2030 both target an increasing university headcount enrolment, but more significantly to have tripled provision in the colleges sector by 2030, including through community education and training centres.
This is the way they see it. The targets for the 2030 enrolment in the postschool sector institutions are as follows. In 2011 the headcount for university students was 950 000 and the target should be 1,5 million by 2030; for further education and training, FET, colleges, in 2011 the headcount was 300 000 and the target for 2030 is 3 million; and for the public adult learning centres, in 2011 the number was 300 000 and the target for 2030 is 1 million.
If one looks at it, one can see that the figure for Vocational and Continuing Education and Training for 2030 is 4 million. The department's target is to have 1 million in 2014. Where will the 1 million people who are going to be in those FET colleges come from?
The department is also saying, "Give me a student who qualifies and who has no funds, and I'll fund that student." It is our responsibility and duty all to go out there and find those who qualify to be in our vocational schools, so that they can improve their employability.
The further education and training college system is central to the government's programme of skilling and reskilling the youth and adults. It plays a vital role in the postschool education system. It is key to the integration of education and training, and responding to the skill needs of the country.
We want the FET colleges to provide intermediate level and artisanal skills to reduce the shortage of skilled people to fill positions available in the technicians' and associated professions and thereby alleviate unemployment. The Department of Higher Education and Training is assisting in building college capacity to ensure that it takes centre stage in skills development.
The Sector Education and Training Authorities, Setas, also play a pivotal role in the FET college system. This is in line with the National Skills Development Strategy III, NSDS III, as it encourages closer co-ordination and synergy between public FET colleges and the Setas. The Sector Education and Training Authorities are to strengthen the FET colleges and prioritise them when it comes to training provision. The challenge there is that there should be no FET colleges without a link with Setas.
Every college lecturer is critical to the Human Resource Development Strategy in general, and to FET college reform in particular. It is an undeniable fact that most FET college lecturers' qualifications are not adequate to deal appropriately with the National Curriculum Vocational, NCV. This is so because in the past many lecturers were qualified in trades and occupations and, although they were teaching, they did not have teaching qualifications. However, now some teachers in the system have teaching qualifications, but lack occupational qualifications relevant to occupational work and experience.
The NCV programme emphasises theoretical understanding of particular vocations. This is a shift from the more practical focus of artisan training, to which some lecturers are more accustomed. The NCV programme has marked a significant move in vocational education, so much so that FET college lecturers need to have the right combination of subject knowledge, pedagogy, workplace knowledge and experience.
They also need to be exposed to the latest developments and technology, both in the colleges and in industry. This will be helpful, as FET colleges are being called upon to be responsive to the practical needs of industry and business, so as to make learners employable and train them for a growing South African economy.
The National Development Plan proposed an expansion of the FET sector in order to increase participation to 25% in 2030. Expanding the higher education sector will contribute to rising incomes, higher productivity, and a shift to a greater knowledge economy. The Department of Higher Education and Training has moved swiftly to respond to the NDP's proposal by planning to build six new FET campuses in the 2013-14 financial year. These FET campuses will be built in Umkhanyakude, Graaff-Reinet, Lusikisiki, Giyani, Sisonke and Sterkspruit. A further six campuses will be built next year.
South Africa has adopted recognition of prior learning, RPL, as a means to support transformation of the education and training system of our country. The South African Qualification Authority, SAQA, has been at the forefront of RPL policy development since 2002. The main purpose of RPL is to facilitate access to, and mobility and progression within education, training and a career path. It also seeks to accelerate redress of past unfair discrimination.
Systemic blockages do exist in the higher education sector, such as a lack of synergy between various postschool subsystems, ie, universities and FET colleges. This leads to lack of articulation across the subsystems. Universities offer FET colleges little recognition in the domain of knowledge production.
To make things work, there should be a good understanding between universities and FET colleges in order to generate and facilitate a good form of collaboration. Be that as it may, there are pockets of success, as some institutions have a memorandum of understanding between them about articulation. However, this needs to be widespread and be a policy that applies across the spectrum of higher education. Any university that has no link with an FET college must try to think otherwise.
With regard to the challenge of the certification of FET college graduates, we as the ANC acknowledge the challenges currently being experienced with the certification of FET college graduates. We especially appreciate the progress that has been made with respect to the National Technical Education, Nated N1 to N6, graduates, who are now being certificated per examination cycle. We also note that certification of NCV graduates has commenced. We are confident that the backlog for NCV certificates dating back to 2007 will be addressed in a similar manner and with the urgency it deserves. We would like to commend the department for its efforts in ensuring that the youth of this country finally get practical recognition of their efforts, and can now access opportunities in higher education and the workplace.
In the main we have taken note of the following interventions. Firstly, there are the plans that are under way to put in place a comprehensive IT system that will meet the demands of the national examinations function. Secondly, there is the issuing of letters to higher education institutions and employers confirming the legitimacy of the statement of results issued by the department. The endorsement of Umalusi in this regard gives more credence to this intervention.
If one takes the background that I have given, one needs to check what the department is doing in order to facilitate matters. Some of the steps taken by the department are the following. The department aims in this current year to train 3 600 Adult Education and Training and FET college lecturers for the National Senior Certificate for Adults and the General Education and Training Certificate, GETC. Artisan candidates found competent have increased by 60% from 8 238 to 13 168. All public FET college functions, as the Minister has said, are being transferred to the department. Finally, 12 new FET college campuses will be built by 2014-15.
The Department of Higher Education Training has established the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations, QCTO, and the National Artisan Moderation Body, Namb. The QCTO works together with Namb to strengthen the role of vocational colleges in artisan development. The QCTO will bring the needs of industry closer to the education and training system, so as to meet the aspirations of the youth and adults, while ensuring that education, training and skills development initiatives respond adequately to our social and economic needs.
The department's objective is to provide college bursaries to 100% of eligible college students. The number of bursaries awarded this year is 222 817 and the target is to award 702 430 FET college bursaries over the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF, period. To be eligible for this college bursary the household income – I wish we will take note of this – should be R127 000 per year or less. If one takes it per month, that means R10 583 or less, and the student must be performing well. The department is challenging both the universities and the FET colleges to bring forward any student who meets these requirements and who has not been assisted. They are going to assist that student.
Let me close off by referring to the vandalism at Walter Sisulu University. When I saw the house in ashes, I didn't even read the content. We are now celebrating 16 years of our Constitution and the leaders there have access to the council, to the department, to the portfolio committee and to Chapter 9 Institutions. Under what circumstances can anybody at this point in time burn property? [Applause.] I find it difficult to accept that. This is one thing that I think our student leaders and all leaders in general should refrain from. Those properties are both ours and theirs.
The ANC supports this Budget Vote. [Applause.]
Mr K J DIKOBO
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Wednesday, 8 May 2013 Take: 334
Mr S M MAYATULA
Mr K J DIKOBO: Hon Deputy Speaker, hon President, hon members and honoured guests, during the debate on the Budget Vote for Basic Education yesterday, we referred to the recently released Needu report. The report detailed the sad state of affairs where teachers can hardly pass question papers that are set for learners!
The training of teachers, hon Minister, falls under your department. We therefore call upon your department to take a closer look at the quality of the present training for teachers. We have heard how universities complain about the quality of the learners they receive from secondary schools. Today we want to complain to the Minister and the universities about the quality of teachers the schools receive.
Furthermore, during our oversight visit we were shocked to see how student teachers of Funza Lushaka at the National Institute for Higher Education in Kimberley were neglected by the universities that they were attached to. Those students were basically left to fend for themselves, and at the end of the day we are going to expect them to go out there and teach, when they themselves are not being taught!
Azapo welcomes the building of 12 new campuses, as we have raised concerns regarding the distances that students from rural areas have travelled to access FET colleges.
The FET colleges have to be developed into institutions of choice. There is a need to invest in the training of FET college lecturers. The percentage pass rate at FET colleges is unacceptably low. We cannot continue to celebrate, when we still have less than 50% of the students passing.
Presently there is no parity of esteem between the National Certificate Vocational, NCV, and the National Senior Certificate, NSC. FET colleges cannot be institutions of choice if there are still perceptions out there that the NCV is inferior to the NSC. However, we agree that there has been a lot of improvement in FET colleges. Those who have doubts must ask Orlando Pirates! [Interjections.]
Minister, Azapo has in the past expressed reservations about how you have handled the issue of chartered accountants sent to colleges. Our concerns are strengthened by reports that chartered accountants are even sent to schools that already have qualified chief financial officers, CFOs.
Azapo says yes to the improvement of infrastructure at higher education institutions. The students live in terrible conditions! We were in tears, Minister, when the report on student accommodation was presented to the portfolio committee. And as we point a finger at you, hon Minister, we are also asking ourselves whether these institutions have vice-chancellors and a college council because, if they do, how can they have let conditions deteriorate to the state they are in, which we have seen?
Azapo will support Budget Vote No 17. We thank you. [Applause.]
Dr L L BOSMAN
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Wednesday, 8 May 2013 Take: 334
Mr K J DIKOBO
Dr L L BOSMAN: Hon Deputy President, hon Minister and members, we must all agree that human resources constitute the ultimate basis for the wealth creation of nations. Capital and natural resources are the passive factors of production, while human beings are the active agents who accumulate capital, exploit natural resources, build social and economic organisations, and carry forward national development.
Clearly, a country which is unable to develop the skills and knowledge of its people and to utilise them effectively in the national economy will be unable to develop. It is therefore logically held that education and training are wise investments for increasing employment and earnings, and are hence necessary ingredients for growth and job creation.
The NDP suggests an education system that strives to improve the quality of education for the majority of learners. By 2030 South Africa needs an education system with the following attributes. It must have further and higher education and training that: enable people to fulfil their potential; increase the graduation rate by 75%; produce 30 000 artisans per year; increase participation rates to 25%; and create an additional 1 million learning opportunities per year.
However, managers, when hiring staff, also normally put a premium on experience. In five African countries managers identified work experience as more important for hiring decisions than technical skills and education.
In building on what works in international education, and ongoing policy research aimed at helping to improve the national education system, it is important to note that apprenticeship programmes, fostering the integration of education and learning through jobs, exist in various shapes around the world.
The dual model deeply rooted in Germany and other European countries combines classroom-based expertise with learning on the job in the training company. This dual system is credited with fast and structured employment integration.
But the dual system requires more than the right economic incentives. It is based on a social contract between employers, trade unions and government.
The South African labour market is very different from that of other developing countries. In South Africa, according to the household-based Quarterly Labour Force Survey, QLFS, it was estimated that about 4,5 million workers are unemployed or, according to the statistics released yesterday, 25,2% "narrow" unemployment. The NDP specifies that the "narrow" unemployment rate should decline to 14% by 2020 and to only 6% by 2030. It translates to the fact that the total number of new employment opportunities should increase from 13 million to 24 million, and the labour participation rate should increase from 54% to 65% by 2030.
The QLFS further found that high unemployment rates are generally associated with lower levels of education and a lack of training. It was established that in the fourth quarter of 2012 about 61,3% of unemployed people did not have matric, while only 6,2% of the unemployed had tertiary qualifications.
I am going to address Programme 4: Vocational and Continuing Education, and the following will have to be implemented if we want to be successful. Firstly, effective vocation-orientated education relies on high quality educators, and I think that has been said before. The FET system must ensure that such teachers have adequate knowledge of and orientation to the workplace and its demands.
The DA acknowledge that numerous training initiatives for basic FET administrative skills are in progress and that 12 FET colleges are planned to be built by 2014, of which six are planned for this financial year. Minister, this is a step in the right direction.
But funds must also be allocated by Setas to support and enhance identified focus schools and training institutions. The current budgeted income for Setas is a staggering almost R10 billion per annum. The question can well be asked if this is being spent effectively, taking into account the problems encountered with fraud and maladministration within the Setas.
Some of the findings causing most concern in the Setas' annual reports for 2012 noted by the Auditor-General, AG, include the following. Irregular expenditure increased by more than 100%, from R160 million in 2011 to R402 million in 2012, mainly due to irregularities in supply chain management. The Local Government Seta received a disclaimer for its financial statements and also for its predetermined objectives, because – listen to this – it simply failed to submit its annual report! Material misstatements were also problematic, with the AG routinely indicating that the reported information was not useful or reliable.
These days certification is the key to the employment market and the recent spate of training institutions' and Setas' failing to provide students who have completed their courses with their certificates is unacceptable. In December 2012 the department appointed a steering committee to investigate the huge backlog of certificates at the Services Seta. However, almost six months have passed and we are still waiting for reports on the committee's progress. The Services Seta has indicated that all certificate backlogs will have been addressed by June 2013. The DA will monitor any progress or lack thereof regarding this matter.
The target of 100% of registered FET candidates' having received their results and certificates was included in the previous financial year and also in this financial year. Last year's targets were woefully missed, while R187 million was allocated to this subprogramme to deal with this issue!
A reply to a DA question revealed that 22 190 FET certificates had been outstanding for more than six months. Minister Nzimande committed his department to a July 2012 deadline. A DA fact-finding exercise involving a sample of FET colleges in July and August revealed, however, that the Minister had not met his commitment to delivering the outstanding certificates.
Another example is the Northern Cape Urban FET College in Kimberley, which revealed that more than 200 learners were yet to receive their course certificates. Some of these certificates have been outstanding since 2009!
Furthermore, the Department of Higher Education and Training revealed that 8 580 Seta certificates have been outstanding for more than six months. Minister, these incompetencies cannot be tolerated and the department should have taken steps to rectify the matter before it got out of control.
In conclusion, the DA is not convinced that the Seta system contributes effectively to training our students in the much needed skills that are required. We in the DA are concerned that the department is not delivering on what is required of it, as envisaged in the National Development Plan, and does not exercise the necessary control over the FET system, resulting in mismanagement of funds and a lack of delivery of sufficient trained people, who are needed for the growth of our economy. Thank you. [Applause.]
Ms N GINA
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Wednesday, 8 May 2013 Take: 335
Dr L L BOSMAN
Ms N GINA: Deputy Speaker, let me start by greeting the hon Deputy President, hon Ministers, hon Deputy Ministers in the House, hon Members of Parliament, distinguished guests in the gallery, and ladies and gentlemen.
Deputy Speaker, the future of our country is our collective future. Making it work is our collective responsibility. All South Africans seek a better future for themselves and their children. The National Development Plan is a plan for the country to eliminate poverty and reduce inequality. When we educate people, we fit them out with the intellectual and cognitive tools, and also the means, not only to understand their world and their social experiences, but also to change them.
University education is costly – we all know that. Most of the time academically capable students from poor families don't have access to higher education, because they don't have the upfront fees to access that education. The principle of increased access to higher education is a core transformation goal, and significant strides have been made in finalising the policy on free higher education for all undergraduate level students from the poor and working class communities, to be phased in from 2014. We have seen the progress when it comes to that.
We really want to commend the Department of Higher Education and Training for making sure that most of the learners who come from the disadvantaged communities get a chance to access the universities through the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, NSFAS. However, we as the ANC still plead with the universities that no university should deny a learner the right to education because she or he comes from a poor background and cannot make payments upfront. Again, I thank NSFAS for making sure that those fees are available to our institutions. Thus, such students are being catered for.
Minister, I think there is a huge debate that you still need to open. In our portfolio committee one of the things that we have always emphasised is the fact that we agree that, in whatever way, all our institutions have autonomy and we also fully agree that no one can ever contest that. However, I think it is also very important that we have a day, or even a session, where we explain what is meant by this autonomy vis-à-vis public accountability. This is because we as the ANC can in no way allow the Minister to be insulted whenever he has to go in and correct some of the things that are happening in our institutions, which is then labelled as the Minister's intervening and trying to micromanage our institutions. That is the balance that still needs to be struck in our country. We know the worldwide understanding of autonomy, but in our country we are pleading that we should really open up that debate, so that we don't stand here next time and argue on the issue of accountability vis-à-vis the issue of the autonomy of our institutions.
Deputy Speaker, a strategic objective of Programme 3: University Education is to expand the higher education sector in order to increase equitable access with success by 2014. The targeted gross enrolment rate is 18,1% by 2014-15. We as the ANC-led government are pleased that we reached gross participation of 18% in 2010 already, which then means that by 2014-15 we will have exceeded the target. We commend the department for that.
Enrolments in higher education reflect the demographics of the country. The 2010 audited higher education statistics revealed that the enrolment of African students increased from 61% in 2005 to 79% in 2010. The headcount enrolment of women is 51% higher than that of men. However, the graduation rate is still at 17% and has been since 2006. More work still needs to be done to improve the graduation rate across races.
Our institutions of higher learning are still undergoing transformation. In some institutions the staff profile does not reflect the demographics of the country, especially in the ratio of female to male academic staff in infrastructure and the curriculum.
The allocated budget will help the department to increase the graduation output in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. We have already seen progress, but we are saying this is still not satisfactory.
In our country we have been grappling with high numbers of unemployed youths generally and graduates. Studies have shown that there is a mismatch between their qualifications and what the labour market wants. This discord has been because of a lack of career advice services in the country.
The Department of Higher Education and Training, together with SAQA, has established career advice services which have provided information to school learners about options in the postschool education and training sector. We have seen the fruits of this collaboration programme that has taken place. We plead with the Department of Higher Education that such programmes should continue, because there are so many things that we can reap from that.
Firstly, if we have learners that know exactly what to do when they enter institutions of higher learning, there is less chance of our having a high dropout level. Most of the time we encounter the problem of dropouts because learners go to those institutions not sure what to do. If they are, however, well guided before they enter, we know that they will stick to what they are doing, and stop hip hopping around the faculties when they get there. It does assist a lot when they are well guided, even in regard to the monies that they are funded with. They will easily achieve what they have been funded for, and open more space for others to get in. We really applaud that. We wish to see the career guidance continuing. It assists our country a lot.
While we celebrate the increased headcount enrolment of women in higher education, we should be worried. Minister, I know that you have mentioned this before, but I feel I should mention it again. We should be worried about the stagnant graduation rate of women, which has been at 18% since 2005, while the graduation rate of men has increased from 15% in 2008 to 16% in 2010.
Hon members, the Minister and the chairperson of the portfolio committee have alluded to the incidents of sexual harassment at our institutions. A recent example that we have noted was at the University of the Witwatersrand, and it has shocked everyone. There we found that lecturers sexually abuse or expect sexual favours of students in exchange for marks. We as the ANC are saying that these incidents cannot be tolerated. If such incidents are not dealt with, they will be the acts that will perpetuate the gender inequalities in our institutions and in society in general, and undermine the transformation agenda of our country. We are pleading that these things should be dealt with and that the perpetrators should face the consequences that should come to them.
There are many criminal activities that we hear of taking place in our institutions, especially our universities. We again call for the law enforcement agencies and the justice system in our country to make sure that when such incidents are reported to them, they react speedily in order to clear our institutions of these acts of evil that we see continuing to happen.
Our interaction with institutions of higher learning during oversight visits has revealed some disturbing concerns around the funding of merged institutions with multicampuses. I would like to quote the examples of the University of Fort Hare and the Walter Sisulu University, where such concerns were raised. Great concern had been raised around the issue of funding, that is the subsidy, to ensure the sustenance of these institutions. We also pledged that some assistance would be given to them to make sure that the challenges that are caused by the separation of their campuses are dealt with, that they do not continue to encounter problems, and that the multicampuses receive the same treatment. We are pleading, Minister, that you and your department look again at the issue of subsidising these merged institutions to balance the gap that is arising as a result of the concerns we have found on our oversight visits.
Deputy Speaker, critics continue to lament the underpreparedness of students from underprivileged schools. Though language is not the only cause of low throughput, it is a major contributory factor. Research studies have found that language is a barrier to success in tertiary institutions. The higher education 2010 statistics have shown that African enrolment in higher education institutions is higher than other racial groups. However, English and Afrikaans continue to be used as formal academic languages of tuition. The speakers of these languages have a better chance of succeeding, while many Africans still require proficiency for them to obtain their education. The question is who benefits from the status quo, Minister. The majority of Africans definitely do not benefit.
It was Neville Alexander who said that universities have a role to play in the intellectualisation of African languages. Hon members, let me take this opportunity to commend the North-West University for offering a Bachelor of Education degree, Foundation Phase, qualification entirely in Setswana and eight students have graduated from this programme. [Applause.] It is the same institution that published a full-length natural science scholarly article in Setswana.
I would like to challenge the Minister of Higher Education and Training and also the Minister of Arts and Culture to consider special funding for institutions that are promoting multilingualism. The current funding model, which relies on the number of full-time entering students, is not helping as these types of programmes have not yet attracted a high number of enrolments.
The ANC government has shown political will in regard to the development of African languages. The Minister of Higher Education and Training has established the African Language Advisory Committee, whose task is to develop an action plan on African languages for the Minister. We do not want to pre-empt the recommendations of this committee, but we hope it will help us to prevent the language genocide that we are finding in South Africa.
We also need to applaud the collaborative efforts of the Minister of Higher Education and Training and the Minister of Basic Education in ensuring that our country has qualified and competent foundation phase teachers, who are able to teach in their own indigenous languages. The reopening of Siyabuswa teacher training college is a step in the right direction and we hope that more universities will come on board and offer foundation phase programmes.
IsiZulu:
Ngqongqoshe, siyajabula ukuthi wathatha igxathu elibalulekile, elalibonakala linzima, lokuthi ube nesandla esiqinile ekutheni kushintshwe lokhu okulandelayo: ubuholi bama-Seta, indlela ama-Seta asebenza ngayo kanye nemithetho abaholi abasebenza ngaphansi kwayo eNingizimu Afrika. Ngesikhathi lwethulwa lolu hlelo akubanga yinto emnandi. Kwaba sengathi ube namawala kakhulu kodwa njengamanje siyajabula ngoba buningi ubuhle esibubonayo ekushintsheni kwama-Seta. Siyazi ukuthi zisekhona izingqinamba lapho nalaphaya mayelana nokuthi ama-Seta anikezela kangakanani ekutheni abantu bakithi baseNingizimu Afrika bathole ukuqeqeshwa ngamakhono.
Ngiyafisa ukucacisa ngikubalule namhlanje ukuthi sibona lilikhulu kakhulu igxathu emva kokuthi ama-Seta ethe ukunyakaza, kwashintshwa nobuholi. Njengamanje sinezibonelo zama-Seta asebenza kahle ngale ndlela. Ngithanda ukubalula i-Seta le ephathelene nezamabhange. Leyo Seta yenze isiqiniseko sokuthi ikuthathele igxathu ukubalulwa kwemfundo noma isipiliyoni somuntu ongafundile, phecelezi i-recognition of prior learning.
Njengamanje sinabantu abangamashumi amabili nanhlanu abangabeluleki ngaphansi kohlelo lwe-RPL. Lo mkhakha wezamabhange usunabo ngisho abantu obaqashile abaphume ku-RPL. Ngakho-ke Ngqongqoshe siyayibona imiphumela yokwenzile ngesikhathi uqinisa isandla ngoba iningi imali etshalwe kuma-Seta ngakho-ke silindele okukhulu kuwona. Kuthiwa isizwe sethu asiqeqeshiwe kakhulu ngokwamakhono kodwa njengamanje siyakwazi ukuthi sivune imiphumela yemisebenzi yakho. Sengathi wonke amanye ama-Seta angabubona ubuhle kuma-Seta esiwancomayo akwazi ukuthuthukisa isizwe sakithi.
English:
Deputy Minister, South Africa faces the triple challenge of poverty, inequality and unemployment. Two days ago the General Household Survey statistics were released, which revealed alarming statistics for our youth unemployment. The statistics showed a higher unemployment rate for rural youth, which is caused by low levels of education among the youth.
Deputy Speaker, for our country to be placed on a better growth path, there should be improvement in the quality of postschool education and training. This year, 2013, has been declared the Year of the Artisan. Thus, further education and skills development should be a top priority. The President announced in his state of the nation address in 2012 that close to 14 000 learners had been placed in workplace learning opportunities in 2011, and over 11 000 artisans had completed their trade tests. Nevertheless, the number of these artisans was still far below the National Development Plan projection of delivering 30 000 artisans per year. We hope and believe, Minister Nzimande, that that is going to be looked at. We are happy to say again that this year has been declared the Year of the Artisan. Hopefully we are going to be on track to attain the projections that the NDP has come up with for our country.
We welcome the targets set by Setas in addressing the challenge of work placement for youths doing learnerships and those in the FET colleges. These partnerships will facilitate synergy among our sectors towards working towards a common goal. Minister, we know that when we talk of the postschooling sector, we always say there should be synergy between all the sectors. We also emphasise the issue of articulation when it comes to that. With the steps that have been taken, we are confident that as a country we are moving towards a consolidated postschooling sector.
Amidst all this we as the ANC take pleasure in supporting the Budget for the Department of Higher Education and Training. Thank you. [Applause.]
The MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Wednesday, 8 May 2013 Take: 336
Ms N GINA
The MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING: Thank you very much, Deputy Speaker. Let me just say once more that I wish to thank the staff in the Ministry, starting with my Deputy Minister, who has brought a lot of activism into the Ministry, for the work and support that he has given me. Let me say that, in the light of the fact that there isn't enough time to comment on many of the points that have been raised, we have noted all these issues, and we are going to develop a programme to continue engagement in the portfolio committee. I will respond only to a few, but that doesn't mean that the points that I don't speak about are not important.
On the issue of certificates, we have made this a priority now. For example, we have resumed the production of NCV certificates, and approximately 125 000 candidates will be certified in the process during this year. We have already finished 11 761 NCV Level 2 certificates. We are prioritising this matter. We are aware that it is a weakness that we have to address.
IsiZulu:
Bhanga, hhayi khuluma iqiniso ndoda yamadoda; awuyazi into obufuna ukuyisho namhlanje! Sisemgqeni nje nsizwa yakithi, senza zonke izinto ngokuyikho, engabe uvele washo njalo.
English:
The reason why I talk about "I" is because I have been deployed as a cadre, and I must be accountable and say "I", not "we". [Applause.]
IsiZulu:
Ukuthi mina ngenzeni.
English:
On the issue of tackling corruption, we have put the LGSETA under administration, by the way, to show that we are serious about addressing these matters.
Hon Groenewald, I want to ask you a question. I don't want to destroy Afrikaans, by the way, but how come, in a university that is predominantly Afrikaans-speaking like Stellenbosch, the majority of Afrikaans speakers in the Western Cape are a minority in that institution? I would like to pose that to the FF Plus to answer. What is the reason? Is the issue really Afrikaans, or is it something else?
Afrikaans:
Mnr P J GROENEWALD: Agb Adjunkspeaker, kan ek die vraag beantwoord? [Mr P J GROENEWALD: Hon Deputy Speaker, may I answer the question?]
English:
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: No, no, no, I don't think it is meant to be answered now.
Afrikaans:
Mnr P J GROENEWALD: Wel, die agb Minister vra my 'n vraag. [Mr P J GROENEWALD: Well, the hon Minister asked me a question.]
English:
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Minister, you are not chairing my meeting.
The MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING: No, I am not. I am not.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Are you asking him to answer now or when you have tea?
The MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING: No, when we have tea, and also next time. [Laughter.]
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Continue then.
The MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING: Yes, thank you very much, Deputy Speaker. I want to say to hon Lotriet that frankly, if her DA colleagues could do just half of what she does, we could have progress, because she does acknowledge the good things that we are doing ...
Mr I M OLLIS: What good things?
The MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING: ... and disagrees where she disagrees. That is fair; it makes one want to listen to her, because she doesn't oppose for the sake of opposing. [Applause.] I wish that they could learn from her. [Interjections.]
The only issue that I have a problem with is the phrase, "open opportunity society". That is like a red rag to a bull, because I ask myself the question: What kind of "open opportunity society" are they talking about, if they are opposing affirmative action? What kind of "open opportunity society" are they talking about if they are calling South Africa ...
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE OPPOSITION: Madam Deputy Speaker, on a point of order: ...
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE OPPOSITION: Madam Deputy Speaker, the Minister cannot stand there and say that we oppose affirmative action when he has no proof of it. He is misleading the House. [Interjections.]
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Continue, Minister. That is not a point of order.
The MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING: What kind of open society are you talking about when you are calling other South Africans "refugees" in the Western Cape? [Interjections.] What kind of open society are you talking about when the Western Cape government goes around closing schools that are serving the black population predominantly? [Interjections.]
In fact, to oppose affirmative action is to say that we must continue with the racist, patriarchal, apartheid labour market. To call people "refugees" to me sounds like the Group Areas Act. To actually close down schools sounds like the apartheid so-called Extension of University Education Act. [Interjections.] In fact, those who are saying that a DA government will bring back apartheid are right. [Interjections.] They are absolutely correct, just on the basis of this. [Applause.] Not in this kind of South Africa – you are opposing many of the things that we are doing and the effect of that will actually be to maintain a racially and gender unequal society. That is why this country needs the ANC.
IsiZulu:
Nina uma singaniyekela niphathe leli lizwe, ubandlululo luyovuka lume ngezinyawo. Ngiyabonga kakhulu, Phini likaSomlomo. [Ihlombe.]
Debate concluded.
The House adjourned at 16:40.
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