ATC190227: Report of the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training on its oversight visit to the Northern Cape and the Free State on 28 January -01 February 2019, dated 27 February 2019
Higher Education, Science and Innovation
Report of the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training on its oversight visit to the Northern Cape and the Free State on 28 January -01 February 2019, dated 27 February 2019.
The Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training having conducted an oversight visit to the Northern Cape and the Free State from 28 January to 01 February 2019, reports as follows.
- DELEGATION LIST
-
- Members of the Committee
Hon D Kekana (ANC), Hon J Kilian (ANC), Hon R Mavunda (ANC), Hon S Mchunu (ANC), Hon C September: Chairperson (ANC), Hon M Wolmarans (ANC), Hon B Bozzoli (DA) and Hon A van der Westhuizen (DA).
- Support staff
Mr A Kabingesi: Committee Secretary, Ms M Modiba: Content Adviser, Dr J Nel: Temporary Researcher and Mr L Ben: Committee Assistant.
- INTRODUCTION
In pursuance of its constitutional oversight obligation, the Committee undertook an oversight visit to the Northern Cape Rural TVET college (Kuruman Campus, Sol Plaatje University, Goldfields TVET college, Motheo TVET college campus in Bloemfontein and the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein).
The objectives of the oversight visit were to:
• assess the 2019 registration process;
• assess the state of readiness of the institutions to implement the 2019
academic programmes;
• assess the 2018 overall academic performance of students; and • undertake site visits to infrastructure projects, student accommodation and registration facilities.
In addition to the afore-mentioned objectives, the Committee held a meeting with the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) during which the entity made a presentation on its plans to improve the disbursement of funding to students. Furthermore, the Committee also met with the relevant stakeholders from each institution which included the student representative council, labour unions and council. The discussions revolved around the contribution made by the stakeholders to the stability of the institutions. The stakeholders were also granted an opportunity to elaborate on the challenges experienced by the students and workers respectively.
3. SUMMARY OF THE PRESENTATIONS
3.1 National Student Financial Aid Scheme
Dr R Carolissen: Administrator delivered the presentation and started by giving the Committee a high-level overview of the organization since his appointment in August 2018. He indicated that NSFAS had experienced a collapse in governance; system instability; compromised data integrity; compromised disbursement processes; poor public reputation and credibility and a poor organizational climate.
With respect to the close out of the 2017/18 student funding cycles, in 2018, the Administrator indicated that an amount of R10 billion had been unlocked for immediate payment to institutions for the disbursement of NSFAS bursaries. He explained that this step had been necessitated due to the inability of NSFAS to provide remittances for up to eight months, and a further R8 billion had been disbursed directly. With the deployment of senior managers to the regions, NSFAS had found 130 000 students who had not been accounted for in the tertiary system. NSFAS had traced 90 000 students with the assistance of the student leadership and assisted them to sign their contracts so that they could receive their allowances. The Administrator pointed out that the total number of students who were funded in 2018 was 708 336; however, 20 554 contracts remained unsigned in 2018. Some of the students had submitted incomplete information while others had not met the eligibility threshold.
In reference to the 2019 online application process, the Administrator said
that NSFAS had received 494 401 applications, of which 358 051 were
from universities and 136 350 from TVET colleges. NSFAS had opened an
appeals process for all rejected applications. Furthermore, NSFAS was not
in a position to fund students beyond the enrolment target set by the
Department and only registered students would be funded. Referring to the
upfront payments, he explained that R3.6 billion would be paid as an
advance payment to universities, and R1.7 billion had already been paid on
25 January 2019. For TVET colleges, R395 million would be paid in
advance and R195 million had already been paid on 25 January 2019.
The Administrator indicated that NSFAS planned to disburse funding
directly to the students and institutions in 2019, and that the appointment of
any third-party service providers would require approval from NSFAS. He
elaborated that NSFAS intended to remove all commercial interests from
the disbursement process and that a programme to redesign the
disbursement of allowances had been put in place. For the 2019 academic
year, NSFAS would pay student allowances, directly into their bank
accounts. This step had been taken to eliminate the sBux voucher system
and the use of a third- party which were susceptible to fraud and corruption.
He explained that all institutions with capacity would receive upfront
payments to disburse funding to students in cash. Institutions that were not
able to disburse funding, would be assisted by the South African Post Office
(SAPO) through its banking platform. He said that NSFAS had had
engagements with commercial banks, who had agreed that students could
open bank accounts to receive their allowances and thus, negotiations on
different student packages and assistance to students opening own bank
accounts were underway. Upfront payment to universities that had signed a
memorandum of understanding were also underway. The Administrator
pointed out that TVET Colleges were also ready to finalise their capturing
of student data. The Administrator informed the Committee that TVET
College students would receive R1 950 allowance for two months.
Regarding plans to address internal challenges at NSFAS, the Administrator
indicated that a comprehensive plan had been developed to address the
Auditor-General (AG) 2017/18 findings. In addition, specialized resources
had been made available to support key areas such as information
technology (IT), data - and project management office. He pointed out that
the deployment of key account managers’ teams at the regional level to
assist with student queries had contributed significantly in addressing the
backlogs in the application process. The IT systems availability for the
myNSFAS portal was 96 percent completed and the core disbursement
system had been successfully improved.
3.2 Northern Cape Rural TVET College (Kuruman Campus) 3.2.1 Management
Mr P Sago: Principal made the presentation which highlighted the
following: The NCR TVET College consisting of five campuses
(Namaqualand, Kathu, Upington, De Aar and Kuruman) and one central
office was located in Upington. He pointed out that the Kuruman campus
was situated in the Joe Taolo Gaetsewe District and Segonyana Local
Municipality, which was approximately 300 kilometres from the central
office and that the Kuruman campus had originally started operating as an
evening class for Computer Studies in 1996. However, increasing demand
had necessitated the lease of a building from the local municipality to cater
for all students in the region.
He referred to governance, adding that the college had a fully constituted
council with 16 members which included internal and external members.
The college council had various committees which included: executive
committee (EXCO); finance committee, audit and risk committee and
human resource committee. With respect to the staff establishment, the
college had 114 lecturing staff, 85 support staff and four senior managers
comprising a total staff establishment of 203 individuals. with regard to
racial profile, Ms Sago said that 56 percent of the total staff complement
were Coloured, 26 percent was African, 17 percent White and 2 percent
Indian, which is in line with the demographics of the province.
He explained that the college offered NATED courses in (public
management, human resource, management assistant and financial
management) and the National Certificate Vocational NC(V) in: hospitality,
office management, electrical infrastructure and construction and
engineering and related design. The college also offered occupational
programmes in various trades. He noted that the college was concerned
about the decline in the uptake of the NC(V) programme. The NC(V)
programme was offered over a three-year period and was equivalent to a
Matric certificate. Some of the students that enrolled at the college had
passed Matric and therefore the predominantly chose the NATED courses.
He went on to talk about the 2019 enrolments, saying that the college had
enrolled 3 404 students across the five campuses. The total number of
applicants for NSFAS in 2019 was 1 516 students. He indicated that the
college had not yet received the upfront payments for 2019 and was
expecting the first payment to take place in the first week of February 2019.
He pointed out the following key challenges which were experienced by the
college, namely: the vast distances students had to travel to campuses; the
unwillingness of industry to accept lecturers for work-integrated learning
(WIL) and student for workplace-based training; the poor socio-economic
circumstances of students; challenges relating to articulation opportunities
for students and the poor standard of college facilities. He concluded by
referring to the successes achieved by the college: the college was satisfied
with enrolment targets that had been achieved; that it had received an
unqualified audit report and that lecturers and staff were being developed in
line with planned targets.
3.2.2 Labour unions
3.2.2.1 Public Service Association (PSA)
Mr E Louw made the presentation and that, according to him, the management of the college did not have a close and harmonious relationship with the labour union of the college, and it was the duty of management to recognise the rights of the labour representative at the college. He indicated that the management’s response to workers’ grievances at the college was a matter of concern, management was not consistent in its decision-making processes, and the management’s refusal to deduct the union’s monthly subscription fee from the workers’ salaries was of particular concern. The union indicated that it would consider the possibility of having a strike if the management of the college did not respond to its grievances swiftly.
3.2.2.2 South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU)
Mr D Moagi: Branch Chairperson pointed out that the union had not been
invited to attend the Committee meeting and that it meant that they could
not prepare a presentation as they were not aware of the oversight visit’s
focus areas. Nonetheless, he expressed the union’s dissatisfaction with the
model of staff appointment at the college. Reference was made to some
lecturers appointed on a temporary basis for more than six months and the
salary disparities between lecturers appointed by the College Council and
those on the DHET Persal.
3.2.3 Student Representative Council (SRC)
The Committee was informed that the term of student representative council
(SRC) of the college had come to an end in the last quarter of 2018, and that
a new SRC had yet to be constituted. A representative from the South
African Further Education and Training Students Association (SAFETSA)
wanted to make a presentation on behalf of the students. Unfortunately, the
Committee could not accept this presentation as he did not represent a
recognised structure of the college.
3.2.4 Site visit
The Committee was taken to the college administration office where students
were assisted with queries with respect to their registration and other matters.
The Committee observed that the office was extremely small for the students
and that it was not sufficiently resourced. The college employed its own
graduates as interns and placed students for 18 months’ work integrated
learning (WIL) periods so that they could acquire experiential learning
required to complete their qualifications and so that they could obtain
diploma certificates. As part of their work integratedlearning, they assisted
with the student queries, the capturing of data (including student NSFAS
data), supporting lecturers with administrative work and intervention classes.
In this way they would complete their qualifications.
The Committee also visited the computer laboratory equipped with 24
computers. The college campus offered Business Studies courses. The
students who were in training during the Committee’s visit were enrolled
for the N5 Management course (office practice). The proportion of female
students in these classes was higher than males, which the Committee
commended. The students raised their concern that they had to share the
facility with other students due to infrastructure capacity challenges. In
essence, the college acknowledged that the Kuruman campus was too small
for the number of registered students and it was necessary to expand to cater
for the high demand for skills development in the district. The College
campus was situated on the main road with busy traffic and this posed a
safety risk to both students and staff which was cause for great concern to
the Committee.
3.3 Sol Plaatje University (SPU)
3.3.1 Council
Ms J Glennie: Deputy Chairperson of Council conveyed the apology of the
Chairperson of Council, Judge Y Mokgoro, who was chairing a commission
of inquiry at the time. She indicated that the council was passionate about
making the new University a success pointing to the council’s strengths
including: gender balance and diversity within the council; highly qualified
council members; good attendance of the council meetings; excellent
secretariat support and registry; compliance tracking and overall good
governance.
She then moved on to the progress made since the establishment of the
University, referring to the subsequent appointment of a number of new
senior managers such as the Chief Financial Officer and the DVC of
Academics. She reported that the academic programme of the University
was evolving and there was a strong focus on building research capacity as
well as maintaining student success. She also indicated that the process of
establishing the University took into account the national and local
imperatives.
3.3.2 Management
Prof J Baxen: Deputy Vice-Chancellor Teaching and Learning / Acting
Vice-Chancellor expressed her appreciation for the Committee’s visit at the
University during the critical registration period. She apologised on behalf
of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Y Ballim, who was attending to long- standing
commitments in Kenya. Prof Baxen informed the Committee that the
President of the SRC was expelled from the SRC due to a case of sexual
misconduct. She reported that a disciplinary process against him had been
held and a sanction was meted out. However, the sanction had been
overturned. She indicated that the management would engage with the SRC
to find a way forward with the election of the new SRC president. Prof
Baxen indicated that the social justice project of the University comprised
of: human development; social, cultural, political and economic inclusion;
work productivity; interconnectedness and community impact. At the same
time, the academic project of the University was centred around teaching,
community engagement and research.
Prof Baxen indicated that the University took a deliberate decision not to
offer students bridging courses. In its place, the University offered higher
certificates and diplomas to those students who did not meet the minimum
requirements for entry into the bachelor’s degrees programmes. In terms of
catering for academic disciplines, he indicated that the University had four
schools, namely: education, natural and applied science, humanities and
economic and management sciences (EMS). The school of education was
the largest with 52 percent of the student population. These four schools
were intended to evolve into faculties as the University would be growing to
its projected maximum enrolment target.
Student enrolment had grown from 124 students in 2014 to 2000 students in
2019. The University attracted 70 percent of its student population from the
Northern Cape. The overall pass rate at the University was at 82 percent,
and on time graduation by cohort was 75 percent. In relation to staff profile,
the University employed a total of 117 academic staff, and 283 nonacademic
staff. 515 students who had received NSFAS funding returned to
continue their studies while 320 NSFAS-funded students were new entrants.
338 applications had been submitted to NSFAS for assessment of which 236
students still needed to be assessed or approved for funding. There were
also incomplete remittances resulting in funds not being transferred into
students’ bank accounts.
3.3.3 National Education and Health Allied Workers Union (NEHAWU)
Mr T Mkhila: Regional Secretary thanked the Committee for affording the
union an opportunity to make a presentation at the meeting. He indicated
that the union had launched its branch in 2017 with a current membership of
300, thus making it the largest recognised union at the University. With
regard to the relationship with the university management, Mr Mkhila
alleged that the union had struggled to work with the management and that
the Vice-Chancellor was opposed to the presence of the union at the
University. He added that the union did not have representatives serving in
the council and that the union was viewed by management as antiprogressive.
He further indicated that the top management of the University was mostly
white and that the University did not have an employment equity plan in
place. Furthermore, he alleged that the VC appointed employees that were
close to him and that there was nepotism involved in the appointment of
staff. Adding to that were allegations that white lecturers at the University
earned far more than their black counterparts, and that the majority of
employees who had faced disciplinary charges against them, were black.
The union had an agreement with the University with respect to the
insourcing of security, cleaning and catering staff. The insourcing of
security and cleaning staff had been successfully completed. However,
management was reluctant with the insourcing of catering staff. The union
reasoned that the insourcing of staff would lead to sustainable jobs for the
workers and that the private service provider that employed the catering
staff, should improve the service conditions of workers.
The union expressed its concern over the alleged appointment of companies
that were not from the Northern Cape and those that were favoured by the
VC. The union alleged that some companies to whom tenders had been
awarded to build the University had links with some of the consultants
employed by the University. The union indicated its willingness to work
with the management of the University, but expressed a concern about the
leadership style of the VC, and said that it intended to remove the VC
“surgically”.
3.3.4 Student Representative Council (SRC)
Ms N Qiza: Deputy President/Acting President and Ms L Ngema made the
presentation which highlighted a number of issues. Regarding facilities to
assist students with various matters, the SRC indicated the students were
placed in mixed residences for improved social interaction. Concerns were
expressed regarding the disparities in different fees charged by the University
for its own residences and fees charged by private residences providers, and it
proposed parity in residential fees, i.e. into having standardised residence fees
for both universities owned residences and private accommodation. The SRC
complained about the University library closing at 04h30 due to shortage of
staff and the inadequate maintenance of the University residences. The SRC
indicated that the University had a serious shortage of health professionals at
the institution to assist students, mentioning the example of one nurse and one
psychologist for 2000 students.
With regard to student funding, the SRC expressed its concern over the
inadequate NSFAS allowances for students and the delays in the payment of
transportation and food. Adding to that students that were required to pay
R5000 upfront before they could be allowed to register at the University.
The SRC proposed that it should have representatives on the procurement
and tender committees in addition to increasing the number of SRC
representatives in council.
3.3.4 Site visits
3.3.5.1 Exam hall
The Committee was taken to the University’s exam hall, which was used as
the registration facility for new and returning students. The exam hall was
also utilized as an indoor sports centre for the various sport codes of the
University. The University started with 5 sport codes in 2014 and it would
offer 20 sport codes by the end of 2019. Some of the significant
achievements of the University’s sport and recreation programmes included
a student dance group winning an international award in hip hop, ballroom
dance and Latin dancing.
The Committee took note of the long queues of students that were waiting
for their registration to be completed. The University indicated that most of
the students preferred human interaction while completing their registration
forms as opposed to online registration, which contributed to the long
queues. The University was also accommodating walk-ins and students that
were selected through the CACH system into programmes that had spaces
available. Registration was conducted on two floors and facilities such as
residence office, financial office, school academic advice (for all the four
schools) and document verification, student card facilities, including the
temporary Office of the Registrar were available at the registration hall.
Senior student volunteers assisted during the registration process and they
were introduced to the Committee.
3.3.5.2 Morocco House
The Committee was taken to the University’s student residence known as
Morocco House on the main campus. The University has four student
residences in total, accommodating 536 beds. The Morocco House was the
largest in terms of student population. The Committee observed that the
Morocco house student residence was a newly built facility, which had
secure access control systems that would be accessible to registered students
only. The residence block is a few minutes’ walk to the classrooms.
The residence had rooms specifically designed to cater for students with
disabilities and each commune had a kitchenette fitted with modern
furniture and appliances. The students at the residence were not allowed to cook inside their rooms for safety reasons. The rooms were fitted with beds,
bedside table, study table, shelves, study lamps and blackboards for students
to write their notes. The Committee was informed that the University
prioritised the placement of first year undergraduate students in its
residences. This was to ensure their safety as they are the most vulnerable
group. Senior students were also placed with the first-years to provide
mentorship. One senior student (mentor) was responsible for 12 mentees.
Each residence had a combination of students from all schools so as to build
learning communities. Private residences were accommodating mainly
senior students and students used bicycles which were rented for R300 per
year to move between the campus and private residences.
3.3.5.3 Dining hall
The Committee was taken to the dining hall of the institution which catered
mostly for the students residing in the student residences. The students
living in the residences on campus were given three meals daily and they
used their student cards to purchase their meals. The dining hall had been
fitted with a modern industrial kitchen and it could also accommodate 500
students. On average, the dining hall served about 300 students per day as
well as being a place for students to socialize.
3.3.5.4 Library
The University’s library and student resource centre were located at the
centre of the main campus to facilitate easy access for the students and staff.
The six-storey library cost approximately R155 million to construct and it
has won numerous awards for its architectural design, notably the 2017
Fulton Concrete Award, beating the prestigious Price waterhouse Coopers
(PwC) building situated in Midrand. The library provided a highly visible
and sculptural presence to the central campus precinct. The entire structure
of the library had been built using concrete slabs, steel and glass.
The library had an auditorium that was used by the University for various
events. The Committee observed that the library was not fully resourced and
the students and staff were utilizing the first two floors of the library. The
Committee was taken to the top floor of the library to look at the other
buildings on the campus and to get a view of the town of Kimberly itself.
3.3.5.5. Construction of the new Natural and Applied Sciences building
The Committee was shown a new construction site, which was to house the
School of Natural and Applied Science. The building had been designed to
offer classes which would be able to seat 320, 160, 80 and 20 students.
Smaller classes to cater for 20 students would be mainly used for tutorials.
The building would also offer space for administration purposes. The
completion of the construction of this building was planned for November
2019. In order to reduce its carbon footprint, the University buildings have
been fitted with windows that would allow for natural light to be drawn
inside; yet keep the heat outside.
3.3.5.6. Education Building
The Committee was informed of the state of the education building with
state of the art equipment and that it proves to be the best facility of its kind
in the country. It was reported that the building boasted modern audio-visual
recording equipment which was used for micro teaching. Education students
used the facility to practice teaching and then they review the recording to
reflect on their teaching skills. This facility has contributed to the
production of competent and employable teachers.
3.5 Goldfields TVET college
3.5.1 Management
Mr F Mahlangu: Principal expressed his sincere apology to the Committee
for the way in which the management of the college had handled the
textbook issue which contributed to the student protests that threatened to
disrupt the oversight visit. He undertook to work closely with the Officials
of the Department from the Free State Regional Office to sort out the delays
in the delivery of the textbooks and to ensure that teaching and learning
would not be disrupted. He indicated that the management had learnt a
lesson from the textbooks incident and would improve to avoid unnecessary
disruptions in the near future.
Mr Mahlangu began the presentation by indicating that the college had a
high vacancy rate at senior management level. He said that several senior
management posts had been advertised and the recruitment processes were
under way to fill the eight vacant posts on a permanent basis in 2019.
The Principal mentioned a few highlights, namely that the college had
received accreditation from the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations
(QCTO) for the boiler making and electrical workshop; accreditation with
City Guilds for hairdressing; received a donation of two new ford bakkies
for training purposes; established a satellite campus in Meloding and a skills
academy in 2018 and received an award for being one of the top 10
performing college in the NC(V) programme for 2016.
3.5.2 Labour unions
3.5.2.1 South African Democratic Teacher Union (SADTU)
Ms D Makintane: Branch Secretary started the presentation by elaborating
on the union’s objectives including: fighting for better remuneration and
working conditions for educational workers; representing and promoting the
professional aspiration of educators and playing a leading role in the
struggle for education transformation to deliver free and equal quality public
education for all.
Ms Makintane proposed a review of the admission trends into the college’s
various programmes; promotion of access to post-school education and
training; the need for research into the labour market needs; the need for the
transfer of skills and competencies which corresponded with the demands of
the labour market and the importance of delivering quality education to the
previously disadvantaged groups.
In an effort to respond to the challenges experienced by the college, Ms
Makintane proposed the following: need for a well capacitated human
resource section of the college; the implementation of section 198B of the
Labour Relations Act, 1995 (Act No. 66 of 1995) in respect of the
permanent appointment of temporary employees; the elimination of
disparities in conditions of employment between employees doing equal
work and the improvement of safety in workplace.
Ms Makintane indicated that the labour forum should be a decision-making
body and the institution should implement and honour the collective
agreements.
3.5.2.2 National Education and Health Allied Workers Union (NEHAWU)
Mr P Lemeko: Branch Chairperson said the following were issues that
affected the college, namely: that the college had outsourced the protection
services and that the contracted company did not comply with the current
minimum wage and other conditions of service; the college had incurred
losses due to theft of computers, although a security company had been
employed; the college council did not want to engage with the union; salary
disparities due to the incorrect migration of workers to the Department and
inadequate infrastructure were also mentioned as challenges faced by the union.
Mr Lemeko shared the following demands of the union: insourcing of staff
to be completed by 1 March 2019; that the college should appoint a Chief
Protection Officer; that the college should appoint senior protection officers
and that salary disparities should be corrected.
3.5.2.3 Public Service Association (PSA)
Ms M Mokolutlo: Branch Secretary started the presentation by focusing on
infrastructure challenges at TVET colleges. She indicated that the TVET
college was experiencing an influx of students on an annual basis and that
no funding provision was made to make provision for building or expanding
the existing college infrastructure. She added that the existing infrastructure
of the college could not accommodate all the students.
In relation to TVET funding, Ms Mokolutlo indicated that the funding
model for TVET colleges did not address the current socio-economic status
of TVET colleges, and resultantly colleges had continuously received less
than what they were supposed to receive. Furthermore, she reported that the
funding model had placed restrictions on colleges to recruit more staff for
the ever increasing number of students attending. She indicated that the
colleges wage bill was capped at 63 percent and colleges that have reached
this threshold were not able to recruit more staff despite an increase in
student enrolment figures. She alleged that the lecturers and support staff
had been remunerated according to policies of the Department of Basic Education, and it was difficult to recruit qualified staff for the sector. The
union was also concerned about the NC(V) programme and the possibility
attached to phasing out the NATED programmes as well as subsequent
consequences thereof.
Ms Mokolutlo proposed the following recommendations: revision of the
current funding model of TVETs; NQF Level 5 programmes to be
developed to replace the NATED programmes; salary structures of support
staff and lecturers that should be investigated as well as additional funding
to be allocated for the building of additional infrastructure.
3.5.3 Student Representative Council (SRC)
Ms J Phanyane: Secretary-General made the presentation and indicated that
the core business of the college should be offering quality education in
pursuit of academic excellence and for all this to be achieved, teaching and
learning would have to happen in an environment with all the necessary
facilities and resources available to all.
Ms Phanyane indicated that, since the SRC took office in 2018, students had
been complaining about the following: completion of the media centre that
was used as a block of lecture rooms; inadequate computer laboratories;
insufficient office space for the SRC; inadequate help desk assistants to
support students with registration; unhygienic toilets and inadequate
security on campus.
According to her, students had been complaining about delayed payment of
their NSFAS allowances dating back to 2016 and 2017 respectively. She
alleged that the college had made payments of bursaries to students who
were not bursary holders and no update was given as to how this had
occurred. She further alleged that the students had embarked on a peaceful
protest in 2017 and had demanded the payment of allowances by NSFAS.
Apparently, there was no damage to the college’s property; however, the
SRC was served with a court interdict to dissolve the protest. She indicated
that the management of the college had not been able to resolve student grievances as presented by the SRC. She further indicated that other
challenges of the SRC at the college included challenges related to
certificate backlog, an unfair treatment of the SRC by management,
insufficient resources for the SRC and insufficient bursaries for students.
3.5.4 Site visits
3.5.4.1 Bookshop
The Committee visited the in-house bookshop of the college where the
distribution of textbooks and other learning material of students was
undertaken. The bookshop had two staff members who were responsible for
the management and administration of the bookshop. The Committee
observed that there were very long queues of students who were waiting to
receive their learning materials and other textbooks. The students had to
wait in the scorching heat to receive their textbooks and it appeared that the
college did not have an efficient method for seamless distribution of said
textbooks to its students to make the experience bearable and to offer a
quick service.
The Committee was informed that the college had experienced delays in the
arrival of textbooks for 2019, and that there were also changes in the NC(V)
syllabus and subsequently, the updated textbooks were not available yet.
The Committee expressed a concern that students had to wait in long queues
to receive textbooks while classes had already commenced on 14 January
2019. The management indicated that the photocopies of the textbooks
chapters were given to students whilst they wait for the textbooks. The
students did not take kindly the textbooks delay situation and they resorted
to protest, demanding the management to sort out the problem and also
requested for the Committee to intervene in the matter.
3.5.4.2 Student centre
The Committee visited the college’s student centre which was still under
construction during the site visit. The student centre could accommodate up
to 600 students and it was aimed at providing a social space for students to
interact. The facility would also house computer laboratories and classes.
The Committee was informed that the student centre would be ready for use
before the end of February 2019. The facility cost approximately R30 million to construct and the construction began five years ago, however, due
to shortage of funds, the project had to delay.
3.5.4.3 Computer laboratory
The college’s computer lab was designed to accommodate up to 36 students
at a time and the facility was shared by students registered for different
course. The lab was also used to assist the students to apply for online
registration and bursaries. The college experienced a challenge with respect
to the roll-out of the WIFI to its campuses, and students had to use the
computer lab in order to access the internet.
3.5.4.4 Salon
The Committee was informed that the hair salon was established to train
students in the occupational qualification of hairdressing. The college
received a provisional accreditation from the Quality Council for Trades and
Occupations (QCTO) as a trade test centre, and a process was underway to
receive full accreditation when the QCTO would return to the college to
inspect the facility before the end of February 2019. The facility was
equipped with the necessary equipment for a modern salon. The college
indicated that it would be training 100 youth from the Matjhabeng District
in the hairdressing qualification which was equivalent to a National
Qualifications Framework (NQF) Level 4 qualification. The Services SETA
would be funding this project and would also pay for the stipend of learners.
Occupational students would use the facility on a rotational basis.
3.5.4.5 Administration block
The building housing the administration block was used by the college to
assist students with queries related to their registration and bursaries. The
college also employed two interns who assisted students with their queries.
The Committee was informed that the students collected their certificates
from the administration building. The Committee observed that students had
to wait outside in long queues before they could be attended to by staff at the
facility. There were no chairs inside the administration building so that
students could sit whilst waiting to be attended; thus the Committee suggested
that the college should have chairs for students inside the building too.
3.6 Motheo TVET college
3.6.1 Governance and Management
Adv X Xuma: Acting Chairperson indicated that the term of office of the
College Council had ended in October 2018 and that the process to appoint
the new Council was underway by the Department. The Committee could
not therefore receive a presentation from Council.
Ms D Phutsisi: Principal started the presentation by giving an overview of
college’s 2019 registration process. She indicated that the college had a
functional online registration system for new and returning students and that
the college had enrolled 10 824 new students in 2019. In relation to students
with disabilities, the Principal indicated that the college attained an
outstanding performance in disability support in 2018. Apparently the
college was one of the biggest in the country in terms of student enrolment.
When referring to the student success, the Principal acknowledged that the
college had challenges in the certification rates of the NC(V) and NATED
programmes. She indicated that the college’s average certification rate in
the NC(V) programme for 2018 was 33 percent and for the NATED
programme it was 35 percent. The Principal indicated that the college had
implemented strategies to improve performance which included the
following: the implementation of common assessment to standardize
assessment; student camps to deal with problematic areas; the provision of
e-books; student tutoring programmes and lecturer development. It was
indicated that the number of students who were absent from exams for
November 2018 examination was extremely high.
The Principal indicated with regard to the work integrated learning (WIL)
and the graduate exit plan that the college had offered job placement service
to assist students in gaining work experience with various companies. The
college was apparently also embarking on new programmes like ocean
economy by training lecturers in maritime studies. The college had, through
research, identified a gap in this area and would invest more resources to
train students in various trades suitable for the maritime industry. The
college served as the best practice for supporting students with disabilities.
Many TVET colleges in the country visited the college for benchmarking
lessons.
In relation to funding, the Principal indicated that the college had minimum
resources and that this had an impact in its ability to expand its
infrastructure. The 2018/19 operational budget allocated to the college
amounted to R139 million and it would increase to R161 million in
2019/20. The college had a serious challenge with regard to student debt,
amounting to R122 million, and hence students with outstanding debt have
been encouraged to settle their debt before they could register for new
courses. The college’s funding deficit for 2017/18 amounted to R49.6
million. Despite its challenges, the college had been receiving good
recognition and international awards for its work.
3.6.2 Labour unions
3.6.2.1 National Health and Allied Workers Union (NEHAWU)
Mr T Monoko: Branch Chairperson made the presentation and indicated the
following: In relation to the union’s contribution to the academic success of
the college, the union was committed in supporting the vision statement of
the college and the objectives of the National Development Plan (NDP)
2030. According to him, the union was also responsible for ensuring that
teaching and learning took place at the college without unnecessary
industrial action. He said that the union’s priority was to ensure that the
college achieves high certification and throughput rate. The union
welcomed the proposed establishment of a labour forum by the college
where labour issues would be discussed.
3.6.2.2 SADTU, NAPTOSA, PSA and SALIPSWU
The unions informed the Committee that they had an agreement to do a joint
presentation which responded to the invitation of the Committee. In relation
to the contribution of the unions to the academic success and other
successes of the college, the unions indicated that they have avoided having
meetings and activities during tuition times and more support was rendered
to students with special needs.
With respect to the challenges at the college, the unions indicated that the
management had instigated students to cause instability at the college and to
attack some staff members not favoured by the management. The unions
had expressed a concern with respect to alleged irregular appointments and
nepotism at the college. The unions alleged that the Principal appointed two
family members to the college and the wife and family member of the
Deputy Chairperson of Council was appointed irregularly. Other challenges
that were raised by the unions included: inconsistent management
discipline; irregularities in the supply chain management processes; the fact
that the college had been receiving international awards undeservedly; the
installation of bio-metrics systems that were not working; students being
forced to pay upfront fees before registration; the inadequate
implementation of the performance management and unjustifiable
suspensions and dismissals of staff.
The unions expressed a concern with respect to the response by the
management to the unions’ grievances. The unions indicated that they had
written to the management and to the Department requesting the KNT
Forensic Investigation report and its recommendations were not released
and implemented. Added to that, a letter that was addressed to the
Department from the concerned staff members of the college, had been
ignored by the Department.
The unions demanded the following: that all matters that were escalated to
the Department and the Committee should be investigated; the urgent
appointment of suitably qualified people into the college council; all recent
appointment and promotions at the college to be revisited; the reinstatement
of officials that were unfairly dismissed; an investigation of all tenders and
the reversal of improper transfers of staff and acting allowances.
3.6.2.3 Suid Afrikanse Onderwysunie (SAOU)
Ms H Roodt: Representative made the presentation and indicated the
following: In relation to the contribution of the union to the academic
success and other successes of the college, the union had assisted the
college to adhere to all relevant legislation and policies; had cultivated a
culture of sound labour relations between employees and the employer and
had organized award ceremonies for members to reward outstanding work.
In relation to the contributions of the union towards addressing the
challenges at the college, she said that the union had participated in
establishing forums and procedures that allow for efficient reporting and
management of issues such as resource shortages. She further said that the
union provided training to the employees of the college to improve their
work performance and established an efficient and open communication
channel with the college. According to her, the union also had assisted the
college with the establishment of a labour forum.
3.6.3 Institutional Student Representative Council (ISRC)
Mr L Tsie: President began the presentation by giving a brief background of
the college. He indicated that the college consisted of three campuses with a
student enrolment of 22 300 in 2019. With respect to the composition of the
SRC, Mr Tsie said that the central SRC had nine members and the local
SRCs had 4 members per campus.
With regard to the contribution of the SRC towards a better 2019 academic
year, he said that the SRC had developed 16 policies that were still waiting
for the approval of the council, and it had organized an SRC academic
conference 2018. He indicated that, for 2019, the SRC was planning to
organize the 8th student parliament and an invitation would be extended to
the members of the Portfolio Committee to attend this event.
With respect to student housing, Mr Tsie indicated that the college did not
have its own student residences for its 20 300 students. However, the SRC
had proposed accommodation sites for the management to consider
purchasing. Mr Tsie added that the college had various facilities to assist
students with disabilities.
According to him, the challenges of students at the college included the
following: lack of libraries/resource centres; lack of cafeterias; usage of
drug abuse and inadequate student safety at the campuses.
3.6.4 Site visit
3.6.4.1 National Artisan Development Academy
The Committee was accompanied to the college’s newly constructed
National Artisan Development Academy which was situated approximately
7 kilometres from the college’s main campus. The academy was envisaged
to bridge the skills gap in the field of artisan training and was also aimed at
creating a pathway for entrepreneurship. The construction and resourcing of
the Academy was financed by the Services SETA to the amount of R500
million. The college indicated that it did not incur any expenditure towards
the construction of the academy.
The academy was over 49 000 square metres in size and it had three
workshops (boiler-making, welding and electrical) and each of the
workshop would be having a trade test centre. The academy was still empty
during the site visit of the Committee since the construction was still not
completed. The academy had student accommodation offering 372 beds, an
administration building, a dining hall as well as recreational facilities. There
were rooms that were designed to cater for students with disabilities. The
residences had rooms to cater for two students sharing and those that would
accommodate four students. The academy also made provision for computer
laboratories to train IT specialists and a student centre. The classrooms of
the academy were designed to take up to 35 students while the workshops
would accommodate 15 students.
The college indicated that the academy would accommodate at least 1000
students who would be studying towards one of the sixteen trades offered at
the academy. The first student intake was expected before the end of June
2019. The college also indicated that the concept of the academy developed
as result of a research collaboration with the University of the Free State
and the Central University of Technology on determining which courses
would be suitable for the academy. The opening of the academy was in line
with NDP 2030 target of producing 30 000 artisans per annum by 2030. The
Committee commended the college and Services SETA for this great
initiative.
3.7 University of the Free State
3.7.1 Management
Prof F Petersen: Vice-Chancellor began the presentation by giving a brief
background of the University. He indicated that the University was 111
years old with an estimated student population of 39 800 students. In 2018,
the University produced 7 981 graduates from its three campuses located in
Bloemfontein, QwaQwa and the South Campus. With respect to staff, the
University 799 academic staff and 1 680 support staff making a total of
2 487 staff complement in total.
The VC said that the University was underpinned by three pillars, namely:
academic excellence; diversity, inclusivity, transformation and innovation.
In relation to the undergraduate registration statistics for 2019, the
University enrolled 4 339 students. In so far as the 2018 student
performance, the VC said that the University’s undergraduate success rate
was relatively on par with the national average, however, the achievement
gap between Black and White students was larger. Proportionally, 70
percent of undergraduates graduates were African, 27 percent White, 5
percent Coloured and 2 percent Indian based on 2017 data.
With respect to NSFAS, the VC indicated that 16 000 students were assisted
through NSFAS funding in 2018 and the number was expected to increase
in 2019. In 2018 as well in previous years, the University provided
allowances in excess of R200 million to students, even though NSFAS had
not yet released funds to the University. The University informed the
Committee that it had received an upfront allocation form NSFAS.
In relation to infrastructure, the VC indicated that the University would
build more students residence to meet the growing demand and it was also
involved in the development of solar and greywater projects. The total
number of students living on campus residences was 5 904 and 34 180 at
off-campus residences.
3.7.2 Labour unions
3.7.2.1 National Education and Health Allied Workers Union (NEHAWU)
Mr Z Mdletshe: Branch Secretary, gave an overview of the 2019 registration
process at the University. He pointed out that students, particularly those
from rural areas experienced difficulties with the online registration system
of the University and proposed that the University should consider having a
manual registration process. He added that students with historic debt had
experienced difficulties while attempting to register and that such students
had been requested to pay the outstanding debt.
Mr Mdletshe expressed concern with respect to the NSFAS appeals process
which did not take the university’s calendar into consideration. He added
that the response to student appeals were often delayed which meant that the
response would be received only after the registration period had closed. Mr
Mdletshe proposed that the Department should develop minimum
requirements for private accommodation providers to adhere to before they
could accommodate students.
Mr Mdletshe concluded the presentation by saying that the relationship
between the stakeholders of the University was good. However, according
to him, equity remained a challenge at some of the faculties at the
University especially among senior academics. He referred to the workers
feeling that the salaries offered by the University were not on par with that
of other institutions of higher learning.
3.7.2.2 Universiteit van die Vrystaat se Personeelunie (UVPERSU)
Ms A Lombard: CEO, gave a brief background of UVPERSU. She
indicated that the union was underpinned by the following values;
accountability, respect, integrity, equity, equality and devotion. She referred
to the key focus areas regarding delivery, namely caring about UFS staff,
ensuring a sustainable UFS future, acting as a watchdog over UFS values,
challenging governance to ensure transparency, creating a positive working
environment and building integrity.
3.7.3 Institutional Student Representative Council (ISRC)
Mr S Dwaba: President, gave an overview of the facilities the University
had to assist students with various matters. He indicated that the University
offered free accommodation to new students who came to register at the
institution but did not have a place to stay. He said that the University had a
draft policy in place to deal with food insecurity. According to him, this
policy had been developed to assist students who did not have the financial
means to buy food for themselves.
Mr Dwaba indicated that students who resided off-campus were exposed to
robberies and muggings on a daily basis and that the SRC had raised the
matter with the relevant authorities and the Mangaung municipality.
However, according to him, little help had been forthcoming to address the
challenge of student safety. He said that the SRC requested the intervention
of the Committee in this matter given the unfavorable response from the
local authorities.
Mr Dwaba indicated that student did their best at the University to pass in
the time allocated to the course they had inscribed for and that the average
throughput rate was 60 percent. He mentioned that inadequate support given
to students at basic education level for higher education remained a concern.
Adding that students at basic education level were expected to pass with a
minimum of 30 percent for a subject, while the minimum pass requirements
for a subject at universities were much higher. Mr Dwaba proposed that the
curriculum for basic education be decolonized so that it could be better
aligned with the history of the country. The President proposed that life
skills, including financial management skills should be taught to learners at
basic education level.
Mr Dwaba said that the strategic plan was underpinned by three pillars,
namely academic support, financial support and institutional culture and
transformation. He indicated that the SRC did not support the academic
exclusion of academically deserving students based on financial reasons.
According to him, the students were well represented in the institution’s
governance structures and it was planning on establishing faculty councils
in each faculty of the University.
Referring to financial support, Mr Dwaba welcomed the establishment of an
appeals committee at the University to assist students with their grievances.
However, he added that the SRC and the students were not satisfied with the
concept of free education, since it had not been well articulated. He
concluded by saying that the confusing threshold of the NSFAS means test
compounded the situation.
3.7.4 Site visits
3.7.4.1 Registration hall
The Committee was taken to the University’s registration hall which was
used to register and admit new and returning students at the University. The
hall had 80 assistants that worked from 08:00 until 15:00 during the week to
help students with registration queries. The University indicated that it used
online registration for new and returning students. Students that received
offers from the University had been sent a confirmation letter or sms, and
they had to accept the offer by 18 January 2019. The University had
extended the due date to 01 February 2019 to offer an opportunity to those
students who had not responded timeously. Admission to the University was
subject to availability of space in each programme. The University indicated
it had received 4000 applications for the 170 available places in its law
faculty.
3.7.4.2 Harmony student residence
The Committee was taken to the Harmony student residence which had
been established in 2015 making it the newest residence on the University’s
main campus. The residence accommodated 185 first-year female students
only, who received special support from residence assistants (RA) that
served as first-year mentors and role models. These RAs supported the firstyear
students during their first year experience and transition at the
University.
The University indicated that it accommodated up to 50 percent of its first
year undergraduate students at the residences and that it aimed to increase
the intake to 60 percent by 2020. The placement of first year students at the
University residences increased their chances of successfully completing
their studies as better student support services were available at the
residences. The Committee observed that the residence was fairly new and
well maintained and the residence had good support systems in place. The
Committee was informed that the ground floor rooms had been designed for
students with disabilities and the furniture fittings in the rooms were
adjusted to meet their needs.
3.7.4.3 Data centre
The Committee visited the University’s data centre that centralized the
University’s IT operations and equipment. The center’s crucial role was to
store, manage and disseminate the University’s data and was vital to the
continuity of the University’s daily operations. The Committee was
informed that the centre housed one of the three biggest research computers
in the country. The total storage capacity of the centre was 4 petabytes and
it was monitored 24 hours a day and seven times a week. The estimated
value of the data centre was R120 million.
4. OBSERVATIONS
The Committee conducted an oversight visit to the post-school education
and training institutions in the Northern Cape and Free State Provinces. The
objectives of the visit were to:
• assess the 2019 registration process;
• assess the state of readiness of the institutions to implement the 2019
academic programmes;
• assess the 2018 overall academic performance of students; and
• undertake site visits to infrastructure projects, student
accommodation and registration facilities, and
• assess the National Student Financial Aid Scheme’s plans to
improve the disbursement of funding to universities and its payment
of allowances to students.
The Committee, having listened to the different inputs by stakeholders,
made the following observations:
4.1. Admission and registration processes
4.1.1. The Committee observed that the admission and registration
processes at the Sol Plaatje University and the University of the Free
State had proceeded well and without any incident. These
institutions had put in place mechanisms to ensure the smooth
process of admission and registration. The universities reported that
they had walk-in applicants; however, resources were availed at
these institutions to make provision for the prospective students to
apply through the Department of Higher Education and Training’s
Central Applications Clearing House (CACH) system. These
universities had waiting lists of prospective students who applied,
but could be given admission offers due to the large number of
applications. Students on these waiting lists and those referred
through the CACH system were to be considered after prospective
students with admission offers were already registered or did not
take up the offer to register.
4.1.2. The TVET colleges (Northern Cape Rural, Goldfields and Motheo)
had almost completed their admission and registration processes for
the first trimester, first semester and for the NC(V) which are yearlong
programmes. Academic classes had commenced at all the
TVET colleges. Another rounds of admissions and registrations for
future trimester and other semester programmes would be done later
in the year.
4.1.3. The Committee was concerned about the student protests at the
Goldfields TVET College, Welkom Campus, which were caused by
delays in the distribution of textbooks. Students complained that
classes had commenced; yet some of them had not been provided
with textbooks and some were due to write tests. During its on-site
tour of the campus, the Committee observed that students were
standing in long queues to collect textbooks from the bookshop and
the College Management had not put systems in place to protect
such student from the scorching heat. The Committee was also
informed of the shortage of staff at the bookshop.
4.1.4. The Committee was concerned that the Department had not
deployed its resources sufficiently in the Regional Offices to ensure
smooth registration processes at the Colleges.
4.2. Decline in enrolment in the Ministerial approved programmes, mainly NC(V)
4.2.1. The decline in the enrolment for the NC(V) programmes across all
the three colleges was noted with concern. The colleges informed
the Committee that the enrolment in the N(CV) programmes had
been declining for a few years. This was due to the students who
would enrol into the programme with a Grade 10 qualification and
would not be able to cope with the cognitive demand of the
programme; resultantly, they would drop out. Its equivalence to
Grade 12 and the lack of interest from employers, especially mining
houses, where the preference would be the NATED N1- N3
programmes were also contributory factors to its decline. The
Northern Cape Urban TVET College experienced a decline in
enrolment for NATED N1 – N3 as well.
4.2.2. The colleges reported that the decline in the NC(V) enrolment had a
negative impact on their budgets as funding for NC(V) programmes
was at a higher level compared to that for Report 191. A decline in
enrolment numbers would necessarily mean a decline in the budget
for the colleges.
4.2.3. The Committee was concerned about the large investment that had
been made into the NC(V) programmes; and that the yield was little.
4.2.4. The Committee commended the growth shown with regard to the
enrolment in the NATED programmes and the occupational
programmes that were offered to address provincial and regional
skills that were needed. Of concern was the overreliance on the
funding of Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) as
well as its sustainability to support the occupational programmes.
4.3. Procurement of textbooks
4.3.1. The colleges reported that they had procured textbooks for students
in 2018. However, there was a shortage of textbooks and the
colleges were waiting for deliveries. The Northern Cape Rural
TVET College reported that one of the contributing factors to the
shortage of textbooks was that students were not returning textbooks
to the college after they complete a certain level.
4.3.2. At Goldfields TVET College, it was reported that the Department of
Higher Education and Training had revised the curriculum in 2018
and that the revised syllabus was communicated to the college at a
very late stage. This had contributed to the delays in the procurement
of textbooks for the affected subjects. The college was
communicating with the suppliers to check the availability as they
were not allowed to purchase books that were not on the DHET
approved catalogue. In ensuring that teaching and learning was not
adversely affected by the delays in the delivery of new textbooks,
the college made copies of the first chapters of the textbooks for the
students. This was done in compliance of the copyright regulations.
4.3.3. The Committee was concerned about the student protests at the
Goldfields TVET College due to challenges relating to the
distribution of textbooks to students. Students at the college had to
stand in long queues in the scorching heat waiting for textbooks to
be handed out to them. The Committee expressed a concern
regarding the inadequate management and leadership capabilities at
the college as it seemed like they had been lax in dealing with the
significant problem related to the shortage of textbooks. This
prompted the Committee to request the DHET and the college
management to find an urgent solution to the matter.
4.4. Student academic performance for the 2018 academic year
4.4.1. The Northern Cape Rural and Goldfields TVET College’s pass and
certification rates in NC(V) and Report 191 for the 2018 academic
year had improved significantly compared to that of 2017. At the
Northern Cape Rural TVET College, certification rates were as
follows: NC(V) Level 4 certification rate increased from 65.2
percent in 2017 to 72 percent in 2018, Business Studies increased by
5.6 percent to 55.3 percent in 2018 and Engineering N2 and N3
studies increased by 3.6 percent and 5.8 percent to 43.5 percent and
47.6 percent in 2018 respectively. At Goldfields TVET College, the
pass rate per trimester for the Engineering Studies N1 – N6 and
Business Studies N4 - N6 per semester had improved significantly
with many distinctions recorded for some subjects.
4.4.2. Notwithstanding the improved certification rates at the Northern
Cape Rural TVET College, the decline in the number of students
completing their artisan training programme was noted as a concern,
especially given the high demand in skilled artisans to be trained in
order to grow the economy and in order to meet the national
development plan’s (NDP) target of producing 30 000 artisans per
annum by 2030.
4.4.3. At Motheo TVET College, the Committee noted the low
certification rates in the NC(V) and NATED programme.
Approximately half of the students that sat for exams, did not pass in
both the NC(V) and the NATED programmes. There was a high
number of students who were absent from the examination. These
low certification rates were more prevalent in the NC(V)
Engineering programme with an estimated certification rate of 30
percent. The Committee was of the view that the significant
investment in increasing equitable access in the TVET sector was
not producing the desired outcomes as per the national development
plan (NDP).
4.4.4. In terms of pass rates at universities, Sol Plaatje University’s overall
pass rate in 2018 was 82 percent with programmes such as the
Bachelor of Education, Bachelor of Commerce and Heritage Studies
recording pass rates of above 85 percent. The pass rate at the
University of the Free State was on par with the national norm. The
UFS reported that African graduates increased by 10 percent of the
proportion of graduates between 2016 and 2017. However, the
achievement gap between black and white students was slightly
larger.
4.5. Articulation of TVET College students to universities
4.5.1. The colleges expressed a concern about the challenges experienced
by TVET college graduates in articulating to universities. Sol Plaatje
University and the University of the Free State are comprehensive
universities and they offered programmes from higher certificate,
diploma and degrees. This was to provide students from lower levels
of education that would previously not have been able to attain
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higher education learning and the programmes would enable
students to enter the mainstream curriculum after completion. The
Committee commended this initiative as it would address
articulation challenges of TVET college graduates.
4.6. Student accommodation, Infrastructure Expansion and Information Communication Technology
4.6.1. Both the University of the Free State and Sol Plaatje University had
built state of the art student accommodation. Both Universities
prioritised first year students in the university owned residences
while senior students were accommodated in leased private
accommodation. At the University of the Free State, the Committee
was informed that accommodating the first students at the
university-owned residences has assisted with the building of a new
institutional culture as well as inculcating the university values
without the influence of senior students. In addition, this practice has
provided assistance in protecting first-time entering students from
demeaning initiation practices by senior students. The University of
the Free State had replaced a new Gateway Programme to introduce
new students to academic life. The universities commended the
Department of Higher Education and Training for the Infrastructure
Efficiency Grant (IEG) that had been allocated to universities in
order to build new infrastructure and to refurbish the existing
infrastructure.
4.6.2. The Committee commended the progress that was made at Sol
Plaatje University regarding the expansion of new infrastructure to
accommodate the growth in student numbers. During its on-site visit
around the university, the Committee noticed impressive state of the
art teaching and learning buildings. The Committee was also
informed of the unique education building which was used for macro
teaching by Education students.
4.6.3. The TVET Colleges expressed a serious concern about the severe
shortage in teaching and learning infrastructure, including student
accommodation at the colleges. Goldfields and Motheo TVET
Colleges did not have student accommodation, while TVET the
Northern Cape Rural College had accommodation donated by a
mining company. However, funding is required to refurbish the
hostels donated to the college.
4.6.4. TVET Colleges reported that through the district and provincial
government support, they sourced unused properties as satellite
campuses and skills centres. Of concern to the Committee was the
fact that the processes by the Department of Public Works to transfer
the properties for ownership by said colleges, proved to be
challenging. The colleges were investing funds into refurbishing
property that was not officially under their ownership. The Northern
Cape Rural TVET College informed the Committee that it had, due
to outstanding title deeds, lost opportunities from private donors
who were willing to expand the college infrastructure.
4.6.5. The colleges reported that there were no sporting facilities at the
colleges itself for student sports and recreational activities. This
situation has limited the opportunities for students to participate in
sports. Motheo TVET College rented public facilities such as
municipal soccer and athletic stadiums. The college had formed a
partnership with the University of the Free State to be able to use its
sport facilities.
4.6.6. The colleges welcomed the funding for infrastructure refurbishment
from the Department of Higher Education and Training. However,
they expressed concerns that there was no funding allocated to build
new infrastructure which was really needed.
4.6.7. The colleges did not have WIFI connectivity that was accessible to
students. The Northern Cape Rural College committed to improving
its WIFI connectivity across all its campuses during the course of
2019 and negotiations with Telkom had been underway. Sol Plaatje
University and the University of the Free State had WIFI
connectivity which was accessible to all students on campus and in
their residences.
4.6.8. The Committee commended the ICT infrastructure that the
University of the Free State had built. The data centre, which was
the third biggest research computer centre in Africa, which
expedited data processing, was welcomed by the Committee.
4.7. Governance
4.7.1. Goldfields and Motheo TVET Colleges did not have functional
councils. The term of office of the previous councils ended at the end
of October 2018 and a process to appoint new councils was not put in
place by the Department of Higher Education and Training prior to
when these terms would expire. The Committee was concerned that
governance structures are critical to the functioning of these
institutions and that the absence of such structures would have an
adverse impact on the running of these institutions. The Committee
noted with concern that the Northern Cape Rural TVET College did
not have an elected Student Representative Council for 2019.
4.8. Outstanding certificates and November 2018 outstanding results
4.8.1. The colleges welcomed the effort by the Department of Higher
Education and Training and other stakeholders in addressing the
certification backlog dating back to 2007. They acknowledged the
significant improvement in the reduction of the backlog and issuing of
outstanding certificates. They reported that many certificates were
outstanding, although not at a high number. The Committee was
informed of the pending results for November 2018 examination.
Goldfields TVET College reported results pending in the following
subjects: English First Additional Language L2 and L3 (329),
Mathematical Literacy L2 and L3 (334), Mathematics L2 and L3 (8),
Life Orientation L2 and L3 (356), Engineering Processes L4 (27),
Engineering Science N3 (42) and Mechatronics N4(30). Motheo TVET
College reported results pending in the following subjects: Labour
Relations N5, Travel Office Procedure N4 and Computer Practice N6.
4.9. Administration of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme
4.9.1. The Committee welcomed the proposal by NSFAS to eliminate both
the voucher system and the intermediaries for disbursement of
student allowances in 2019. NSFAS had planned to make cash
payments to students to eliminate the use of third-party service
providers who had been benefitting from the disbursement of student
allowances on behalf of the institutions. The voucher system had
been susceptible to fraud and corruption, and there had been many
complaints from the PSET sector about the delays in the payment of
student allowances through the sBux system.
4.9.2. The Committee expressed a concern about the capacity and IT
systems of some institutions that would be expected to disburse
funds on behalf of NSFAS as NSFAS relied on the institutions to
provide reliable data regarding student registration to be able to
allocate allowances to students.
4.9.3. The Committee welcomed the continuous engagements by the
Administrator and his team with the student leadership and other key
stakeholders in the PSET sector. The Committee requested more
details regarding the outcomes of these engagements and the
memorandum of understandings (MOUs) that had been signed with
the stakeholders. The Committee welcomed the deployment of
senior staff to assist the institutions at provincial and regional levels.
4.9.4. The Committee expressed its concern about the possibility of
financial institutions (banks) charging exorbitant bank fees when the
student allowances were deposited into their bank accounts.
4.9.5. The Committee expressed its concern regarding the number of
student applications that had not been processed due to the confusion
with respect to the different thresholds of eligibility for NSFAS
funding. The Committee indicated that some of these students would
incur historical debt that might lead to financial exclusion and there
was a need for NSFAS to provide clarity in this regard.
4.9.6. The student appeals system was widely welcomed by the Committee
since it offered students an opportunity to re-apply for NSFAS
funding.
4.9.7. The Committee held the view that consequence management should
be implemented against individuals at NSFAS who were involved in
any form of irregularities or corruption.
4.9.8. The TVET Colleges and Sol Plaatje University reported that the
upfront payment was yet to be paid to these institutions. The
University of the Free State had received its first tranche of upfront
payment for the 2019 academic year.
4.10. Partnerships, work-based learning opportunities and exit plans for graduates
4.11.1. The three TVET Colleges had heeded the call to open their
workplaces for their own students for internships and work-based
learning opportunities. Students placed in administration were doing
data capturing support, giving lecturer support with administrative
work, were capturing students’ NSFAS related information and were
offering other administrative support. The Committee welcomed the
efforts by the colleges to ensure that students who required workintegrated
learning could complete their qualifications and as such
had been provided with opportunities by the colleges. The
partnerships established by the colleges with industry and
government departments and entities to generate a third-stream
income for occupational programmes, infrastructure development,
the placement of students and lecturers for work-integrated learning
and work-based exposure was commended by the Committee. These
efforts assisted greatly in ensuring that students were prepared for
the world of work.
4.11.2. The Committee welcomed the regional partnerships between the
Universities and TVET Colleges in the Free State and Northern
Cape with regard to lecturer development, resource sharing, the
articulation of students and research.
4.11.3. The Northern Cape Rural TVET College informed the Committee of
a lack of interest by industry to place TVET College lecturers for
work-based exposure, as per the Medium-Term Strategic Framework
policy priority to improve the quality of lecturing through placing 30
percent of TVET College lecturers in the workplaces to acquire
workplace exposure every year by 2019.
4.12. Employee related matters
4.12.1. The colleges reported to the Committee that the capping of the wage
bill to 63 percent had adversely impacted on the ability of the
colleges to recruit both support and academic staff. This has resulted
in overworking the staff available.
4.12.2. TVET College labour unions complained about salary disparities of
staff employed on the Department’s Persal system and those
appointed by the college councils. Furthermore, the unions noted
that there were outstanding migration issues that had not been
addressed by the Department and those were causing discontentment
among staff.
4.12.3. The inharmonious relationship between labour unions at Sol Plaatje
University, Goldfields, and Motheo TVET Colleges were noted with
great concern. At Sol Plaatje University, the union alleged that the
VC took unilateral decisions, as well as being averse to the presence
of the union at the institution. The management indicated that the
union did not raise its grievances internally, and did not attend
meetings where institutional issues were discussed. At both
Goldfields and Motheo TVET Colleges, unions alleged that the
bargaining agreement and the Labour Forum decisions had not been
implemented by College Management.
4.12.5. Delays in the finalisation of post-establishment for the colleges was
noted as a serious concern and in some colleges there were no lower
middle management post provision.
4.12.6. The Committee expressed its concern regarding the litany of
accusations levelled against the Principal of Motheo College by the
unions and what appeared to be animosity between the unions and
the management. The Committee was of the view that the
Department and the college should provide further details of the
accusations against the Principal and the causes of instability at the
college.
4.12.7. The Committee commended the harmonious relationship that existed
between the management and university stakeholders at the
University of the Free State. The unions acknowledged that the
management was attentive to its demands.
5. Specific findings per institution
5.1. Sol Plaatje University
5.1.1 The absence of the Vice-Chancellor, who had been abroad during
the oversight visit of the Committee, was noted as a concern. The
Committee indicated that the registration period was a very critical
period for the institution, and that the VC should have been present
to account to the Committee.
5.1.2 The University relied on specially earmarked funding for its
expansion given that it was a fairly new institution. The Committee
expressed its concern with respect to the sustainability of the
University when subsidies through earmarked grants would come to
an end. The University was planning to be a fully-fledged institution
by 2027 with an estimated headcount enrolment of 8 000 students.
5.1.3 The Committee did not support the union’s (NEHAWU) proposal to
be involved in the procurement process of the institution. The
Committee indicated that there had been incidences of corruption
and instability where labour unions had been involved in the
procurement process of the University. The Committee expressed its
dissatisfaction with the fact that the presentation of the union
focused more on its demands and complaints than on its contribution
to the sustainability of the institution.
5.1.4 The University had issued its full-time students with laptops and it
also had a bicycle project, which provided students or staff the
possibility of renting a bicycle at R380 per annum. These initiatives
were commended by the Committee as they contributed positively to
teaching and learning.
5.1.6 The University was commended for the offering of a degree in Data
Science which was one of its kind on the African continent and the
offering of postgraduate programmes for the first time since the
establishment of the University. This was an indication of the
incremental growth at the University.
of the Higher Education Act which provides for representation of an employee or employees other than academic employees, elected by such employees of the public higher education institutions. The Committee was concerned about the exclusion of the employees other than academic employees in the representation on Council as per the Institutional Statute of the University.
5.2. University of the Free State
5.2.1. The Committee expressed its concern regarding the declining numbers and output of the Health Sciences faculty of the University. The Committee indicated that the country had a shortage of health professionals and that it was critical for the University to put measures into place to realise the intended outcomes of this faculty.
5.2.2. The Committee was of the view that the University was under good management and leadership. This has contributed to its student success rate of 85 percent and the good maintenance of infrastructure.
5.2.3. The University had developed a policy that would deal with challenges related to food insecurity for students and this initiative was commended by the Committee.
5.2.4. The Committee indicated that the University needed to do more in addressing the equity of success in its student body, especially between Black and White students.
5.2.5. The University was commended for using grey water system to water the grounds at three of its newly built residences and the installation of the solar streetlights to support its renewable-energy power solutions.
5.3. Goldfields TVET College
5.3.1. The high vacancy rate, including a high number of acting positions at senior management level were noted with serious concern.
5.4. Motheo TVET College
5.4.1. The construction of the new National Artisan Development Academy at Motheo TVET College was commended. The Academy, which was funded by the Services SETA, would contribute to the production of artisans as per the National Development Plan. The Committee commended the college for its research to inform scarce and critical programmes that would be offered at the Academy. The Committee commended the College for winning national and international awards, which provided evidence that it was being recognized for great work done, its contribution to the skills development and its contribution to the economic growth of the country
5.4.2. The Committee commended the work of the college and programmes put in place to support students with various forms of disability. The college served as a best practice for other colleges.
6. SUMMARY
The oversight visit of the Committee focused mainly on assessing the 2019 registration processes and the readiness of universities and TVET colleges in the Northern Cape and the Free State for the 2019 academic year. As part of the oversight visit, the Committee interacted with the institutions’ management, council, student representative council (SRC) and the labour unions. The purpose of this interaction was to give an opportunity to the stakeholders to present to the Committee the contributions they had made towards the successes of their respective institutions and to raise other issues that affected the students and workers. The Committee also met with NSFAS to assess its plans to improve the disbursement of funding to students at universities and TVET colleges.
In so far as registration for 2019 was concerned, the Committee was pleased that the majority of the institutions were making use of online registration, which reduced the long queues that had been experienced with the manual registration process. The CACH system also assisted in reducing the number of walk-ins at the institutions and made the registration process more efficient. There were a few hiccups that were observed at the Goldfields TVET college (Welkom Campus). The college experienced delays in the distribution of textbooks to students and this caused instability at the institution. The Committee requested the Department and the college management to develop an urgent plan to resolve the textbooks challenge.
With respect to student funding, NSFAS indicated that it had received 494 401 applications for 2019 and this included the 130 000 TVET college walk-ins in January 2019 walk-ins. Of the 494 401 applications received, 308 561 were successful while the remaining applications either did not meet the eligibility criteria or had missing documents. NSFAS indicated that it had established an appeals process for all applications that had been rejected. This offered an opportunity to students to submit the necessary information that was required to meet the eligibility criteria. NSFAS had already made R1.7 billion in upfront payments to those universities where a memorandum of agreement had been signed, and R195 million to TVET colleges. The Committee was pleased that for the first time in 2019, NSFAS would pay a standard personal care allowance of R1 950 for students at TVET colleges and R2 750 for students at universities. The institutions also acknowledged that there had been a significant improvement in the disbursement of funding and student allowances since the Administrator had taken over at NSFAS.
In relation to the infrastructure, the Committee observed that there was a high demand for student accommodation at all the institutions. The situation at TVET colleges was worse, given that for a very long time these institutions did not receive infrastructure grants as compared to universities. The Motheo TVET college for example had an estimated enrolment of 20 000 students in 2018, however, it did own a single student residence. Similarly, the NCR TVET college (Kuruman Campus) had very limited space for teaching and learning and students had to share computer classes. Compounding the infrastructure challenge in the TVET sector were the delays in the issuance of title deeds by the Department of Public Works and other provincial government institutions for the buildings that had been transferred to colleges. Despite the infrastructure challenges of the TVET sector, the Committee was impressed by the construction of the National Artisan Training Centre sponsored by the Services SETA for Motheo TVET college.
7. RECOMMENDATIONS
The Committee, having undertaken an oversight visit to the post-school education and training institutions in the Northern Cape and the Free State, recommends that the Minister of Higher Education and Training consider the following:
7.1. TVET Colleges
7.1.1. Outstanding certificates and pending results for November 2018 Examination
7.1.1.1. The student leadership of the TVET colleges, including management, raised the challenge of outstanding NC (V) certificates and NATED diplomas for students that had completed their courses. The Committee welcomed progress made by the Department and acknowledged by the TVET Colleges in addressing the certification backlog. Notwithstanding this progress, the Committee recommends that the Department should investigate the reasons for the remaining challenges relating to all outstanding certificates.
7.1.1.2. The colleges also reported on the pending results for November 2018 examination and this has impacted on the promotion of students and finalisation of registration of the affected students The Department should also expedite its processes to release the pending results of November 2018 examination so that Colleges can finalise registration process and that NSFAS receive student academic performance to finalise its processes.
7.1.2. Decline in enrolment in the Ministerial approved programmes, mainly NC(V)
7.1.2.1. The Committee observed that there had been a significant decline in the NC(V) enrolments at TVET Colleges. Compounding the situation was higher dropout rates and low certification rates in the NC(V) programme. The Committee recommends that the NC(V) and NATED curriculum review processes be expedited so that there could be value of government’s investment in the sector.
7.1.2.2. The Committee recommends that a meeting should be convened with the Department of Higher Education and Training to engage on the future of the NC(V) programmes and on the funding model for the Report 191 programmes.
7.1.3. Procurement of textbooks
7.1.3.1. The TVET Colleges should develop and implement a policy on students returning their textbooks once they have completed their programmes.
7.1.3.2. TVET Colleges should ensure that the procurement and the delivery of textbooks for the new academic year is finalised in the previous academic year to ensure smooth running of the new academic year and that every registered student has a textbook on the first day of the commencement of academic classes.
7.1.3.3. The Department should ensure that any revision of the curriculum/syllabus is communicated to the college timeously to ensure procurement of relevant textbooks.
7.1.4. Student academic performance
7.1.4.1. TVET Colleges should put mechanisms in place to strengthen the Student Support Services, including implementing measures to identify those students who are at risk - so as to improve throughput and certification rates and to reduce dropout rates.
7.1.5. Articulation of TVET College graduates to universities
7.1.5.1. The colleges expressed a concern about the challenges experienced by TVET College graduates in articulating to universities. Articulation should not be dependent on a “gentlemen’s agreement”. The Department should rather ensure that the National Articulation Policy, developed by the South African Qualifications Authority, is implemented by all universities. Consequence management should be implemented where contraventions are found to occur.
7.1.6. Infrastructure and transfer of property
7.1.6.1. TVET Colleges had an acute shortage of student accommodation and had alarmingly decaying infrastructure. Colleges had been allocated infrastructure grants for maintenance and refurbishment of the existing infrastructure. Notwithstanding the fact that vast resources have been made available for the TVET Sector, the Committee had noted that there was still a need to ensure that future budgets should consider improved allocation to address the areas of urgent intervention like construction of new infrastructure to accommodate growth in student numbers, student recreational facilities and especially WIFI connectivity. The Department should explore innovative funding mechanisms for infrastructure expansion at TVET Colleges.
7.1.6.2. The Committee observed that institutions were receiving third stream funding from the SETAs. The DHET, in partnership with the SETAs, should strengthen efforts to ensure the better use of the financial model with regard to the utilisation of third stream funds so as to ensure effective and efficient spending.
7.1.6.3. The Committee commended the state of the art teaching and learning, including student accommodation at Sol Plaatje University and the University of the Free State. The Committee recommends that the universities should not neglect maintenance of these buildings to ensure durability.
7.1.6.4. The colleges have reported that they had acquired buildings from the provincial Department of Public works in the Northern Cape and Free State provinces for use as satellites campuses and skills centres. However, there had been delays with the transfer of title deeds for the buildings to the Colleges by the provincial Department of Public Works. The Colleges were investing funds into refurbishing property that was not officially under their ownership. The Northern Cape Rural TVET College informed the Committee that it had lost opportunities from private donors who were willing to expand the College infrastructure due to outstanding title deeds. The Committee recommends that the Department engage with the relevant provincial departments to expedite the transfer of the properties to College ownership.
7.1.7. Finalisation of the post establishment norms and outstanding migration issues
7.1.7.1. The delays in the finalisation of the post-establishment for the Colleges was noted as a serious concern and in some Colleges there was no lower middle management post provision. The Department should expedite the development and implementation of post-establishment norms for TVET Colleges.
7.1.7.2. The high vacancy rate, including a high number of acting positions at senior management level at the Goldfields TVET College was noted with serious concern. The Department and the TVET college should ensure that all funded positions were filled.
7.1.7.3. TVET College labour unions complained about salary disparities of staff employed on the Department’s Persal system and those appointed by the college councils. Furthermore, the unions noted that there were outstanding migration issues that the Department had not addressed and those are causing discontentment among staff. The Department should engage the TVET College councils on the salary disparities of staff and to address the outstanding migration issues to ensure stability at the colleges.
7.1.7.4. The inharmonious relationship between labour unions at the Goldfields and Motheo TVET Colleges were noted with great concern. The Committee recommends that the stakeholders should build a social compact to create a harmonious relationship for the benefit of the College as well as to amicably address issues affecting employees.
7.1.7.5. There was a litany of accusations levelled against the Principal of Motheo TVET College by the unions in what appeared to be animosity between the unions and the management. The Committee recommends that the Department should present to the Committee the findings and recommendations of the forensic investigation and that mechanisms should be put in place to restore stability at the college.
7.1.8. Appointment of TVET councils
7.1.8.1. The Committee observed that some colleges did not have a fully constituted council as per the provision of the Continuing Education and Training Act, 2006 (Act No. 16 of 2006). The Committee recommends that the Minister should expedite the process of the appointment of TVET College council members so that they can exercise their fiduciary duties adequately.
7.1.8.2. The Committee recommends that processes to appoint new members of council should commence three months’ prior the end of term of sitting council to ensure that there is no governance vacuum at the colleges and there is proper handover.
7.1.9. Student funding
7.1.9.10. The Committee heard that NSFAS would only pay student allowances to TVET colleges from 2019 once the registration of students had been confirmed. Teaching and learning at TVET colleges had already commenced, and the registration processes had not been completed. The Committee recommends that communication by the Department to TVET colleges should be improved given the confusion in the disbursement of funds and allowances to students in the TVET sector.
7.1.10. Representations at institutions
7.1.10.1. The Committee found disconcerting the presence of some individuals who were not members of any of the institutional structures who delivered presentations or who spoke on behalf of these structures. The Committee recommends a stricter entrance regime at institutions to regulate access at all levels, albeit with regard to formal discussions or sessions being held or with regard to physical entrance at these institutions.
7.2 Universities
7.2.1 Student safety
7.2.1.1. The Committee was informed that student safety at the University of the Free State, especially for students who resided off-campus, remained a serious concern. The Committee recommends for a conferral with the PC on Police regarding the challenge of student safety experienced in higher education.
7.2.1.2. Section 7 (4)(g) of the Higher Education Act provides for representation of an employee or employees other than academic employees, elected by such employees of the public higher education institutions. The Committee was concerned about the exclusion of employees other than academic employees in the representation as per the Institutional Statute of Sol Plaatje University. Of great concern was that the Minister approved and gazetted the University’s Institutional Statute despite contravening section 27 (4)(g) of the Higher Education Act. The Department should ensure that the University amends its Institutional Statute to make provision for the representation of non-academic employees on council.
7.2.2. Infrastructure
7.2.2.1. The demand for space into student residences in higher education was very high. A number of research studies had proven that students residing in university residences performed much better than those residing off campus. The Committee recommends that the Department should assist universities to expand their infrastructure.
7.3. NSFAS
7.3.1.1. There was confusion about the NSFAS threshold for student funding. The NSFAS threshold was extended from R120 000 to R320 000 following the announcement of fee-free higher education in 2017. The Committee recommends that Department should provide clarity with respect to funding for students eligible for NSFAS to minimize such confusion.
7.3.1.2. NSFAS had planned to discontinue the sBux voucher system from 2019 in favour of paying allowances directly into the student’s bank accounts. The Committee recommends that the Department and NSFAS to have a discussion with the banks to ensure that students were not charged unnecessary banking fees when the allowances are deposited into their bank accounts.
7.3.1.3. The Committee was concerned about the capacity of some institutions to process the funding provided by NSFAS for disbursement to students. The Committee recommends that the Department and NSFAS should provide the necessary support to the institutions whose IT systems were inadequate for the disbursement of NSFAS funding.
7.3.1.4. There were outstanding applications from 2017 and 2018 that had not been processed by NSFAS. The Committee recommends that NSFAS should prioritise the close out of the 2017 and 2018 outstanding applications.
7.3.1.5. NSFAS should furnish the Committee with the details of its stakeholder engagements and the Memorandum of Understanding that had been signed.
Report to be considered.
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