ATC140319: Report of the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training on its Oversight visit to the Western Cape and Eastern Cape On 04 – 07 February 2014 dated 12 March 2014

REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING ON ITS OVERSIGHT VISIT TO THE WESTERN CAPE AND EASTERN CAPE ON 04 – 07 FEBRUARY 2014 DATED 12 MARCH 2014

The Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training, having undertaken an oversight visit to the Western Cape and Eastern Cape, reports as follows:

1. Introduction

The Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training conducted an oversight visit to the Western Cape and Eastern Cape on 04 – 07 February 2014. As part of the oversight visit, the Committee commenced with a strategic session with all Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges of the Western Cape in Parliament and there after met with all TVET colleges of Eastern Cape in East London. The Committee also visited Rhodes University in Grahamstown and Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) in Port Elizabeth. The purpose of this report is mainly to provide a summary of proceedings during the oversight visit and conclude with recommendations for consideration by the Minister of Higher Education and Training.

2. Background

The Committee conducted strategic sessions with all TVET colleges of the Western Cape and Eastern Cape to assess them on the following key areas:

· Governance and administration;

· Student enrolment and registration;

· Administration of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) bursaries;

· Credibility of examinations;

· Results and certification;

· Student housing;

· Pass rates, drop-out, retention and throughput rates; and

· Partnership with industries.

As part of the strategic sessions, the Committee invited the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), Western Cape Education Department (WCED), Eastern Cape Department of Education (ECDOE), and the Office of the Auditor-General South Africa (AGSA). Each TVET college was represented by; Principal, Deputy-Principal, Council Chairperson, Chief Financial Officer (CFO), President of the Students Representative Council (SRC) and Labour Representative for both academic and support staff.

The Committee also visited the Rhodes University and Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University to assess the university in the following key areas:

• Admission policy;
• Enrolment, pass, drop-out and through-put rates;
• Transformation plan;
• Student housing, and
• Partnership with industries.

In addition to the above mentioned key areas, the Committee invited stakeholders such as Councils, Students Representative Council (SRC’s), Labour Unions and Institutional Forum (IF) of the universities to make input on behalf of their constituents.

3. Composition of the Delegation

3.1 The Parliamentary delegation

The multi-party delegation of the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training consisted of; Mrs N Gina Whip (ANC), Adv I Malale Chairperson (ANC), Mr S Makhubele (ANC), Dr L Bosman (DA), Prof A Lotriet (DA), Mr N Bhanga (COPE) and Mr J Dikobo (AZAPO).

Apologies: Ms D Chili (ANC),Mr S Radebe (ANC) and Ms D Sibiya (ANC) and Mr A Mpontshane (IFP).

Support Staff: Mr A Kabingesi: Committee Secretary, Ms M Modiba: Content Adviser, Mr L Komle: Researcher, Ms T Majone: Committee Assistant, Mr A Mputing: Communications Officer, Mr T Mthethwa: Content Advisor Select Committee on Education and Recreation and Mr F Mohale: Media Officer.

3.2 TVET colleges of the Western Cape

Boland TVET College: Mrs C Myburgh: Principal, Mr X Phike: Vice Principal Education and Training, Ms C Heath: Lecturer, Mr D Bleazard: Chairperson Council, Mr H Gelderblom: Chief Financial Officer, Mr J Bekker: Manager Marketing & Corporate Communication and Mr F Christian: President SRC.

College of Cape Town TVET College: Mr L van Niekerk: Principal, Mr D De Beer: Acting CFO, Mr M Mdlalo: Chairperson Council, Mr Y Myalo: President SRC and Ms V van Aarde: Labour Representative.

False Bay TVET College: Mr C Kruger: Principal, Mr C Hogg: CFO, Ms K Hendricks: Deputy Principal Education and Training, Mr B Plaatjie: President SRC, Ms T Richards: Vice President SRC, Mr D Beech: Labour Representative and Mr D Gcanga: Educator.

Northlink TVET College: Mr N Maggot: Principal, Mr C Abrahams: Chief Financial Officer, Ms H Lotz: National Professional Teachers Organisation of South Africa (NAPTOSA) Representative and Ms I Harris: SRC Representative.

South Cape TVET College: Mr L Ngebulanga: Principal, Ms Z Ziqu: CFO, Ms H Cronje: New Business Manager, Mr D van Eck: Head of Department and Mr K Malan: President SRC.

West Coast TVET College: Mrs O Jooste-Mokgethi: Principal, Mr M Mavoyana: Deputy-Principal Academic, Ms R Hamza: Deputy Principal, Mr W Abrahams: Acting CFO, Mr A Ferreira: Secretariat Manager, Mr D van Rooyen: SAICA CFO, Mr G Koeries: President SRC and Mr DHeyns: Lecturer Representative.

3.3 TVET colleges of the Eastern Cape

Buffalo City TVET College: Mr D Singh: Principal, Mr T Madala: Chairperson Interim Council, Mr C Sparg: SAICA Interim CFO, Ms Z Coko: South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) Branch Chairperson, Ms P Mnqandi: NAPTOSA Site Steward, Ms A Njani: NEHAWU Representative and Mr Y Twani: President SRC.

East Cape Midlands TVET College: Mr J Mbana: Principal, Mr M Gawe: Chairperson Council, Mr R Abdullah: Resource Manager, Mr K Flanagan: NAPTOSA Representative, Mr A Buwa: President SRC and Mr M Twaca: SADTU Site Steward.

Ikhala TVET College: Mr N Tom: Principal, Mr M Bikisha: Deputy-Principal Academic Services, Ms R Dolonga: CFO, Mr P Steyn: Administrator, Ms L Nomana: President SRC and Mr M Siko: NEHAWU Branch Chairperson.

Ingwe TVET College: Ms N Balfour: Acting Principal, Mr S Mtintso: CFO, Mr M Giwu: Deputy- Principal, Mr N Damoyi: NEHAWU Representative, Ms N Jafta: SADTU Representative and Mr O Mdlana: President SRC.

King Hintsa TVET College: Mr J Jacobs: Administrator, Mr L Biyana: HOD Engineering & Farming, Ms U Mbontsi: HOD Tourism & Hospitality, Mr L Lebusa: Technical Assistant, Mr S Dlamini: Supply Chain Manager, Mr K Selebano: Student Support Services and Mr Z Ndiki: President SRC.

King Sabatha Dalindyebo TVET College: Ms N Chagi: Administrator, Ms N Siphamandla: Member SRC, Ms Y Ngalwa: SADTU Representative, Ms T Mayekiso: Public Service Association (PSA) Representative, Mr P Adonis: NAPTOSA Representative and Mr N Gwadane: NEHAWU Representative.

Lovedale TVET College: Mr P Loubsher: Acting Principal, Mrs J Verster: Vice Principal Education Services, Ms O Endurance: NAPTOSA Representative, Ms P Xamsei: Assistant Director, Mr Z Chola: Assistant Director Human Resource Management, Ms N Ntlabati: SADTU Branch Chairperson and Mr I Gqoloza: Deputy President SRC.

Port Elizabeth TVET C ollege: Mr L Beech: Administrator, Mr G Pavis Support CFO and Ms NMdlapo: NEHAWU Representative.

3.5 Rhodes University

Management: Dr S Mabizela: Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Ms J Roberts: Director Research Office, Dr P Clayton: DVC Research & Development, Dr I Lange: Executive Director Infrastructure Finance &Operations, Dr S Fourie: Registrar, Ms S Smailes: Director Special Projects, Mrs N Ripley: Director Data Management Unit, Prof F Hendricks: Dean Faculty of Humanities, Prof R Walker: Dean Faculty of Pharmacy, Prof D Wilmot: Dean Faculty of Education, Prof R Bernard: Dean Faculty of Science, Prof J Campbell: Dean Faculty of Law, Mr G Barker: Deputy Dean Faculty of Law, Ms P Nhlapo: Director Equity & Institutional Culture and Mr L Bheyile: Manager Undergraduate Funding.

Council: Judge J Jones: Chairperson, Ms N Stutts: Member, Mr B Steele-Gray and Mr A Armstrong.

SRC: Mr B Bense: President, Mr E Ofei: Liaison Officer and Ms B Tshabalala: Residence Councillor.

Unions: Mr P Ngxitho: NEHAWU Shop Steward, Mr R van Rooyen: Shop Steward and Mr O Eybers: NTEU Branch Chairperson.

Institutional Forum: Ms J Senry: Lecturer and Ms S Mathews: Senior Lecturer.

3.6 Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University

Management: Prof D Swartz: Vice-Chancellor, Dr F Goolam: Registrar, Prof Q Johnson: Campus Principal (George), Prof V Lawack: Executive Dean Faculty of Law, Prof C Foxcroft: Dean Faculty of Teaching & Learning, Prof P Naude: DVC Academic, Prof D Zinn: Dean Faculty of Education, Prof N Dorfine: Dean Faculty of Business & Economic Sciences, Prof V Notshulwana: Dean Faculty of Arts, Prof A Leitch: Dean Faculty of Science, Prof V Exner: Executive Dean Faculty of Health Sciences, Mr M Scheepers: Executive Director Finance, Dr G Paul: Executive Director Human Resources, Mr K Matiso: Dean of Students, Prof T Mayekiso: DVC Research & Engagement, Ms R Lavendal: Director Transformation Monitoring and Evaluation, Dr O Franks: Dean Faculty of Engineering, Dr S Mutwa: DVC Institutional Support, Dr C Sheppard: Director Management Information, Dr P Ntshongwana: Director Missionvale Campus, Mr W Muller: HOD Financial Aid, Prof H Nel: Director Institutional Planning and Ms L Best: Special Assistant to the VC.

Council: Justice R Pillay: Chairperson, Mr C Cawe: Deputy Chairperson, Mr A Mohamed: Member, Mr H Jeffrey: Member and Ms K Riga: Member.

SRC: Mr L Ntshongwana: President, Mr S Gqomfa: Treasurer, Mr R Sampson: Deputy Secretary-General and Mr S Hlwatika: Sport Officer.

Unions: Ms N Xotyeni: NEHAWU Branch Treasurer, Mr B Mangolothi: NEHAWU Branch Chairperson, Mr M Malotana: NEHAWU Shop Steward, Ms S Elie: NEHAWU Member, Ms L Cain: NEHAWU Member, Mr P Gama: NEHAWU Member, Mr V Bangela: NTEU National Executive Member, Mr H Fourie: NTEU Branch Vice- Chairperson.

Institutional Forum: Mr A Mukhabir: Member and Prof H Nel: Member.

3.7 National Student Financial Aid Scheme

Mr M Daca: CEO, Ms X Peter: Chief Information Officer, Ms I Madindi: Executive Secretary Stakeholders Engagements, Mr E Johannes: General Manager Finance, Mr M Cele: Senior Manager Loans and Bursaries, Ms T Klaas: Support Staff Loans and Bursaries, Mr R Mackinon-Little: Technical Programme Manager, Mr S Makananda: Student Support and Ms K Menon: Loans and Bursaries Specialist.

3.8 Western Cape Education Department

Mr Z Siyengo: Chief Director, Ms D Welgemoed: Chief Education Specialist, Ms K Kleintjies: Deputy Chief Education Specialist and Ms J Daniels: Deputy Chief Education Specialist.

3.9 Department of Higher Education and Training

Ms T Futshane: Chief Director VCET, Mr J Slater: Director Labour Relations, Ms H van Rensburg Director University Branch, Mrs G Umeh Deputy Director Branch Coordination, Ms P Mbontsi: Provincial Coordinator Eastern Cape, Mrs L Rudimuldu: Senior Admin Officer, Ms N Siguba-Mashiala: Senior Admin Officer and Mr S Kasi: Admin Officer.

3.10 Office of the Auditor-General South Africa

Ms T Zondi (CA) SA: Business Executive, Mr S Songa: Manager and Ms N Mahola: Senior Manager.

4. Summary of presentations

4.1 TVET colleges of the Western Cape

a) Boland TVET College

Mrs C Myburgh: Principal led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

· The college had five main campuses in five towns namely; Caledon, Hermanus, Paarl, Strand and Worcester and the total student enrolment for 2014 first trimester and semester was 6 479.

· The college had fully functional council until 31 December 2013 when the statutory appointment term expired. An interim council continued with its roles until appointment of a new council was effected.

· Inadequate communication of the new NSFAS bursary guidelines had serious challenges for the college during the 2014 registration period since students were not informed of the changes. Transport was a serious concern for the college as most students came from rural areas and small towns where public transport was a challenge.

· The college had a serious challenge of 279 subject results pending which resulted in uncertainty for registration of students in 2014 as well as certification output rate.

· The college was concerned with the appointment of unqualified markers by the Department which compromised the outcome of examination results.

· The college commended SETAs for their support with funding and partnerships with industries for students’ workplace training.

· Student housing was challenge for the college, only 891 students were at residences and residence costs exceeded the amount allocated for residence in the bursary guidelines, thus poor students had to pay the outstanding balance.

· The insured value of the properties of the college at all sites was R698 million.

Unions

· The migration process for college staff to national remained a critical challenge for the college. Disparities of conditions of services between support and academic staff remained a concern.

· The college had no autonomy in so far as employment of staff was concerned owing to the moratorium by the Department.

SRC

· The student leadership of the college had weekly meetings with management and relationship with management was cordial. The SRC was also represented in council meeting and contributed to the discussions and outcomes of those meetings.

· The SRC in conjunction with student support services assisted needy students with shoes and other amenities. Students with academic challenges were assisted by the SRC with tutorials and the college allocated funding for that.

· Of concern to the students leadership was that communication between campuses remained a concern especially for new students.

· The new guidelines of NSFAS posed serious challenges for students during registration period especially returning students since they were communicated late. The SRC proposed an extension to the registration period to allow students more time to register.

b) College of Cape Town TVET College

Mr L van Niekerk: Principal led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

· The term of council expired on 31 December 2013 like all the other colleges in the province.

· The 2014 NC(V) planned enrolment was 4253 and Report 191 programme 2748 students. The total number of unfunded students in 2014 was 1112.

· Colleges required at least a three year indicative bursary allocation for better planning of student intake given that the current planning system was inadequate for colleges.

· The college had a graduate data base for placement of students in workplaces. Partnerships with SETAs and industries were growing and lecturers also benefited in this initiative.

· Student housing was a challenge for the college. There were only three residences with 246 beds and in addition to college residences, the college outsourced private accommodation. The college was concerned that there was inadequate support from the Department with regard to student accommodation.

· The overall 2013 NC(V) results included, retention rate 79%, pass rate 79% and throughput rate 62%. Report 191 2013 results, retention rate was 92%, pass rate 72% and throughput rate 65%.

· The current college infrastructure had reached its carrying capacity in terms of expansion and growth in student numbers. Approved capital expenditure projects of the college amounted to R16.2 million and the development of the three campuses was estimated at R500 million in 2013.

Unions

· The unions were concerned with the slow pace of the migration process for college staff and inadequate communication on progress report. In addition to the migration process, a concern was raised with regard to low salaries of TVET college lecturers which were not commensurate with their workload.

· Tuition fees for learners that were not funded with bursaries were expensive and parents were unable to afford these fees.

· Inadequate workplace or industry exposure for lecturers’ especially new entrants remained a concern as it affected teaching and learning. Work placement opportunities for students remained challenge especially for those who required experiential training to obtain their qualification.

SRC

· The constitution of the SRC was recently amended and new portfolios (gender and disability) were created.

· The SRC was concerned with inadequate recognition of student formations by management of certain colleges in the Western Cape although there was full recognition at the College of Cape Town.

· The SRC of the college was not allocated its own budget and this was detrimental in implementing its mandate.

· It was raised concern that the Department did not consult the South African Further Education and Training Students Association (SAFETSA) on the new bursary guidelines for 2014 academic year

c) False Bay TVET College

Mr C Kruger: Principal led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

· The college focused on serving the communities residing in the South Peninsula, Mitchells Plain and Khayelitsha with a population in excess of 1 million. 40% of the population fell in the age bracket 19 – 34 and 70% had qualifications below Matric. It had five campuses situated in Khayelitsha, Westlake, Muizenberg, Fish Hoek and Mitchells Plain.

· The college planned to establish a new Campus at the Denel Swartklip site at cost of R160 million to admit more students.

· The college employed 416 staff in total (educator staff 232 and support staff 184).

· The budgeted income of the college was R195 million in 2014, state funding R94.6 million (indicative), National Skills Fund (NSF) allocation R17 million, NSFAS allocation R29 million (indicative), and capex R9.5 million, maintenance R8.5 million.

· The college was concerned that the current funding for NC(V) and Nated programmes did not correlate with the actual enrolments and in 2013, the college carried 514 unfunded students to the value of R11.5 million (after deducting NSF funding).

· The 2014 headcount enrolment of the college was 11640 students as compared to 9501 in 2013.

· The college was in a process of offering higher certificates in partnership with University of South Africa (Unisa) and Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT).

· The college had a record of unqualified audits since its establishment.

· Allocation of transport allowances from NSFAS was the major cause of unrest in most colleges and colleges proposed that NSFAS bursary guidelines should be rules.

· An amount of R1.7 million from 2013 was still outstanding for bursaries relating to students with disabilities.

· Late arrival of papers and errata received during exams remained serious concerns for the college.

· Partnership with industries was growing and more than 70% of the college’s 2012 graduates were employed by companies.

· The overall NC(V) 2013 results included; 48% certification rate and 71% retention rate. For Nated programme; certification rate 49% and retention rate 89%.

SRC

· Communication with students across all campuses was a challenge at the college.

· The SRC had good relations with management and attended council meetings.

· Late communication of the new NSFAS bursary guidelines was challenge for students during the registration period of 2014.

· The SRC supported management’s proposal for establishment of a new Swartklip campus at the Denel site.

· Student leadership was concerned about safety of students’ especially in Mitchells Plain and Khayelitsha campuses and proposed that transport allowances be allocated to them.

d) Northlink TVET College

Mr N Maggott: Acting Principal led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

· The college took a decision of not continuing with the outgoing council and the absence of council brought governance challenges to the college.

· The college had 26 vacant posts owing to the moratorium placed on filling of administration posts. Approximately 86% of administration posts were college funded. The college did not have an organogram and post provisioning norms currently.

· The headcount enrolment for 2014 was 8679 students.

· The college proposed that bursary guidelines should be published at the start of the last quarter of each year and approvals be given before commencement of course. The college was allocated R59 million from NSFAS bursary allocation for 2014.

· Late publication of results was a concern for the college since it hampered on registration of students for the next trimester.

· Infrastructure costs of the college were estimated at R5.95 million.

Unions

· The number of lecturers employed on contract remained a serious concern at the college.

· Marking of question papers by unqualified markers posed a serious threat on the outcome examination results.

· Workload of lecturers especially on administration of the NC(V) programme compromised teaching and learning.

· There were certain staff members at the college that were not paid their salaries in December 2013.

SRC

· The SRC was concerned with late delivery of NC(V) textbooks for engineering studies.

· The relationship between management and SRC of the college was good.

· The SRC proposed that bursary guidelines should be communicated to students in advance.

· Lecturers were not updated with new technology and development especially in engineering studies.

· The 10 kilometre radius threshold for transport allowances affected poor students mostly as they could not afford to pay transport fees to reach the college.

· Facilities for students with special needs remained a concern at college.

e) South Cape TVET College

Mr L Ngubelanga: Principal led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

· The previous council was functional and remained compliant until the end of its term on 31 December 2013.

· The college had six campuses serving a vast rural catchment area. The distance between campuses was vast and the current funding norms for colleges did not give cognisance of the unique challenges of rural colleges.

· The total headcount enrolment for 2013 was 5164 students.

· There were no reported cases of examination irregularities reported at the college sites in 2013.

· The overall 2013 NC(V) results included; 63% retention, 54% certification and 80% subject pass. The College received 99% of the NC(V) results while most results for Report 191 programmes were outstanding and this impacted on registration and certification of students.

· The college had a serious challenge of inadequate funds for student accommodation and this was further exacerbated by the few hostels on campuses. This obliged the college to utilise private service providers which were expensive.

· The college spent R6 million for transporting students annually, R18 million for private accommodation and NSFAS bursary allocation was inadequate. Inadequate funding from NSFAS was a concern for the college in managing transport and accommodation allowances for students.

· The college was one of the five nationwide TVET colleges piloting the new NSFAS centralised system.

· A placement unit was established at the college and it assisted students with work placement.

· The college’s relationship with SETAs improved and they assisted in covering deficit.

f) West Coast TVET College

Mrs O Jooste-Mokgethi: Principal led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

· The college had fully functional management structure and 5 campuses serving the West Coast region.

· The NC(V) new entrants as at 31 January 2014 was 2369. In terms of students demographics and equity 2014; 55% were Coloureds, 42% Blacks, 0.1% Indian, 3.2% White, males 41% and females 59%.

· Student placement for workplace training was 69% in 2013.

· Student housing remained a concern for the college. Only 1002 students were at residences.

· Transport service providers were paid directly by the college.

· Outstanding and pending results remained as serious concern for the college.

· The infrastructure grant from SETAs and National Skills Fund (NSF) assisted the college in the completion of some construction projects.

· The college was allocated R31 million for NC(V) and R4.8 million for Nated programme in 2014.

• Funding norms for colleges should make provision for the unique challenges experienced by rural colleges.

SRC

· The student leadership was fully constituted and was voted in through democratic voting procedures. It held daily briefing with students during registration period.

· The SRC was concerned with the shortage of accommodation on campuses for students.

· It was alluded that students were only informed about the new transport and accommodation guidelines during the 2014 registrations period..

4.2 TVET colleges of the Eastern Cape

a) Buffalo City TVET College

Mr D Singh: Principal led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

· The term of the college council expired on 31 December 2013 and the Minister appointed five executive members of council to continue with the functions of council.

· The college had a total of 323 staff, 71% black, 19% white, 9% coloured, 39% male and 60% female.

· Government funding for the 2013/14 financial year amounted to R103 million and the indicative funding for 2014/15 amounted to R108 million.

· The provisional amount allocated for NSFAS in 2014 was R30 million and the demand for bursaries exceeded supply (resulting in student unrest).

· The college received an unqualified audit in 2013 report and it had a hotline to report corruption.

· Certification rate in scarce skills programmes remained a challenge for the college since learners did not have pre-knowledge of the NC(V) programme.

· Student housing remained a challenge for the college. Only 206 students could be accommodated in college residences and 176 in private accommodation.

· The costs of infrastructure projects was estimated at R253 million.

Unions

· Communication between council and labour unions remained a concern in the college.

· The college academic board needed to be capacitated to deliver its mandate effectively.

· There was conflict of lecturer roles where in lecturers were expected to teach, serve in student support services as well as health and wellness.

· Delays in the release of student results created serious challenges for teaching and learning.

· Unions were concerned that examination marking was done by incompetent lecturers who in some cases did not have subject knowledge.

· They commended DHET’s curriculum intervention strategies through reviews.

SRC

· The SRC was concerned with unsuitably qualified lecturers in some programmes.

· Inadequate infrastructure capacity remained a serious concern as some students were turned away during registration period.

· Inadequate communication of new bursary guidelines to students affected the registration process.

· Late payment of NSFAS bursary claims contributed to student dropping out of the system.

· Corruption and fraud by students and administrators of NSFAS bursary was a challenge in the college.

· There was shortage of student housing at the college and the existing residences required renovations.

b) East Cape Midlands TVET College

Mr J Mbana: Principal led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

· The council was replaced by an interim council consisting of members of the previous council when its term expired at the end of 2012. The college requested that council members should be as local as possible to reduce the burden from the colleges to provide travel and accommodation budget.

· The college received unqualified audit for the first time in ten years in 2013.

· The total NC(V) enrolments for 2013 was 8610 and Report 191 was 6105.

· It was noted that the current funding norms model based on enrolment was unfair and colleges had to provide for unfunded students. The funding norms did not cater for student accommodation and capital expenditure projects.

· The college conducted its first conference for all its employees last year and it was a success.

· The college received a total allocation of R31 million for NSFAS bursary. Demand for financial aid exceeded supply which resulted in shortfalls.

· The college had a dedicated unit that dealt with placement of students and partnership with industries.

· The college did not have its own residences for student housing, all accommodation for students was outsourced.

· The college had 874 NC(V) distinctions in 2013, 86 business studies distinctions, 203 in engineering. The overall NC(V) certification rate was 69% in 2013.

Unions

· The appointment of inadequately qualified lecturers in some programmes remained a challenge in the college.

· The implementation of collective agreements and conversion of temporary staff to be permanent were slow.

· The college did not have an adequate policy on Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).

· The improved academic performance was commendable in the college and there was a need to improve retention rate of students.

· The college should establish a research committee to assess the relevance of college courses with industry needs.

SRC

· Communication on student affairs across the eight campuses of the college was not managed effectively.

· Shortage of funding and late payment of bursary claims resulted in some students dropping out during the academic year.

· Inadequate infrastructure and student housing remained as serious concerns for students of the college.

· The SRC noted a challenge of inadequate of sport and recreational facilities at the college.

c) Ikhala TVET College

Mr N Tom: Principal led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

· The college was placed under administration from 2011 and a Principal was appointed while the Administrator continued with governance functions until the hand over period of 31 March 2014. All internal members of council had been appointed and three Ministerial appointments were approved by the Minister.

· The college had 7000 students across five campuses. The indicative NSFAS bursary allocation of the college for 2014 was R21 million.

· The 2013 examinations at the college were conducted free of any irregularities. Delays were only experienced in engineering studies owing to a new system of dispatching question papers by the courier service.

· Partnerships with industries remained a concern since the college was located largely in rural areas. Approximately 154 students were placed in internships programmes.

· The 2013 overall NC(V) pass rate was 42%, drop-out rate 24% and retention rate 71%. For Report 191, pass rate 38.2%, drop-out rate 4% and throughput rate 49%.

Unions

· The process of assembling functioning college councils was too slow, furthermore the lack of consistent update on the change in dates of migration process created an atmosphere of mistrust, particularly in colleges that had history of councils that were disbanded owing to corruption.

· The union urged the Department to open lines of communication on assembling of new councils.

· Disparities in salaries that were earned by workers between colleges was a hindrance of the uniformity that the Department sought to find given the history of the level of autonomy colleges had. Furthermore, the different practices in the articulation of worker’s salaries in one college from another and inconsistencies left colleges with a predicament of how these past injustices would be fixed.

· Management of the college had a tendency to perceive unions as a threat to the college. This affected the work of the union as a watchdog organisation that took primary interest in the wellbeing of workers

· The union was concerned with the manner in which management of the college handled the issue of the organogram.

· The union was concerned with personal development in colleges which did not articulate to the promotion of a worker from entry level to senior posts. There was a need for a personal development system that sought to develop public servants from entry level posts up to top management. Furthermore, unions were concerned that college national diplomas did not articulate to universities and that limited their personal development.

· There was need to improve practical experience of lecturers in TVET sector to keep up with the change in technology and methods within certain disciplines that were central to the nation’s development like IT and Engineering.

SRC

· Outstanding bursary payments of 2013 remained a concern for students and contributed to drop-out rates.

· The demand for financial aid in the college was high since majority of students came from poor rural households.

· Some students in the college did not get their 2013 results and certificates.

· The college lacked adequate infrastructure and sport facilities for students.

d) Ingwe TVET College

Ms N Balfour: Acting Principal led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

· The college council was dissolved by the Minister on 02 December 2012 and Mr Cassim was appointed as an administrator. The statutory term of office of the administrator ended on 15 December 2013 and Acting Principal was appointed. The process for appointment of new council was underway.

· There was an irregularity in exams at Mt Frere Campus reported on 23 October 2013.

· The college experienced the challenge of outstanding Report 191 and NC(V) results in 2013.

· The college had five campuses with a total headcount enrolment of 8110 students.

· The DBX system was partially dysfunctional at the college as a result, enrolment process was delayed. Issuing of student cards was a problem and connectivity affected work progress.

· The 2014 indicative bursary allocation for the college was R31 million.

· The college had partnerships with the local universities and German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) and one of the college lecturers went to Germany to experience vocational training developments and modalities.

Unions

· The intervention of the Department in appointing an Administrator assisted the college to bring stability.

· Lecturers were overworked owing to shortage of staff personnel for other extra mural activities.

· There were no industries located close to the college campuses and student placement was a serious challenge in rural areas.

SRC

· The SRC of the college did not fulfil its mandate adequately owing to inadequate resources in its offices.

· Employment of unsuitably qualified lecturers affected teaching and learning negatively.

· Shortage of classroom and computer laboratories contributed to overcrowding and the high student-lecturer.

· There was a shortage of student accommodation at the college.

e) King Hintsa TVET College

Mr J Jacobs: Administrator led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

· An Administrator was appointed and would continue until 7 March 2014 with his duties. There was currently no council at the college since the Administrator took over.

· The Administrator inherited a college that was in state of chaos with dilapidated buildings. Only 404 students were enrolled and there was no effective management of information system.

· The college did not have policies, labour relations unit and there were a high number of unqualified lecturers.

· Filling of critical positions was completed by the Administrator and 465 staff members were trained.

· Establishment of governance committees was implemented and advertisement for new council members would be posted.

· The college received a disclaimer opinion for 2012 financial year. Forensic audit reports were received by the Administrator and criminal charges were referred to Police for further investigation. Dismissals (2) and suspensions (5) were implemented.

· Disciplinary hearings of the former Principal started on 22 January 2014 and other hearings commenced on 06 January 2014. 13 employment contracts were discontinued (lecturers with no qualifications).

· R43 million was misused in the college owing to poor financial management.

· The student residences were not habitable for learning. New movable residences were erected in the college.

· There were no part time classes at the college. Almost 80% of students required accommodation in the college which was not available currently.

Unions

· Teaching and learning improved since the appointment of the Administrator. The organogram of the college had been developed and it was articulate.

· Allocation of bursaries to students remained a concern owing to huge demand for financial aid.

SRC

· The SRC commended the intervention of the Department in appointing the Administrator in the college.

· Student housing was a serious concern at the college. There was only one residence for students in all the four campuses. Apporximately 16 students shared a single room at that residence.

· Private accommodation was expensive for the college and it was also in very bad state.

· The SRC proposed for more funding to improve the situation of the college.

f) King Sabatha Dalindyebo TVET College

Ms N Chagi: Administrator led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

· The college was placed under administration since 2010 and the term would come to an end on 30 ^th June 2014. The process of appointing new council was underway.

· Disciplinary matters were attended by the Administrator, the process of filling outstanding vacancies was underway and new posts were in line with the college expansion.

· The college was allocated an indicative NSFAS bursary of R32 million in 2014. The total value of bursaries not awarded to ineligible students was R19 million.

· The college did not have examination irregularities in 2013.

· The college had partnerships with SETAs on learnerships to the value of R5.5 million.

· Out of the seven campuses, only two had student accommodation with 650 beds for 7000 enrolled students. Negotiations for completion of two new residences were underway and if completed, only 31% of the total college enrolment would be accommodated.

· The 2013 overall NC(V) certification rate of the college was 23% and majority of the college results were outstanding.

· The total costs of capex projects for the college was R68 million.

Unions

· The college had five Administrators in the past and the situation at the college was very chaotic before the appointment of the current Administrator.

· The college had historically challenges of frequent strikes by both employees and students and that had negative impact on teaching and learning. However, since the appointment of the new Administrator, teaching and learning improved and currently were no more strikes.

· Unions were concerned with inadequate consultation on recruitment and appointment of new employees at the college.

g) Lovedale TVET College

Mr P Loubsher: Acting Principal led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

· The college did not have a permanent Principal and CFO at present. The new council was not yet appointed by the Minister. However, the process of appointment of new council was underway. Two audits were conducted by independent auditors; the first audit assessed college bursary administration process and the second audit verified private accommodation. A random sample of 40 students was selected for the investigations. Alarmingly high levels of bursary fraud were discovered. Criminal charges were being laid against those identified as wrong doers. The value of fraudulent activities was R4 million.

· Student housing was a challenge in the college and the college did not have a budget for renovations of hostels.

· The proposed NC(V) bursary allocation for 2014 was R13.7 million.

Unions

· The organogram of the college was inadequate and there were staff members of the college that were arrested owing to protest incited by students.

· Fee increment in the college was implemented without adequate consultation with other relevant stakeholders of the college.

· Allegations of irregularities in allocation of student housing were not yet investigated by management of the college.

· Students were compelled to pay R3000 upfront payment before they could be accepted at the college’s residences.

· Partnership with industries for student placement was a serious challenge in the college.

h) Port Elizabeth TVET College

Mr L Beech: Administrator led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

· The college sector was analysing the recently launched White Paper on Post School Education and Training to align its growth with it.

· The challenges in the college sector included; non-alignment of SETA targets with what was offered by colleges, skewed approach towards Nated programmes, inadequate human resource management, delays in the migration process, progress and the moratorium which delayed appointment of permanent staff.

· PE TVET college was placed under administration in May 2013.

· There were delays in filling the vacant posts of Deputy-Principals at the college.

· The 2013 overall NC(V) certification rate was 37% and Report 191, 41%.

· The Administrator was of the view that it was unfair to expect NC(V) students to pass all seven (7) subjects while Grade 12 learners were certificated and articulated to higher education even when they failed two subjects in the National Senior Certificate (NSC).

· The college had serious challenges with student housing. Only 200 students were accommodated in student residences.

· The demand for financial aid remained a serious concern at the college. The college was still awaiting an outstanding amount of R2 million from NSFAS for 2013 bursary claims.

· The college had a R4 million shortfall of unfunded students and the funding norms for the sector were out dated and not aligned to the current realities.

· The college had a partnership of R63 million with Services SETA for training and development of electricians for the next three years.

· The college did not have Student Representative Council (SRC) currently since it was disbanded by the Administrator..

· The college was concerned with ownership of the Algoa Campus. It invested funds in the refurbishment and maintenance of this campus although ownership resided with Provincial Department of Education.

Unions

· Student protests were caused by inadequate administration of bursary claims by management of the college. The new bursary guidelines were not properly communicated with colleges and NSFAS should conduct road shows in informing the public of these new guidelines.

· Slow pace of transformation especially at senior management of the college remained a concern.

· The relationship between management and union in the college remained a concern.

4.3 Auditor-General South Africa

Ms T Zondi: Business Executive led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

· The AGSA had a constitutional mandate and, as the Supreme Audit Institution of South Africa, it existed to strengthen the country’s democracy by enabling oversight, accountability and governance in the public sector through auditing, thereby building public confidence.

· The 2012 audit outcomes for colleges indicated the following; 19 colleges received unqualified audit with no findings, 17 unqualified audits with findings, 8 qualified audits, 3 disclaimers and 3 outstanding audits.

· The audit of TVET colleges by the AGSA would follow a four year phased in approach.

· The benefits of auditing colleges by the AGSA would increase accountability and assist colleges in achieving clean administration.

· The focus areas of the AGSA included; governance, internal audit and risk management, procurement and contract management. Performance information was not included since there was no legal requirement for colleges to report it.

· Areas of concern for the AGSA included; lack of proper information system, governance structures not in place, poor risk management and sustainability of the SAICA CFO initiative.

4.4 Rhodes University

a) Overview of the university

Dr S Mabizela: Deputy Vice-Chancellor led the made the following introductory remarks:

· The university was established 110 years ago in the small town of Grahamstown. It was among the smallest universities in the country with a population of 7600 full time equivalent students representing 0.8% of total student population in higher education. Academic staff of the university represented 1.9% of academics in the higher education sector.

· In terms of budget from the state, the university received 1.2% of the total grant allocation to higher education institutions and it largely depended on other sources of funding for its operations.

· The university had six faculties and did not offer medicine and engineering.

· 27% of the student population were postgraduates and 60% of students were women. Approximately, 20% of the student population were international students coming from 50 different countries.

· The university was cosmopolitan with cultural diversity which promoted academic excellence and it boasted high percentage pass rates above 80% and was among the top three universities in the country in terms of research output of academic staff.

· The university contributed 60% Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the Makana Municipality and was the biggest employer in the small town of Grahamstown which had high unemployment rate of 70%.

· Majority of services of the university were not outsourced and this was a way of creating more employment for the local community.

b) Student admission policy

Ms N Ripley: Director led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

· The admission policy of the university was in line with the principles of the Higher Education Act 101 of 1997 which proclaimed the desirability of pursuing excellence and ensuring representivity, equal access, redress of past discrimination and the appreciation of diversity.

· The policy applied to all applications for admission to undergraduate and postgraduate programmes at the university and it was committed to equitable, fair, transparent and consistent admission procedures and processes. Its overarching goal was to achieve academic access and success based on social equity. Minimum admission requirements represented the minimum qualifications which applicants were normally expected to fulfil in order to gain entrance into an academic programme of their choice. Faculties and academic departments may, in addition to the minimum admission requirements, set faculty specific or department specific criteria and require specific level of achievement.

· The Extended Studies Programme provided an alternative access route for students from disadvantaged backgrounds who did not perform well in the National Senior Certificate Examinations.

c) Research output and development of new generation of academic

Dr P Clayton: DVC Research & Development led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

· The university had a strong reputation as a research-led university, and was consistently ranked amongst the most research productive universities in the country. It valued its intellectual space, which was underpinned by modern academic library, well equipped library and laboratories, many of which were a result of competitive grants and external collaborations.

· Despite good overall research performance as a university, the institution suffered from a serious concentration risk, in that there was a relatively small group of very high productivity researchers upon whom the overall institutional research performance substantially rests.

· The university still struggled to achieve demographic representation in the academic body despite the achievements in transforming the student demographics. Continued programmes to develop black and female academics were required to address the skewed range of role models within the research and academic programmes of the university.

· Postgraduate financial aid was the biggest challenge to achieve institutional and national research objectives.

d) Partnership with industries

Dr P Clayton: DVC Research & Development led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

· The university established partnerships with a range of industry players which overlapped with the university’s areas of expertise. Relationships fell into two primary categories of activity, research contracts, and the provision of expertise through short courses. In the case of research contracts, the funding went primarily to student scholarships and the salaries of researchers working on the projects, then smaller proportions to running expenses. As a source of third stream income, partnerships with industry were relatively small in relation to other areas of research income. The third stream income for the 2013 academic year was R97 million.

e) Staff complements

Ms S Fischer: Director Human Resource Management led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

· As per the 2013 Higher Education Management Information System (HEMIS) data, the total number of permanent or long term fixed term contract staff employed by the university totalled 1333. Of this, 351 were academic staff.

· The staff student ratio of 1 academic to 21 students (7485 students / 351 staff), arguably was the lowest staff to student ratio amongst higher education institutions in the country.

· The ratio of academic to support staff was 1:3, 8. This was a very high ratio compared to other higher education institutions. Amongst the reasons for this was that the university did not outsource any of the support staff functions and this was key to the sustainability of Grahamstown and the university.

· Executive and senior management of the university constituted 1.65% of all staff with a further12.4% constituting specialised support and technical professionals. Black staff was 62% of all employees and women were 53% of all staff.

· Of the concern to the university, was the low percentage of Black instructional and research professional (25% of this category). Women constituted 42% of all academics but only 24% of professors and associate professors.

· In terms of staff demographics, Black staff were 27% of all executive and senior management professionals, while women were 59% of all staff in this collective, there were no woman in the top management or executive positions (only one Black woman in senior management).

· A key difficulty in attracting professional staff to the university was that remuneration offered at the university was not competitive compared to the private sector and government. The cost of housing in Grahamstown as well as the life style in a small town was unattractive.

· Amongst the instructional and research staff, 49% of staff had their PhDs, while 83% of professors and associate professors had PhDs, 48% of senior lecturers; only 16% of lecturing staff had PhDs.

f) Administration of NSFAS bursary

Mr L Bheyile: Manager Undergraduate Funding led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

· NSFAS funding was granted on financial need and academic performance. Prospective students indicated on the admission form to the university that they required funding from the university.

· Owing to the limit in the amount of available funds, the finance committee of the university set a threshold of R180 000 gross annual income for parents with students who required financial assistance.

· Senior students were required to pass 75% of their courses to automatically qualify for financial assistance the following year. Prospective students qualified as long as they were financially needy and had been offered a place to study at the university.

· NSFAS had four packages for students namely; residence package, off campus package, home package (for Grahamstown students) and tuition only.

· Financial aid students with zero family contribution were automatically cleared for registration.

· The current challenges of the university included; students from the middle income families struggled to pay fees as they don’t qualify for NSFAS, demand for financial aid was substantial compared to the allocation from NSFAS and communication with NSFAS in 2013 was appalling.

g) Accommodation and student residences

Dr I Lange: Executive Director Infrastructure Finance & Operations led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

· The residence system at the university had traditionally played a significant role in providing students with a holistic and enhanced education experience.

· The demographic profile of the residence system at the university had changed considerably under the leadership of the current VC. The percentage of Black students in residence increased from approximately 59% in 2010 to 71% in 2013.

· The university adopted the strategy of aiming to provide residence accommodation to all first year students without significantly reducing the availability of residence space to returning students. In 2013, the university was able to provide residence to some 55% of its total student population.

· The university was justifiably proud of the high standards of its residence system. The number of students using the residence system in 2013 was 3428.

h) Transformation Plan

Dr S Mabizela: DVC led the presentation which highlighted the following key:

· Transformation at the university comprised of the following dimensions; social component of students to reflect the demographics of society, staff demographic to reflect demographics of the country’s population, teaching and learning.

· Public HE institutions had a responsibility of responding to societal needs and challenges through knowledge production and research. The university has made considerable progress in transforming student demographics to reflect society. 80% of new applications to the university were from Black students and they were in majority at the university. The university did not have a closing date for Black applicants.

· The extended studies programme provided alternative access route for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. It also provided such students with a carefully designed learning programme and supportive learning environment to enhance their chances of success at the university.

· Equity among academic staff remained a serious concern for the university. The remuneration offered at the university was not competitive as compared to other private sector and government.. Furthermore, the high cost of housing, geographic location of the university and difficulties of partners in finding employment in the small town of Grahamstown contributed to the slow transformation at academic level of the institution.

i) Council

Judge J Jones: Chairperson of Council led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

· The council of the university (34 members) was fully functional and it met five times a year. Majority stakeholders of the university were represented in the council. The attendance of council meetings was relatively good besides the municipal representatives who never attend council meetings.

· The university was under good management and leadership. The financial status of the university was good although the demand for financial aid was often substantial compared with the funding available.

· Equity and transformation at academic staff level were greatest challenges of the university. Diversity at undergraduate and postgraduate level was good. The university had challenges in attracting young Black and female academics owing to various socio economic factors.

j) Unions

National Tertiary Educators Union (NTEU)

Mr O Eybers: Branch Chairperson led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

· The union felt that remuneration offered at the university was low in comparison with other HE institutions and that remained one of the key obstacles in attracting young Black academics.

· Vacant funded posts remained as a serious concern for the union as this affected productivity of the university.

· Equity and transformation at academic staff personnel remained as major challenge of the university. To date, 72% of academics at the university were white and this had negative implications on institutional culture. Equity was valued mostly at lower level posts of the university.

· The staffing committee of the university resolved in its policy that recruitment process should be transparent and fair. However, certain Deans and other members of the Human Resource (HR) committee did not comply with the policy. The HR committee of the university was not transformed and senior human resource officers of the university were white.

· The union was concerned with under-utilisation of SETA funds especially for internships and learnerships for upgrading of skills of the minority group.

National Education and Health Allied Workers Union (NEHAWU)

Mr P Ngxitho: Shop Steward led the presentation which highlighted the following:

· There was biasness towards NEHAWU in terms of influencing decision making at the university.

· Inadequate payment of support staff was a serious concern for the union. There was high staff turnover among support staff of the university.

k) Student Representative Council

Mr B Bense: President led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

· The student leadership of the university was integrated and diverse and it was not affiliated to any political party although there were various political formations at the university.

· The SRC was functional and had quorums in all its meetings.

· The SRC was seriously concerned with inadequate financial assistance for poor students. Although the university and NSFAS supported needy students, the demand for financial aid was substantial compared with the funding available.

· Transport for students living off campus was also major challenge. Grahamstown did not have adequate public transport system that was easily accessible.

· The water outages experienced in 2013 had serious impact on teaching and learning. Students did not have water in residences for bathing and cooking.

· The sports facilities of the university were small, old and inadequate for the number of students at the university.

· The SRC was seriously concerned with supplementary exams being written in January at a time where most students were still on holiday.

· The failure rate in accounting at the university was high owing to inadequate student support in the department. The pass rate for accounting 2 was 11% and 4% for accounting 3 modules.

4.5 Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU)

a) Overview of the university

Prof D Swartz: Vice-Chancellor led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

· NMMU was the largest and most comprehensive university in the Eastern Cape comprising of 26338 students, 1706 international students from 64 countries, 2186 staff, 7 faculties and 470 academic programmes.

· More than half of the first time entering students were admitted via access assessment. 36% of the students that graduated in April 2013 were admitted through the programme.

· The university had a challenge with staff high student-lecturer ratio and impact it had on student success. The undergraduate rate in 2012 was 78% and first time entering 1 ^st year success rate was 75%.

· The university had capable and stable governance and management. At present, the university had R140 million in investment assets and this was expected to increase to R1 billion by 2020.

· The total money spent on infrastructure over the last five years was R790 million and the total infrastructure spend over the next three years would be R240 million.

· The challenges of the university included; reliance on government subsidy, NSFAS and financial aid, high student staff ratios, attracting and retaining qualified staff, especially in scarce skills.

· The university would like to expand its programmes to offer medicine and it would need Cabinet support.

b) Statistical profile

Prof H Nel: Director Institutional Planning led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

· The average annual increase of total student enrolment since 2009 was 3.4% and the university had 26388 students in 2014.

· Student enrolment by ethnicity in 2013 included; 60% blacks, 14% coloured, 24% white and 1% Indian. In terms of geographic origin; 45% of students were from Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, 19% from other provinces, 7% international and 29% from the rest of Eastern Cape.

· Student enrolment by major field of study included; 37% business studies, 35% science engineering and technology, 10% education and 18% humanities.

· Investment in disability accessibility included; R3.6 million spent on establishing disability unit, R10.4 million spent on infrastructure accessibility solutions on all campuses and R1.7 million spent on assistive devices.

· Success rate by qualification type in 2012 included; 78% undergraduate, 65% masters and 77% doctors. Student graduation rates in 2012 included; 21% undergraduates, 21% masters and 19% doctors.

· Council allocated R47.2 million to bursaries in 2013.

· Permanent staff profile ethnicity in 2014 included; 52% whites, 23% blacks, 19% coloureds, 4% indians and 2% foreigners. In terms of gender, 55% of staff were females and 45% males.

· Academic staff profile in 2012 included; 41% of staff ha PhDs, 36% Masters and 23% less than Masters.

c) Council

Justice R Pillay: Chairperson led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

· Retaining of staff especially in scarce skills programmes remained a serious concern for the university. Development of young and black future generation of academics was a challenge.

· Equity among academic staff had been slow in terms of transformation. The fact that post graduates studies were not funded by the state made it difficult for black students to continue with their studies owing to various socio-economic challenges.

· The university had an ambition of establishing a medical school to assist with the shortage of medical profession especially in Eastern Cape. There was only one medical school in the entire Eastern Cape which was Walter Sisulu University (WSU) in Mthatha 500 kilometres away from Port Elizabeth.

· The university was concerned with decline of enrolments especially in education owing to inadequate conditions of service for teachers.

· Council was fully functional and Ministerial Appointees attended council meetings regularly.

d) Student Representative Council

Mr L Jongwana: President led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

· Students were concerned with inadequate financial aid and those that still owed the university last year’s fees were being evicted from student residences.

· NSFAS should continue funding the B Tech programme since majority of the students were from poor households and also unable to fund themselves.

· The NSFAS bursary pilot project being implemented at the university should be reviewed and there was no proper consultation with students on the pilot project.

· The implementation of the points system for admission to academic programmes was exclusionary especially for students coming from disadvantaged schools.

· Student housing was a serious concern at the university and there was an urgent need for expansion of on-campus accommodation. Less than a quarter of students of the university were accommodated in residences.

e) Unions

Mr B Mangolothi: NEHAWU Branch Chairperson led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

· The union was seriously concerned with slow transformation especially at academic staff level and staff development was a challenge in the university.

· The university had various good policies on paper. However, inadequate implementation remained a serious concern.

· There was a fear of victimisation especially among union leaders when they raised concerns around racism related ones with management.

· Racism was still a challenge in university among academic staff including students.

· Scholarly journals were mostly published by white academic staff and there was biasness towards black academic in publishing in academic journals.

Mr H Fourie: NTEU Branch Vice- Chairperson led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

· The union was seriously concerned with the number of staff employed on contracts.

· The retirement age of 60 was a concerned for the union since this affected equity of personnel.

· Remuneration offered to staff of the university compared to other HE institutions was not competitive.

f) Institutional Forum

Prof H Nel: Member led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

· The IF of the university was functional and informed council policy discussion and other related matters.

· There was a need for legislation to broaden the functions of IF as they were limited.

· There was poor feedback from council on advice offered by IF on transformation.

· Retaining skilled staff especially in scarce skills programmes was a serious concern at the university.

5. Observations

a) Meetings with TVET colleges

The Committee, having met with TVET colleges of Western Cape and Eastern Cape made the following observations:

i) Governance and management

· It emerged that the councils’ term at all TVET colleges of the Western Cape expired on 31 December 2013 and calls for nominations have been published and the process to appoint suitable candidates was underway. Of serious concern to the Committee was that outgoing councils at some colleges took a decision to continue as de facto councils though they did not have jurisdiction. The current legislation did not make provision for extension of councils’ term upon expiry and decisions taken by de facto councils might be challenged in the court of law. There were delays in the appointment of the external Ministerial Appointees to College Councils.

· For the Eastern Cape, recommendations for the appointment of the external Ministerial Appointees started in November 2013 and the process was still underway to finalise appointments for the remaining colleges. It was noted that of the six (6) colleges that were under administration towards the end of 2013, three of them namely; Ingwe, Lovedale and Ikhala were no longer under administration and the other three namely; King Sabatha Dalindyebo, King Hintsa and Port Elizabeth were still under administration.

· A concern was raised with the appointment of external Ministerial Appointees who resided outside of the provinces as this burdened the colleges to provide travel (air and road) and accommodation costs.

ii) TVET colleges Funding Norms and Standards

· Colleges were concerned that current uniform funding was imbalanced as it did not make provisions for colleges in rural areas as well those with multi-campuses that were in a 200 kilometres radius apart.

· Colleges were also concerned that the current funding norms did not cater for student accommodation, capital expenditure costs and funding for financial aid staff, hence some colleges utilised the services of the lecturers to assist students with financial aid services.

iii) Administration of NSFAS bursary

· It was noted with concern that the new NSFAS bursary guidelines for TVET colleges were communicated late to colleges and students, and this had negative repercussions for the registration process.

· The new NSFAS guidelines created challenges for colleges that used their own discretion in allocating transport and accommodation allowances to students. As a result, students wanted uniform implementation of the new guidelines to all colleges. Colleges requested that the new bursary guidelines be changed into rules.

· It emerged that residence fees at certain colleges exceeded the amount allocated for accommodation in the NSFAS bursary allocation per student and these poor students were expected to cover the outstanding balance.

· It was noted with concern that funds owed to colleges by NSFAS for students with disabilities were still outstanding.

· It was noted with concern that the transfer of funds from NSFAS to colleges delayed even in cases where claim forms were submitted on time. This was detrimental to students who needed accommodation and transport allowances, and it also contributed to absenteeism and poor academic performance.

· Although the Department increased bursary allocations for colleges from R1,9 billion in 2013 to R2,1 billion for 2014, the demand for financial aid in colleges exceeded the allocation from the Department and colleges did not have sufficient reserves to subsidise unfunded students.

· It emerged that allegations of corruption by students and financial aid staff were reported when students submitted fraudulent documents to claim transport and accommodation allowances.

iv) Credibility of examination

· It emerged that the credibility or qualifications of certain markers that were appointed by the Department were questionable and this impacted on outcomes of the examination results.

· It was noted with concern that the quality of some examination papers and mark sheets was inadequate.

· It emerged that examination errata arrived late at colleges when some students had already finished writing exams. .

v) Results and certification

· Improvement in the issuing of certificates and release of results was commended by colleges. However, outstanding certificates and pending results owing to data anomalies required urgent attention by the Department as students were mostly affected by this.

· Withholding of students results owing to exam irregularities as well as pending results delayed registration process and impacted on the certification output rates of the colleges; and access to higher education institutions for TVET college graduates was often hindered by pending results

· An upward trend in terms of pass rates of many colleges was noted, owing to stability of the curriculum in the NC(V) programmes and Report 191. However, a worrying factor for the Committee were the low certification rates in some NC(V) and Report 191 programmes especially for TVET colleges in the Eastern Cape which suggested some weaknesses in teaching and learning.

vi) Infrastructure

· It emerged that most colleges had reached their carrying capacity in terms of physical infrastructure and there was limited space to admit more students.

· Shortage of student housing was a serious concern for almost all TVET colleges. Furthermore, colleges in rural areas were affected severely by this owing to inadequate public transport system in those areas.

· Some colleges reported that they had land for expansion but did not have required funds to expand the college.

· Students were seriously concerned that colleges did not have adequate recreational and sporting facilities for extra mural activities.

vii) Partnership with industries

· Colleges commended funding received from the NSF for infrastructure development and apprenticeship programmes.

· It was noted that there was an improved collaboration between the colleges and SETAs in terms of funding for work-based learning placements for students and industry exposure for lecturers.

· It emerged that opportunities in rural areas particularly for student work placement training were far more limited owing to absence of industries. This created a serious concern for students who required work place training to obtain their qualifications.

· It was commendable that some colleges also used their work spaces for student placement.

viii) Labour related concerns

· Employees of TVET colleges were seriously concerned with the migration process since the implementation dates had been changing and no communication from the Department about progress was forth coming.

· It emerged that projections in the migration process were totally not reflecting reality on the ground and there was a need for engagement.

· Management of colleges complained about the long standing moratorium that was placed by the Department on appointment of lecturers since it affected teaching and learning. Most colleges operated with a number of unfilled vacancies because they were not allowed to replace lecturers who resigned and those who passed on and this was detrimental in fulfilling their mandates effectively.

· The Department was slow in filling the positions of Deputy-Principals especially in the Eastern Cape.

· It emerged that the term of South African Institute for Chartered Accountant (SAICA) Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) was coming to an end and colleges were concerned with inadequate communication from the Department on sustainability of these posts.

· It was noted with concern that most college lecturers especially in scarce skills programmes were under-qualified and lacked pedagogic knowledge of the subjects they lectured.

ix) Articulation to higher education institutions

· TVET college graduates (NC(V) and Report 191) still found it difficult to articulate to higher education owing to lack of clear admission policies.

· There was a concern that NC(V) students were required to pass all the seven subjects to be certified and qualify for admission at higher education institutions while Grade 12 learners articulated to universities even when they failed two subjects in the NSC.

b) Universities

The Committee having met with Rhodes University made the following observations:

· The university was well governed and managed and it is sure of its place and contribution it made in the country.

· The university was commended for not outsourcing any of its services and functions as this contributed to job creation and sustainability of Grahamstown.

· It emerged that there were no women in the top management or executive positions of the university. The Committee was seriously concerned with the slow transformation and equity especially at academic staff and senior management level.

· It emerged that postgraduate funding financial aid was biggest challenge in retaining young black academics. South African black students left the university after completing their undergraduate degree, because they cannot afford the higher cost of post-graduate studies, hence more black foreign nationals in those programmes. Huge injection of funds was required to develop the next generation of academics.

· The university had a serious challenge of limited infrastructure capacity for expansion. Of the 7000 applications received for first year undergraduate for 2014, the university had space for only 1600 students and many applications were not accepted.

· It emerged that the capacity of the local municipality in terms of the university’s expansion was serious concern. The municipality did not have adequate capacity to provide adequate services required by the university.

· It was noted with serious concern that municipality representatives did not attend council meetings at all and the Committee resolved to communicate with the office of the Mayor of Makana Municipality to address this concern.

· It emerged that 70% of academic staff in the university were white and this had implications in the institutional culture of the university.

· It emerged that screening of candidates for vacant posts was biased towards black employees and majority of human resource senior managers were white.

· It was noted with concern that the Institutional Forum of the university was not active in its role of advising council and its meetings did not form quorums.

· It emerged that there were 120 students who academically deserved to study at the university. However, owing to shortage of financial aid, they could not be admitted to the university. NSFAS promised to assist those students by allocating additional funds (R4 million) to the university.

· The university was commended for its high standard residence system from an infrastructure perspective which contributed in enhancing educational experience of students. 55% of the university’s students were accommodated in student residences.

· The university was advised to assist the local municipality in development of its Integrated Development Plan (IDP).

The Committee having met with NMMU made the following observations:

· The university had a serious shortage of student housing (less than 15% of students were in residences) and many students coming outside of the province had difficulties in finding alternative adequate accommodation.

· The demand for financial aid was substantial as compared to the allocated available to the university and students with unpaid historic debt were removed from the university residences.

· Attracting and retaining of talented equity staff, especially in scarce skills programmes remained a serious concern for the university. 52% of permanent staff at the university were white and did not reflect the demographics of the province.

· The university had a serious challenge of high student staff ratio.

· It emerged that 2014 was the last year that the university would be funding B Tech students and this was a serious concern for students from poor families who would be unable to fund themselves.

· The Committee noted that academically deserving students should not be excluded owing to financial constraints and the university should find amicable solutions of dealing with students with outstanding debts.

· The university contributed R66 million towards bursaries to assist students from disadvantaged backgrounds and those who showed academic potential.

6. Summary

The strategic sessions conducted by the Committee with all TVET colleges of the Western Cape and Eastern Cape were very important platforms for assessing the main challenges faced by the TVET sector and provided an opportunity for the Committee to provide leadership and guidance to colleges. The Committee met with 6 TVET colleges of the Western Cape and 8 TVET colleges of the Eastern Cape in a meeting attended by DHET, AGSA, NSFAS and Provincial Department of Education of each province. Furthermore, the Committee conducted an oversight visit to Rhodes University and Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University to assess the universities mainly on governance and administration performance.

In terms of governance, the term of college councils of all the TVET colleges in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape expired on 31 December 2013 and these colleges operated with de-facto councils. There were currently three out of the eight TVET colleges under administration in Eastern Cape namely; King Sabatha Dalindyebo, King Hintsa and Port Elizabeth TVET college. There was no TVET college under administration in the Western Cape. Calls for nominations for appointment of new councils had been published and shortlisting of suitable candidates was underway.

The main challenges of the TVET colleges which were observed by the Committee included; the slow process of appointment of new councils, inadequate communication between the Department and colleges on the migration process, the moratorium put by the Department on appointment of lecturers affected filling of vacant posts, shortage of student housing was critical, demand for financial aid exceeded the available funding and overall NC(V) certification rates were generally low.

In order to promote student access to TVET colleges, the Department increased TVET colleges’ bursary allocation from R1.9 billion in 2013 to R2.1 billion in 2014. The 2014 bursary allocations for TVET colleges were based on; available funding, programme costs and actual student enrolments. The provisional TVET college bursary allocation for 2014 in the Eastern Cape was R227.2 million and R227.5 million for Western Cape.

In terms of student performance, the overall 2012 certification rate for the Eastern Cape in the NC(V) programme stood at 47%. This was 5% higher than the average national certification rate of 45% across all three NC(V) levels. East Cape Midlands TVET college was the highest achiever with 66% certification rate in the NC(V) programme. In the Western Cape, Boland TVET college had the highest overall certification rate of 72% in the province. The overall 2012 NC(V) certification rate for the Western Cape was 55% the highest in the country.

The oversight visit to the two universities namely, Rhodes University and Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University was mainly to assess both universities on governance and administration performance. In terms of governance, both universities were under good management and leadership with good financial status. Of serious concern to the Committee was slow transformation and equity of academic personnel and senior management at these institutions. One of the main reasons highlighted for the inadequate equity and transformation, were inadequate funding of postgraduate programmes by the state to retain young black academics and socio economic conditions which compelled young black graduates to find work upon completion of their undergraduate degrees. The Committee was also concerned with current practise of withholding of students certificates until they fully paid outstanding debts owed to the universities. Demand for financial aid was generally substantial as compared to available resources in higher education although much progress had been made by increasing NSFAS bursary allocation to R9 billion in 2014.

7. Recommendations

The Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training requests that the Minister of Higher Education and Training ensures that the following recommendations are considered:

a) Appointment of Councils

· The Minister should prioritise statutory appointments of new councils for all Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges of the Western Cape,

· The Minister should ensure finalisation of recommendations and appointments of additional members to councils of the Eastern Cape TVET colleges.

b) Infrastructure

· The Minister should assist the Port Elizabeth TVET college to resolve ownership challenges of the Algoa campus and other colleges with similar challenges.

· The Minister should commission a study to assess the extent of the need for student housing in the TVET sector and develop a suitable funding model to eradicate the shortage.

c) Labour relations

· The Minister should set clear deadlines for implementation of the migration process in the TVET sector and ensure colleges receive regular updates with regard to the migration process.

· The Minister should ensure proper engagement on the migration process and that projected numbers reflect the actual number of staff members at colleges.

· The Minister should ensure that all vacant Deputy-Principal posts are filled.

· The Minister should provide guidance to colleges regarding the way forward in filling the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) Chief Financial Officer (CFO) positions.

d) Outstanding certificates, and pending results and credibility of examination

· The Minister should ensure that the Department resolves data anomalies and release outstanding results and certificates.

· The Minister should ensure examination markers are suitably qualified and have pedagogical knowledge of the subjects they mark.

· The Minister should ensure that the Department appoints competent and suitably qualified examiners and moderators to improve the quality of examination papers and memoranda.

· The Minister should ensure that errata for examination papers are delivered before students at TVET colleges sit for such examinations.

e) Bursary guidelines for TVET colleges

· The Minister should ensure that new NSFAS bursary guidelines are submitted to colleges in advance so that colleges can inform returning and new students of changes in the bursary guidelines.

· The Minister should ensure that NSFAS transfers all outstanding funds for 2013 to colleges.

· The Minister should investigate corrupt activities on NSFAS administration and ensure action is taken against transgressors.

f) Funding norms for TVET colleges

· The Minister should review the funding norms for TVET colleges with a view to enabling the allocation of additional funding to colleges in rural areas where there is a greater need for student housing and transport allowances.

· The Minister should consider increasing allocation to TVET colleges with multi-campuses more than 200 kilometres apart for operational costs.

g) Articulation to higher education

· The Minister should engage universities on clarifying admission requirements in their policies for TVET college graduates.

h) Withholding of results

· The Department should consider continuing with debt relief funding to assist students with outstanding debts so that they can obtain their certificates.

i) Development of young academics

· The Minister should consider injecting more funding for South African post-graduate students from honours to PhD level to develop future academics.

· The Minister should assist Rhodes and Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Universities in establishing medical faculties.

Report to be considered.