ATC150623: Report of the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training on its oversight visit to the Northern Cape, dated 25 February 2015

Higher Education, Science and Innovation

REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING ON ITS OVERSIGHT VISIT TO THE NORTHERN CAPE,DATED 25 FEBRUARY 2015

The Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training having conducted an oversight visit to higher education and training institutions on 25 – 26 November 2014, reports as follows:

1. Introduction

In line with its third term programme, the Portfolio Committee undertook an oversight visit to Sol Plaatje University (SPU), Northern Cape Urban Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) College and National Institute for Higher Education (NIHE) Northern Cape. This report provides a brief summary of the presentations made by the University, College and NIHE NC. Furthermore, the report includes the observations and recommendations made by members.

2. Background

The oversight visit oversight formed part of the Portfolio Committee’s in-year monitoring of the post-school education and training institutions across the country to monitor these institutions on their governance, administration, financial management and progress with regard to implementation of government policies relating to the sector.The oversight visit was mainly informed by the Portfolio Committee’s desire to obtain insight regarding the newly established Sol Plaatje University and to monitor progress in relation to the dis-establishment process of the NIHE in the Northern Cape.

The Portfolio Committee engaged on the following specific key focus areas during its interaction with the post-school education and training institutions:

• Governance and administration;
• Financial position;
• Student and staff profile;
• Academic performance of students;
• Enrolment targets;
• Allocation of NSFAS bursaries and loans;
• Student housing; and
• Partnership with industries.

In addition to the above mentioned focus areas of the oversight visit, the Portfolio Committee invited stakeholders such as Council, Student Representative Council (SRC’s) and Labour Unions of the institutions to make inputs on behalf of their constituents. The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) and National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) officials were also part of the meetings.

3. Delegation list

3.1 Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training

Mr D Kekana (ANC) Whip,Ms M Nkadimeng (ANC), Ms Y Phosa (ANC) Chairperson, Mr E Siwela (ANC), Prof B Bozzoli (DA) and Mr S Mbatha (EFF).

3.2 Parliamentary support staff

Mr A Kabingesi: Committee Secretary, Ms M Modiba: Content Adviser, Ms T Majone: Committee Assistant Mr L Komle: Researcher and Mr E Moholola: Media Liaison Officer.

3.3 Sol Plaatje University

Ms J Glennie: Deputy Chairperson, Ms M Bloem: Council Member,Mr H Lacock: Council Member, Prof G Du Toit: Head Education Programme, Dr M Du Plooy: Registrar, Mr R Olander: Chief Operations Officer, Ms F Nkonyane: Residence Manager, Ms T Mogamisi: Finance Officer and Ms M Montwedi: Personal Assistant (PA) to the Interim Head.

Student Representative Forum: Mr T Moshe: Chairperson, Mr S Motsumi: Secretary-General and Ms I Deerling: Treasurer.

3.4 Northern Cape Urban TVET College

Adv M Ndwanya: Chairperson, Mr A Kimme: Council Member, Mr M Mafa: Council Member, Mr C Albanie: Council Member, Mr M Maneli: Council Member, Dr C Barnes: Principal, Mr J Scott: South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) Support Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Mr S Miti: Human Resource Manager, Ms D Christians: Deputy Principal Academic Affairs andMs P Galeboe: Campus Manager.

Labour Unions: Ms D Sivela: Site Shop Steward (SSS) South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU), Mr H Meremedi: Provincial Coordinator National Education and Health Allied Workers Union (NEHAWU), Ms J Du Plooy: SSS Public Service Association (PSA), Mr S Moopelwa: Shop Steward (NEHAWU) and Mr J Phahlane: Representative SADTU.

Student Representative Council: Mr N Jack: Sport Officer and Mr M Madikgetla: Member.

3.5 National Institute for Higher Education

Dr R Martins: Chairperson, Dr P Nkosi: Chief Executive Officer / Head, Mr B Farmer: CFO, Ms N Molise: Manager Management Accounting, Mr S Mokhele: Manager Supply Chain Management, Dr B Du Plessis: Acting Deputy Head Academic, Ms L Diegaart: Manager Human Resources, Ms A van der Nest: Office of the Deputy Head.

3.6 Department of Higher Education and Training

Dr D Parker: Acting Deputy Director-General University Education Branch, Prof C De Beer: Administrator, Mr R Phillips: Acting Provincial Senior Manager, Mr L Hansen: Urban Designer / Architect, Ms G Umeh: Deputy Director Office of the Director-General and Ms N Rasmeni: Parliamentary Liaison Officer (PLO) Office of the Minister.

3.7 National Student Financial Aid Scheme

Dr K Menon: Pilot Project and Mr M Cele: Senior Manager Student Relationship.

4. Summary of presentations

4.1 Sol Plaatje University

4.1.1 SPU Status, Plans and Prospects

The presentation was made by Ms J Glennie: Deputy Chairperson of Council. In relation to the background of SPU, on 23 August 2013, the Minister of Higher Education and Training published the Government Gazette establishing SPU as juristic person, in terms of section 20 of the Higher Education Act, 1997 (as amended). A five person Interim Council was appointed in August 2013 and the Interim Head, Prof Y Ballim was appointed in September 2013. The first academic year commenced in February 2014 with a total enrolment of 124 students.

With regard to governance and management, the University had an approved organogram and a fully functional council with excellent skills composition from different sectors of the economy. An external audit firm was already appointed to monitor the financial statements of the University. The post for the Vice-Chancellor had already been advertised and would be filled by March 2015. The total number of academic staff was 18 and administrative staff 13. Of the 18 academic staff, eight had Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) qualifications and the other eight had Masters. The major challenge of the University was finding accommodation for its staff as properties around Kimberley were very expensive. Since the NIHE would be closing at the end of December 2014, the University would appoint 32 staff from NIHE.

SPU was a Comprehensive University offering a range of qualifications from Higher Certificates to PhDs. The minimum admission requirement was a National Senior Certificate (NSC) for prospective students. The University recognised the National Certificate Vocational NC(V) for admission into the programmes offered. Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and other post-school qualifications were also considered for admission. The University enrolled 45 students in the Bachelor of Education (B.Ed), 40 in Management Diploma and 39 in Information Technology (IT) Diploma. Every student in the University had a laptop.

In relation to student housing, the University hadtwo residences namely; Diamond Lodge and Whiteways. The residences accommodated 83 students in the current academic and 166 students would be accommodated in 2015. Both of the residences were within walking distance from the University. External catering, cleaning and security companies were rendering such services on behalf of the University. All students in the residences got three meals per day while off campus students were provided with lunch only.

With regard to financial support, the University received bursaries from the Funza Lushaka Bursary Scheme, Wholesale and Retail Sector Education and Training Authority(WRSETA), John Taolo Gaetsewe Trust and NSFAS. All the students in the University were fully funded by the bursaries and every student was issued a laptop. The University was awarded a R10 million bursary fund from NSFAS over a three year period. The late transfer of NSFAS funds remained a challenge for the University. The University received a donation of 65 bicycles from Standard Bank of which students would rent them for R365 per annum.

4.1.2 SPU Infrastructure Plan

The presentation was made by Mr L Hansen: Architect. An area of 188 969 square meter (m2) would be developed in a period of 20 years based on a spatial development framework. The University would consist of North, Central and South Campuses. The spatial development framework was the most suitable approach for the development of the University since it was connected to the community and other routes within the city of Kimberley. Key to this framework was to establish a microcosm of the completed new UniversityCampus from day one and the phasing pattern would focus on establishing complete public spaces. The development of the University would demonstrate best practice in terms of broad spectrum of environmental and sustainability aspects.

Concerning the 2014/15 implementation plan, the NIHE Building and William Pescod School were converted for teaching and administrative purposes. The Diamond Lodge would be fitted with new furniture to accommodate more students in the 2015 academic year and 75 additional beds were required for this. In 2016, a large percentage of the buildings and infrastructure was targeted for completion and, approximately 45 000 square meter of new buildings would be constructed at the Central Campus. At the beginning of the 2016 academic year, the University would accommodate 1387 students with 950 beds.

The construction control budget of the University for 2016/17 was R836 million. The estimated costs for refurbishments in 2015 was; R18 million for the Old Legislature and William Pescod Buildings, R25 million for Whiteways Flats and R28 million for Diamond Lodge. Construction contracts were awarded at the end of August 2014 to three contractors. Refurbishment to the value of R110 million was awarded to local contractors. The main goal of the contractors was the completion of major buildings for the 2016 academic year.

4.1.3 Student Representative Forum (SRF)

Mr T Moshe presented on behalf of students. He noted that students in the University were proud to be the first cohort of the new University and this education opportunity had changed their lives for good. He alluded that all students in the University received bursaries and laptops from the University. He cited late allocation of stipends, stringent timetable, late arrival of Information Technology (IT) textbooks as the main concern for students. He reported that owing to the heavy workload, four Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) students dropped out. Students did not receive their monthly allowances due to the delays in transfer of funds from NSFAS. He also noted that the SRF played an important role of communicating with the student body on matters raised with management.

4.2 Northern Cape Urban TVET College

4.2.1 Overview of the College

The presentation was made by Dr C Barnes: Principal which covered the following areas:

Governance: The College had afully constituted and functional council with all its sub-committees and an academic board. The Principal reported that the Audit Committee met regularly. The SRCwas also represented in all governance structures of the College.

Budget and funding:During the 2014 academic year, the College’s total income was R94.3 million with total expenses amounting to R93 million. Of the total income, R56 million was for employment cost, R33 million for other expenses, R2.7 million for residence fees and R3.3 million for capital expenditure. For the 2015 academic year, the projected total income wouldbe R99.8 million with total expenses amounting to R99.4 million. The capital budget for 2015 was R3.4 million with an estimated surplus of R452 345. 

DHET Conditional Grant of Full Time Equivalent (FTE):  The Northern Cape Urban TVET College enrolled 3 595 full time equivalent (FTE) students in 2014 academic year. The expected funding allocation based on the total number of the FTE and 80 percent cost per learner per programme cost was R87.3 million. However, the actual allocation received from the DHET was R47.4 million which funded only 1 954 students; and resulted in a shortfall of R40 million. This meant that 1 641 students were not funded. The Principal alluded to the fact that the baselines used to determine conditional grants reflected historical provincial allocations to TVET College education, which were too low. The current funding allocation did not take into consideration the socio-economic status of the population of the Province. Due to funding shortfall, the College had no other alternative than to utilise its reserves to defray other costs like student accommodation. The College was seriously concerned that this would result in an unauthorised expenditure.

Third stream funding: It was reported that the Department urged Colleges to develop funding proposal to mobilise resources from Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) and industries to augment their budgets. The College received funding from Construction SETA and Wholesale and Retail SETA. The process to raise additional funds from the other SETAs was underway.

Student enrolment: In 2014, the College had 1453 students in the National Certificate Vocational NC(V) programme, 3263 in Business Studies, 1277 in Engineering Studies which equals to 5993 students overall. The majority of students in the College were Africans at 3 730 compared to 609 Coloureds and 193 Whites. The College projected a 3% growth in student enrolment numbers. Inadequate infrastructure, DHET Conditional Grant and NSFAS shortfalls and staffing norms affected the growth in student numbers. The total number of executive and senior management personnel in 2014 was 32 employees, 229 for staff and the staffing costs for DHET funded employees was R49 million and R10 million for College funded employees.

Academic performance:The throughput rate for NC(V) Level 2 – 4 in 2013 was 62 percent, Business Studies 78 percent and Engineering Studies Trimester 53 percent.

National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) administration: While the College’s NSFAS bursary allocation had experienced significant growth over the years, the demand for financial aid at the College still outstriped the available resources. For the 2014 academic year, the College received R22 371 177 which assisted 2 913 students (878 NC(V) and 2 035 Report 191) at a value of R22 371 177. Of the total allocation, R11 375 704 was awarded for tuition fees for 2 913 eligible students, R1 346 151 was awarded to 309 students for travel allowances while R9 649 322 was awarded to 1 071 students for accommodation allowances. The College claimed and disbursed 100 percent of its NSFAS allocation for the year. A total of 112 students who applied and were eligible were not funded due to the bursary shortfall of R1 435 440.

During the 2014 academic year, the College did not implement DHET College Bursary Scheme Rules and Guidelines in disbursing bursaries owing to the high demand of NSFAS bursaries. However, implementation of the bursary guidelines would commence in 2015. The major concern the College expressed was that applying guidelines would mean that fewer students would be funded and a lot of advocacy work would be required to inform students of this new development.The projected total amount needed for bursaries in 2015 was R39 million of which NSFAS provisional allocation to the College was only R23 million (shortfall of R15.6 million).

Outstanding certificates and results: The Principal noted that certification backlog was being reduced.However, the College still had the following outstanding certificates: 45 for NC(V) Level 4 Business Studies, 54 NC(V) Level 4 Engineering Studies, 133 Report 191 Business Studies N4 – N6 and 100 for Report 191 Engineering Studies N1 – N6. The College had 10 outstanding results for students in 2014. This was noted as a serious challenge because students were forced to repeat the levels.

Credibility of examinations: The College was found to be 100 percent compliant with all examination rules and requirements and on the basis of various assessments by the Council for Quality Assurance in Further Education and Training (Umalusi), DHET National Examination and Monitoring Unit and DHET Provincial Office Monitoring.

Student accommodation: The College Management expressed a concern on acute shortage of student housing at the College. The College had a total enrolment of 7 023 students in 2014 out of which 200 were accommodated in College owned residences and 130 in private accommodation procured by the College. The College Management informed the Committee of the College’s overspending due to subsidising student accommodation. It was reported that the accommodation allowance allocated to students as per the 2014 DHET FET College Bursary Scheme Rules and Guidelines bursary was inadequate to cover the rentals required for private accommodation sourced by students.

Students whose home address was further than 40 kilometres from the Collegewere considered for an award for accommodation allowance, subject to the availability of funds. The actual accommodation allowance that would be awarded to each student was likely to vary and may be less than the R17 758 earmarked as the absolute maximum that a College can award for accommodation per annum. It was also noted that since the DHET had made a provision for the accommodation allowance, all students wanted to claim eligibility for the allowance. The challenge cited by the Principal was that the College did not have the capacity to verify documents submitted by students.

Challenges: The challenges of the College included;inadequate academic performance of students, inadequate communication by DHET on migration of staff to DHET, vacant Deputy Director posts that need to filled, inadequate infrastructure, need for a new funding formula and insufficient student housing.

Successes: The successesof the College included; enrolment monitoring rating by DHET of 87 percent achieved, South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) accreditation, staff trained in renewable energy programmes, academic support programmes and peer tutoring.

4.2.2 Student Representative Council

Mr N Jack: Sport Officer and Mr M Madikgetla: Member made the presentation. In relation to student challenges, the College had a serious shortage of student housing. In 2014, the College had a population of 6000 students and the hostel could only accommodate 200 students. The College procured services of external private accommodation providers which were still not sufficient to address the demand. As a result, some students resorted to seek their own accommodation which did not meet the necessary norms and standards for student housing. Some students were required to pay an additional amount of R400 to external private accommodation providers and those who did not afford were evicted.

The NSFAS bursary guidelines contributed to high absenteeism owing to the provision that students who residedwithin a radius of 10kilometres from the College should not be considered for an award for travel allowance or accommodation allowance. It was reported that due to shortage of transport in the area, the College had provided transport for students. It was noted that students were walking long distances from their homes to where the College transport did pickups. It was further noted that students who resided nine kilometres from the College were expected to walk long distances to the College and their safety was at risk especially for those who attended afternoon classes.

With regard to student support, the SRC informed the Portfolio Committee that the College had inadequate infrastructure for teaching and learning which included library and study area, especially at Moremogolo Campus. It was reported that the Collegedid not have a simulation room for NC(V) students to do their practicals. In so far as the work-integrated learning was concerned, it was cited that students were placed in workplaces that were not providing them with relevant work exposure to their qualification.The SRC further alluded to the fact that articulation of Report 191 graduates to higher education institutions still remained a serious challenge forstudents. Inadequate NSFAS funding to the College affected poor students adversely and some of them dropped-out as a result. The issue of pending results was a continuous concern which affectedboth the College and student progression to the next levels. Students whom their results were pending were forced to repeat a level and they missed three to four weeks of tuition in the next level. Inadequate communication by management on key decisions that affected the College remained a challenge for the SRC. A concern was raised that agreements reached in meetings with the SRC were usually not implemented by management.

4.2.3 Unions

The presentation on behalf of the unions of the College was made by Ms D Sivela: Site Shop Steward for SADTU. The presentation covered the views from SADTU, NEHAWU, NAPTOSA and PSA. In relation to communication, the unions were concerned with lack of communication between management, staff and union representatives. The Department made a mistake of overpaying PERSAL lecturers and there was no feedback to the unions by management on this matter. It was reported that many interviews and grievances were conducted without the knowledge of site based Unions Shop Stewards. Concerning the migration process, the College based employees were concerned about their sustainability in view of the budget constraints in the College. The staff members who received 37 percent benefits and had taken annuity and medical scheme were not informed of how the DHET would manage the deduction of their benefits.

Concerning human resource matters, most staff were not familiar with the organogram of the College and equity at post level was a challenge. In service training was not provided for staff members and the job descriptions of support staff were still outstanding. There was a lack of consistency regarding the appointment of staff and headhunting was implemented unfairly. The staff who had reached the salary scale threshold were being disadvantaged of the 1 percent increment by the College. In relation to student support, the Unions expressed an urgent need for the establishment of a Financial Aid Unit which would assist with the challenges experienced by the bursary department. The Unions made a plea to the Department of Higher Education and Training to match an increase of student enrolment with expansion of infrastructure and student housing.

4.3 National Institute for Higher Education

The presentation was made by Dr R Martins: Chairperson of the NIHE board. NIHE was established in terms of the Higher Education Act of 1997, as amended, to co-ordinate the provision of higher education in collaboration with higher education providers in the Northern Cape. NIHE offered qualifications accredited by partner institutions such as the University of Free State (UFS), North West University (NWU), Central University of Technology (CUT) and Vaal University of Technology (VUT). The programmes were grouped into three faculties namely; Education, Economic Management Sciences and Human and Social Sciences. The delivery sites were in Kimberley and Upington.

In relation to successes; the institute had established structures and policies, 1361 students successfully completed their studies at NIHE (2004 – 2014), student residence in Galeshewe Campus, installation of solar geysers and donations were received from the provincial government. The challenges included; no sustained presence of academic staff community, students at different sites hardly got together, the institute was often the last resort of students after they failed to secure admission at contact universities and inadequate library facilities.

With regard to finances, the finances of the institute were managed by three units namely; Financial Accounting, Management Accounting and Supply Chain Management. The allocation from DHET for 2014/15 was R30.4 million. The institute was headed by the Chief Executive Officer / Head with two deputy heads for finance and academics. The institute had a total of 41 staff with 70 percent of them being Africans. NSFAS allocation to NIHE was R4.3 million in 2014 and R12.6 million from the Funza Lushaka Bursary Scheme.

Concerning the disestablishment of NIHE, the Board proposed to the Minister that the disestablishment of the Institute be deferred to end of 2016 to allow sufficient time for employees to look for employment alternatives. However, the proposal was not acceded to by the Minister. The Board felt that the Minister’s date of 31 December 2014 for operational closure of the Institute and the closure of the legal entity by 31 March 2015 were too soon and were not taking into consideration other matters to be resolved. The Board had its last meeting on 22 November 2014 to finalise all its business and it believed the Institute would be handed back to the DHET in good shapeand an amount of R7 million would be handed over to the Department.

In relation to staff matters, the Board negotiated with Sol Plaatjie University to consider its employees during recruitment of staff.  32 out of 34 NIHE staff members who applied for jobs at the University were appointed. Different retrenchments packages were approved by the Board for all employees. The pipeline students would not be affected by the disestablishment process and the SPU will manage the Teach Out Programme until 2016. Administrative staff would be employed by SPU on 2 year contract for the Programme.

The Board met with the Auditor-General (AG) on 21 November 2014 to discuss the assets of the Institute. For the 2013 financial year, NIHE received a qualified audit opinion from the AG owing to non-valuation of the Institute. The AG recommended that a fair value be conducted before the end of March 2015. Assets and commitments of NIHE would be the responsibility of the DHET appointed Compliance Officer. The Board was concerned that appointment of the Administrator by the Minister through the provisions of the Higher Education Act to oversee the legal closure of the Institute created an impression that there was poor governance and mismanagement. The Board proposed the use of the name Consultant instead of an Administrator.

4.4 DHET

Prof De Beer representing the DHET reported that the Minister published in a Government Gazette that governance of NIHE would be placed under Administration from 01 December 2014. Both the management and governance of the Institute would reside under the Appointee in terms of Section 38c of the Higher Education Act (as amended) to oversee the legal closure. In terms of the funds, he indicated that a trust fund would be established to ensure that all creditorswere paid and what remained from the funds would be transferred to the Minister. For the movable and immovable assets, Prof De Beer indicated that the Higher Education Act as amended was silent on the matter. He indicated that the Minister would issue a directive on what should happen to these assets.It was also agreed that the Galeshewe Campus of the NIHE would be transferred to the Northern Cape Urban TVET College.The Audit Committee of NIHE would continue to function after operational closure to ensure proper auditing process till the end.  In response to a concern raised by the Board of the Institute on the appointment of an Administrator, Prof De Beer alluded that the Act did not provide any legal leeway to the Minister except the provision of the appointment of an Administrator.The Department would table an amendment Bill to Parliament to amend the Higher Education Act to address the gaps in the Act concerning disestablishment of the Institutes. An action plan for the dis-establishment process had been drawn up by the Consultant and Compliance Officer.

5. Site visit of the Sol Plaatje University

The Portfolio Committee visited the construction site of the SPU to monitor the progress made regarding the expansion of the University’s infrastructure. During the visit to the site, it was observed that the contractors were still in the early phases of construction as they were busy with the foundations of the buildings. It was noted that the environmental impact studies were done on the sites and the historical property of Sol Plaatje would be kept in its original shape. The Sol Plaatje Square where the main construction was underway would be the main entrance to the university. It was noted that the University was grateful for the support of the provincial government and other private companies who donated their land for expansion of the University’s infrastructure.

6. Observations

The following formed part of the key observations of the Portfolio Committee:

6.1 Sol Plaatje University

• The progress made by the University thus far was commended by the Portfolio Committee in relation to governance, teaching and learning and incremental infrastructure development plan.
• The Portfolio Committee commended the University for its goodacademic planning and employment of skilled and competent academic and administrative personnel.
• It was commendable that 83 percent of the student population in the University were in the residences and all of them were funded through different bursary schemes.

• The late payment of NSFAS allocation to the University owing to tranche payment system by the National Treasury was noted as a challenge which contributed to student dropping out during the year.

• The University was cautioned against over-subsidising students at the residences as this might not be sustainable going forward.
• The University was requested to review the under-costed residence fee packages.
• The late delivery of IT textbooks was noted as a concern which needed to be resolved going forward.
• The students reported that they experienced high workload in the B.Ed programme owing to a stringent timetable.

 

6.2 Northern Cape Urban TVET College

6.2.1 Funding

• The Collegewas seriously underfunded by the DHET and the growth in student numbers was not commensurate with the current DHET Conditional Grant. As a result, in the 2014 academic year, the shortfall of DHET funding was R39 million.
• Owing to inadequate funding from the DHET, the Collegewas using its reserves to fund other priority expenditures and this posed a serious threat into the financial sustainability of the institution.
• Majority of the students enrolled in the College came from the poor familyhouseholds and were dependent on the NSFAS bursary to study and, the Collegewas not able to collect sufficient income from non DHET funded students to mitigate funding shortfall.
• Of the R99 million budget in the 2014 academic year, staffing costs amounted to R60 million in the College which was a serious concern.

6.2.2 NSFAS

• The 2014 NSFAS bursary allocation to the College was R22.3 million and it was not adequate to assist all the eligible students. The number of eligible applicants who were not awarded bursaries owing to a bursary shortfall were 112.
• It was noted with concern that the projected bursary shortfall for the 2015 academic year was R15.6 million and the College did not have sufficient financial reserves to assist all the non-funded eligible students.
• The students who resided within the 10km radius from the College found it difficult to attend classes since they did not qualify for the travel allowance. The situation was further exacerbated by the fact that the public transport system in the province was inadequate and, students were forced to walk distances of 9km to the College. The DHET FET Bursary guidelines for travel allowances contributed to high absenteeism which affected the 80 percent attendance rule for NSFAS beneficiaries.
• The late payment of NSFAS allocations as a result of Treasury tranche allocations to the DHET affected students negatively. Some students drop-out because they could not afford to pay for their own accommodation or travel fees.

 

 

6.2.3 Student housing

• The College had a total of 7 000 students enrolled for the 2014 academic year and its hostels could only accommodate 200 students. The College reported that it had no funds to expand its student residences.
• The living conditions of students in the privately sourced accommodation were appalling and it was reported that up to 8 students shared one bedroom. The accommodation offered by private accommodation providers did not meet the norms and standards of the DHET for student housing.
• It emerged that some students demanded to be registered in the College at the beginning of the academic year without making prior arrangements. The College registered the students since it did not want to deny them access to education. As a result, the College could only assist these students with tuition fees and they were forced to find their own accommodation and transport fees. This was the main contributing factor to the crisis of student accommodation in the College.
• The Portfolio Committee urged the College to adhere to its enrolment targets so that it does not accept students who would not be fully assisted in the 2015 academic year.

6.2.4 Human resource

• The labour unions in the College noted that they were undermined by management of the College and they even wanted to boycott the meeting with the Portfolio Committee.
• The unions were concerned with the migration process owing to inadequate communication from the DHET particularly on the management of benefits and future of Council employed staff.
• It was noted that the College was unable to fill permanentpositions and only relied on contract posts to fill outstanding vacancies. The Deputy Principal posts had been vacant for a very long time and the College was not aware of how many of these positions itwas eligible for.

6.2.5 Certification and outstanding results

• The College experienced a challenge of outstanding certificates which hindered student’s progression. In total there were 332 outstanding certificates for NC(V) Level 4 and Report 191 Engineering and Business Studies.
• The Department did not issue exam permits for 10 students which forced the College to issue temporary permits not recognised by the Department, hence the results of these students were still pending.

6.2.6 Other matters

• In relation to auditing by the Auditor-General (AG), the College for the first time received a qualified audit in 2014. Previously, colleges were not required to comply with the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) No 1 of 1999 as amended for their financial and non-financial performance reporting. This posed a serious challenge for the College since it was not familiar with the reporting requirements set by the AG.
• Concerning communication, the SRC and unions were seriously concerned with inadequate communication by management on key decisions. Furthermore, it was noted that management did not implement the decisions agreed to in meetings with stakeholders.
• Articulation of Report 191 graduates to higher education remained a challenge for students in the College.

6.3 National Institute for Higher Education

• The Portfolio Committee was concerned that the presentation by the institute did not include detailed information on the amount of assets that would be transferred to SPU. In the absence of such information, NIHE was requested so submit the interim audit report of the movable and immovable assets once completed.
• The Portfolio Committee urged the Institute to ensure that the continuation of students in the pipeline should not distracted by the dis-establishment process.
• The Department was requested to deal with all grievances of employees that were affected as a result of the disestablishment of NIHE.
• The Portfolio Committee was concerned that the Department could not reach consensus on the proposal by the Board for dis-establishment of NIHE by 2016.
• The legislative clause (Section 38 of the Higher Education Act as amended) which allowed the Minister to appoint an Administrator to manage the dis-establishment process was a concern for the NIHE Board. The Board was of the view that the appointment administrator may imply that the board was unable to manage the transition process.

 

 

7. Conclusion

The Sol Plaatje University (SPU) was established as a juristic person through a Government Gazette published by the Minister on 23 August 2013. The University opened its doors for learning in February 2014 with a total of 124 students registered. The oversight visit of the Portfolio Committee was informed by its mandate to monitor progress thus far in the establishment of this University and to assess whether its future expansion is in line with the objectives of the White Paper on Post School Education and Training. The PC was impressed by the progress made so far by the University and its governance and administration that had been put in place. The support and donations from the private sector for students and expansion of the University infrastructure was commendable. The cooperation of the provincial government and municipality in donating the land for expansion of the University was also commended. Although the University at present had few students that could be fully funded, it was cautioned not to over subsidies some of its services as this might not be sustainable as the institution grows.

In relation to the NCU TVET College, the College had functional governance structures which was commendable. Nevertheless, the College experienced a serious challenge of inadequate funding which affected its expansion and growth. The projected growth of 3 percent annually in student numbers was quite low given the need to provide mid-level skills to youth and adults of the province which was fast becoming a science and technology hub given the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) project, Solar Park, Bloodhound SSC Project and other renewable energy projects. The lack of additional funding towards further developments and maintenance of College infrastructure from the DHET had created hindrance to the expansion of the College given the fact that the College did not have sufficient financial reserves. The shortage of NSFAS bursary funding remained a serious challenge not only for the College, but the entire post-school education and training sector. The Portfolio Committee noted the commitment of the College to adhere to the new reporting guidelines by the AG and its willingness to improve the crisis of student accommodation.

Concerning the NIHE, the Portfolio Committee appreciated the service provided by the institution in the past 10 years for providing opportunities to acquire higher education qualifications for the people of the Northern Cape. Although the students in the institution were not so fortunate to have daily interactions with their lecturers like their counterparts in the partner institutions, a total of 1361 students graduated from NIHE since its establishment in 2004. The Portfolio Committee urged the DHET to ensure that the disestablishment process does not affect the students in the pipeline expected to complete their qualifications in 2016. There was unhappiness from the staff that were permanently employed at NIHE since they would be employed on a two year contract at the Sol Plaatje University (SPU). The Portfolio Committee’s view on this matter was that it should be managed at the relevant bargaining structures and the DHET, SPU and NIHE should reach consensus on the future employability of the staff members from NIHE.

8. Recommendations

The Portfolio Committee recommends that the Minister of Higher Education and Training consider the following:

• The Department should explore the possibility of engaging the National Treasury for additional funding to expand the TVET College infrastructure.
• The Minister should consider establishing a task team to look into student housing at TVET Colleges and to make recommendations on how to progressively eradicate the challenge.
• Additional funding for NSFAS bursaries should be allocated to the College to address the current shortfall of eligible applicants.
• The Department should increase its Conditional Grant allocation to the College to reduce the current shortfall so that the College does not utilise its financial reserves to fund students.
• The Department with the AG should conduct a workshop with the finance unit of the College to train them on the new reporting guidelines in line with the PFMA.
• In relation to the migration process, the Department should communicate with Colleges on the management of benefits and future of College employed staff.
• The Department should ensure that all Colleges adhere to the enrolment guidelines to prevent the increase in the number of unfunded students.
• The DHET FET College Bursary Guidelines should be reviewed so that Colleges in rural areas are not disadvantaged.
• The Department should ensure that the closure of NIHE does not affect the students in the pipeline.
• The Department should ensure that all NIHE staff grievances are prioritised.

 

Report to be considered.