ATC131028: Report of the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training on its Oversight Visit to KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng on 15 – 18 September 2013, dated 23 October 2013

Report of the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training on its Oversight Visit to KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng on 15 – 18 September 2013, dated 23 October 2013

The Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training, having undertaken an oversight visit to KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, reports as follows:

1. Introduction

The Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training undertook an oversight visit to KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng on 15 – 18 September 2013. The purpose of this report is mainly to provide a summary of proceedings during the oversight visit and conclude with recommendations for consideration by the Minister of Higher Education and Training.

2. Background

The Committee conducted strategic sessions with all FET colleges of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng to assess them on the following key areas:

·         Governance and administration;

·         Student enrolment;

·         Administration of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme;

·         Credibility of examinations;

·         Results and certification;

·         Student housing;

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

·          Partnership with industries.

As part of the strategic sessions, the Committee invited the Department of Higher Education and Training, National Student Financial Aid Scheme, Provincial Departments of Education of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng and the Office of the Auditor-General. Each FET college was represented by the Principal, Deputy Principal, Council Chairperson, Chief Financial Officer, President of the Students Representative Council and Labour Representative for both academic and support staff.

The Committee also visited the University of Witwatersrand to assess the university in the following key areas:

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

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

3. Composition of the Delegation

3.1 The Parliamentary delegation

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

Support Staff: Mr A Kabingesi, Committee Secretary; Ms M Modiba, Content Adviser; Mr L Komle, Researcher; Ms T Majone, Committee Assistant and Mr F Mohale, Media Officer.

3.2 FET colleges in KwaZulu-Natal

Thekwini FET college: Mr R Cadir, Principal; Mr M O’Connor, Deputy Principal, Academic Services; Ms D Goba, Deputy Principal Corporate Services; Mr P De Villiers, South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) Chief Financial Officer;  Ms M Mngadi, Deputy Chairperson and Mr M Khoza, Deputy President SRC.

Umfolozi FET college: Mr S Zungu, Principal; Ms E du Toit, Deputy Principal Academic Services; Ms N Mncube, Deputy Principal Corporate Services; Mr J Honison, CFO Mr T Khathi, Project Coordinator; Mr B Nxumalo, Executive Committee Chairperson and Mr N Mathenjwa, South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) Representative.

Esayidi FET college: Dr S Nzimande: Principal, Mr N Mncube: Council Chairperson, Ms L Ntombela: Deputy Principal, Ms R Bodenstein: CFO, Ms B Boti: SRC President, Ms N Dazela: SADTU Representative and Mr C Mathe: SADTU Representative.

Mnambithi FET college: Ms M Dlamini, Acting Principal; Ms Z Mazibuko, Council Deputy Chairperson; Mr T Ramkisson, Assistant Director Information Communication Technology; Mr Z Makhaza, Safety Officer and Mr Z Ngcobo, SADTU Representative.

Elangeni FET college: Ms M Peters, Acting Principal; Ms F Ngema, Acting Deputy Director Academic Services; Ms D Gumede, Deputy Director Corporate Services and Mr S Madlala, President SRC.

Costal FET college: Mr S Ndlovu, Principal; Mr W Odendaal, Deputy Director Academic Services; Ms M Ngcongo, Acting Director Quality Assurance; Mr J Kieser, National Professional Teachers Organisation of South Africa (NAPTOSA) Representative; Ms M Jula, National Education & Health Allied Workers Union (NEHAWU) Provincial Coordinator and Mr M Ostrich, SRC President.

Mthashana FET college: Dr R Russon, Administrator; Ms R Callaghan, Acting Deputy Director Academic Services and Mr S Kunene, SRC Chairperson.

Majuba FET college: Mr C Prinsloo, Principal; Mr D Hassim, SAICO CFO; Ms Z Nkabinde, Deputy-Principal Academics; Ms N Kheswa, SRC President and Mr M Mazibuko, SADTU Branch Secretary.

Umgungundlovu FET college: Mr C de Koler, Acting Principal; Mr D Msomi, Deputy Principal; Mr B Ntuli, Council Chairperson; Mr D Crompton, SADTU Representative; Mr O Benjamin, Central SRC President and Ms B Nkani, NEHAWU Branch Chairperson.

3.3 Gauteng FET colleges

Central Johannesburg FET college: Mr M Makhene, Principal and Mr M Ramosunya, SRC President.

Ekurhuleni West FET college: Ms H Ntlatleng, Principal; Ms P Lehoko, Acting Deputy Principal Academic; Ms M Marinus, Chief Financial Officer; Mr N Mudau, SADTU Site Steward and Mr V Ndaba, SRC President.

Ekurhuleni East FET college: Ms H Sibande, Principal; Mr J Groenewald, Deputy Principal Academics; Ms T Ndlovu, Deputy Principal Corporate Services; Mr K Vilakazi, Council Chairperson; Mr M Mathonsi, Council Member; Mr M Tshabalala, NEHAWU Shop Steward and Ms T Myeni, SRC President.

Tshwane North FET college: Ms Ndlovu, Technical Administrator; Ms P Prakasim, Administrator Support Human Resources; Ms S Govender, Chief Financial Officer; Mr Z Malima, NEHAWU Chairperson and Mr V Ndou, SRC President.

Tshwane South FET college: Mr J Chiloane, Principal; Ms S Baine, Chief Financial Officer; Mr M Skosana, Council Chairperson; Mr S Merton, Deputy Director Planning and Development and Mr N Rikhotso, SRC President.

South West Gauteng FET college: Mr D Nkosi, Principal; Mr M Monyamane, Acting Deputy Principal Academic; Mr G Nyakudarika, Chief Financial Officer; Ms K Qhinebe, NEHAWU Shop Steward and Mr T Mosweu, SRC President.

Sedibeng FET college: Dr A Mashele, Principal; Ms J Mosesi, Deputy Principal Academics; Mr F Mpofu, Chief Financial Officer; Mr S Mafela, NEHAWU Chairperson and Mr B Mzwale, SRC President.

Western FET college: Mr L Coetzer, Principal; Ms F Matshikiza, Council Chairperson and Mr L Knowledge, SRC President.

3.4 Wits University

Management: Prof A Crouch, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academics / Acting Vice-Chancellor; Ms K Menon, Registrar; Prof R Moore, Deputy Vice-Chancellor; Ms N Lawton-Misra, Deputy Registrar Academic; Ms C Crosley, Deputy Registrar; Dr A Pretorius, Head Disability Unit; Ms A Kart, Senior Manager; Mr D Gozo, Senior Manager; Prof T Kupe, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Finance and Operations; Mr O Seale, Director; Dr A Shaikjee, Manager; Ms G Patel, Manager Services and International Office; Mr V Nel, Head Secretariat; Ms H Dulabh, Information System Analyst and Mr K McLoughlin, Head of Business Intelligence Services.

Council: Dr R Carolissen, Chairperson; Prof G Eagle, Academics Representative; Prof C Mueller, Convocation Representative; Prof M Scholes, Director Graduate Studies; Dr L Sizani, External Member; Prof K Naik, Honorary Adjunct Professor School of Computational and Applied Mathematics; Dr J Kani, Member; Mr R Harmer External Member and Mr C Coovadia, Member.

Student Representative Council: Ms T Essop, Secretary-General; Mr N Mashangoane, Student Leadership and Governance; Ms J Phiri, Vice President External; Mr K Sera, Transformation and Social Development Officer and Mr l Baiphaphele, Member.

Unions: Mr P Moremi, Deputy Chairperson NEHAWU; Ms A Underhay, President Administration; Library and Technical Staff Association (ALTSA); Ms T Mtselu, Member ALTSA; Ms M Pringle, Treasurer ALTSA; Ms J Horne, Academic Staff Association of Wits University (ASAWU); Prof D Dickinson, President ASAWU; Prof G Eagle, Executive Member ASAWU and Mr O Jaki, Member ASAWU.

3.5 National Student Financial Aid Scheme

Mr M Daca, Chief Executive Officer; Mr M Cele, Senior Manager Loans and Bursaries; Ms M Mogorosi, Personal Assistant to the CEO and Ms I Mandindi.

3.6 Department of Higher Education and Training

Dr B Mahlobo, Chief Director; Mr S Makgoba, Chief Director University Financial Planning; Ms G Umeh, Deputy Director; Ms N Nqaba, Parliamentary Liaison Officer and Ms P Sekgobela, Assistant Director.

3.7 KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Department of Education

Dr E Nzama, Chief Director FET colleges and Mr F Ingram, Manager.

3.8 Office of the Auditor-General

Ms M Kau, Business Executive; Ms M Pillay, Senior Manager; Ms D Tsotesi, Audit Manager and Ms D Mashamela, Senior Audit Manager.

4. Summary of presentations

4.1 FET colleges of KwaZulu-Natal

a) Thekwini FET College

The Principal, Mr R Cadirl led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

·         The term of the college council expired in 2012 and the college continued to function with a de-facto council. The SRC, Academic Board and other governance structures were functional.

·         Late processing of financial aid requests led to student protest led by the SRC this year. The college was allocated 30% of its total allocation by July 2013.

·         The college appointed consultants to review the administration of the NSFAS system, structure and processes.

·         The college had six campuses with a total number of 10665 students while its capacity was 5000 students.

·         Late entries or incorrect submission of student’s marks contributed to outstanding results.

·         The NC(V) certification rate of the college was a serious challenge. The 2012 average NC(V) certification rate was 22% and the retention rate was 49%.

·         The college had 200 beds hostel for its 10665 students.

Council

·         Over-enrolment of students remained a serious concern for the college.

·         Student housing was a serious challenge for the college.

·         The inconsistency in the financial year of NSFAS and academic year made it difficult for the college to manage its cash flow.

·         The funding norms for colleges should be in line with the number of registered students in the college.

SRC

·         Late payment of NSFAS bursary to students remained a serious concern.

·         Students demonstrated owing to late delivery of textbooks and other teaching materials.

·         Student support services functioned like the NSFAS financial aid office.

Labour

·         Transformation in senior management posts of the college remained a serious concern for workers.

·         There were certain benefits that were not yet paid to staff members. Inconsistency in the payment date of salaries remained a challenge for workers.

b) Elangeni FET College

The Acting Principal, Ms M Peters led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

·         The term of the college council expired in March 2012 and the college operated with a de-facto council.

·         The college was among the first colleges in the province to receive the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) ISO 9001 accreditation.

·         Irregularities in the utilisation of the NSFAS bursary allocation by students remained a serious concern. Students used the bursary allocation for their own benefits instead of studies.

·         The college had 8 campuses in total.

·         The college experienced student unrest in three of its campuses owing to the late payment of NSFAS bursary allocation.

·         The 2012 average NC(V) certification rate of the college was 32%. Lecturer commitment, pending results, poor maths results, un-trainable staff, late delivery of textbooks were among the reasons for poor NC(V) certification rates.

·         The college had a policy on Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) which was accredited by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA).

·         The college had a serious shortage of student housing.

SRC

·         Student victimisation remained a serious challenge for the student leadership.

·         Shortage of classrooms was a challenge for students.

c) Coastal FET College

The Principal, Mr Ndlovu led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

·         The college had a total of 8 campuses with a headcount of 17545 students for 2013.

·         The college was previously under administration and the Principal was appointed on 1 September 2013.

·         The 2012 average NC(V) certification rate of the college was 39%. The Report 191 Engineering pass rates were very low ranging between 3% – 10%.

·         The college was allocated R39 million of the total R69 million allocation for 2013 of the NSFAS bursary.

·         The RPL unit of the college was set up in 2005 at the Central Office and it was functional.

SRC

·         There was no central SRC in the college in 2013.

·         Student Support Services of the college did not have capacity to assist students.

·         Inadequate qualified lecturers remained a serious concern for students.

·         The college’s resource centre did not have relevant student material.

Labour

·         Workers of the college experienced challenges related to human resource issues. Some of those challenges included staff contracts not renewed, use of the same lecturers for different programmes, inadequate job evaluation, and absence of night shift allowance and outsourcing of some internal work.

·         The workers of the college proposed that the human resource division of the college be restructured as it was dysfunctional.

·         The workers did not have access to the Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC) forensic audit report conducted in the college.

·         Inflation of prices for goods and services at the procurement offices remained a concern.

·         A human resource manager of the college was frog-marched by workers owing to allegations of mismanagement.

d) Umgungundlovu FET College

The Acting Principal, Mr C de Koler led the presentation which highlighted following key issues:

·         The position of the college Principal had been vacant since 2010 (4 Acting principals since then). A new council had not been appointed although its term expired in February 2012.

·         The college had six campuses with a headcount of 9758 students for 2013.

·         The 2012 average NC(V) certification rate was 25%. The 2013 NSFAS allocation for the college was R27 million.

·         Collaborations between the college and SETAs were good.

·         The college had one hostel that could accommodate 405 students and management of the hostel was expensive for the college.

Council

·         The fact that the college had 4 different Acting Principals since 2010 remained a serious concern for Council.

·         The Council established a task team to resolve issues between management, workers and students.

SRC

·         Poor enrolment planning by the college was a challenge for students.

·         Pending students’ results and late payment of NSFAS allowance affected students.

·         Safety and security of students in hostel was a challenge for the college.

·         Inadequate career advice contributed to low certification rates of the NC(V) programme.

Labour

·         Lack of extensive information on the link between collective agreements and resolutions taken in the Public Service Collective Bargaining Council (PSCBC) and Further Education and Training Collective Bargaining Unit (FETCBU) remained a concern for workers.

·         Limited recognition and respect of unions in the college was a challenge.

·         Lack of feedback with regards to the preparation for the migration process worried workers.

·         Interference of management in union / worker’s issues by means of intimidation was unfair.

·         Lack of skills development and training opportunities for workers remained a concern.

e) Esayidi FET College

The Principal, Dr S Nzimande led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

·         The college had six campuses with a headcount of 12705 students for 2013.

·         The college received an unqualified audit in 2012.

·         The college had highest 2012 NC(V) certification rate in the province 44%.

·         Insufficient funding with regards to transport and accommodation allowances led to student’s unrest in the college.

·         The college had challenges in establishing partnerships with industries owing to its location in deep rural areas.

Council

·         Council was concerned with increased enrolment of students which put strain in the allocation of NSFAS bursaries.

·         Inadequate NSFAS allocation contributed to student drop-out.

Labour

·         Inadequate infrastructure remained a serious challenge in the college.

·         Salary scales of support staff of the college were low as compared with other colleges.

·         Draft contracts of lecturers were not yet finalised.

f) Umfolozi FET College

The Principal, Mr S Zungu led the presentation which highlighted the following keys issues:

·         The college had 5 campuses with a headcount of 4369 students for 2013.

·         The 2012 average NC(V) certification rate of the college was 40%.

·         The college adopted an academic improvement plan to improve lecturer capacity and students results.

·         The total allocation of NSFAS bursary for the college was R55 million for 2013.

Council

·         All the FET colleges of the province had been historically under-funded and this contributed to inadequate infrastructure.

·         Owing to absence of institutions that supplied qualified FET college lecturers, the certification rates in colleges were poor.

·         The college received unqualified audit reports for the past three years.

g) Mnambithi FET College

The Acting Principal, Ms M Dlamini led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

·         The college never had a permanent Principal since 2008 and the current Principal was acting.

·         The college had five campuses supporting a large rural catchment area.

·         The 2012 average NC(V) certification rate of the college was 43%. Student numbers grew from 2000 in 2010 to more than 8000 in 2013.

·         The college had student accommodation in all its campuses.

·         The total NSFAS bursary allocation for 2013 was R32 million which was insufficient for the college.

h) Mthashana FET College

The Administrator, Dr R Russon led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

·         The college was currently under administration.

·         The Nongoma campus was previously occupied by squatters and the college spent R20 millions in its refurbishments.

·         The 2012 average NC(V) certification rate of the college was 38%. The model of the NC(V) programme required review.

·         The college bought laptops for all lecturers to support them with their work.

·         Placement of students to industries was a challenge for the college since it was located in the rural areas.

i) Majuba FET College

The Principal, Mr C Prinsloo led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

·         The college had seven campuses and an accredited trade test centre with a total headcount of 5401 students in the NC(V) programme and 15988 in Report 191 enrolments for 2013.

·         The certificates that were erroneously issued by Umalusi this year were now being recalled.

·         The 2012 average NC(V) certification rate of the college was 25%.

·         The total NSFAS bursary allocation for the college in 2013 was R78 million.

·         The college did not provide student accommodation for its learners.

4.2 FET colleges of Gauteng

a) Central Johannesburg FET College

The Principal, Mr M Makhene led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

·         The college was a member of Johannesburg skills hub and the main economic activity was the retail sector.

·         The term of council expired in June 2012 and a de-facto council operated. The college received an unqualified audit in 2012.

·         The college had a serious challenge of shortage of student housing.

·         The college did not have an international affairs office although it enrolled 122 international students.

·         The 2013 total headcount for the college was 15000 students. The 2012 average NC(V) certification rate was 25%, the lowest in the province.

·         The college experienced 22 paper leakages which occurred outside the premises of the college.

SRC

·         Paper leakage by private colleges was a serious challenge for students of the college.

·         Misuse of NSFAS voucher cards by students remained a serious challenge.

·         The Student Support Services (SSS) of the college was transformed into bursary administration office.

b) Ekurhuleni West FET College

The Principal, Ms M Ntlantleng led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

·         The college had six campuses with a total headcount of 15489 students.

·         The college’s new head office was under construction and would be opened in February 2014.

·         The 2012 total NSFAS bursary allocation was R64 million.

·         All the results in the first trimester 2013 were released late and this affected awarding of NSFAS bursary to students.

·         Power outage during exams in the first trimester affected students negatively as they would re-write the subject in November 2013.

·         The college was concerned with examination papers that were poorly moderated and errata that were sent an hour after students completed their exams.

·         The college did not have accommodation for its students.

·         The transfer of Grade 12 English and Maths credits for NC(V) learners were not completed.

SRC

·         Inadequate performance of students in their studies was a challenge in the college.

·         Students from outside the province struggled to get accommodation since the college did not provide.

·         Overcrowding in classrooms was a serious concern.

c) Sedibeng FET College

The Principal, Dr A Mashele led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

·         The term of council expired in June 2013 and a de-facto council operated.

·         The college had three campuses with a headcount of 8444 students in 2013.

·         The bursary allocation for 2013 was R46 million. 6037 students benefited from NSFAS bursary as of 09 September 2013. The college claimed 100% for NC(V) programme.

·         The 2012 average NC(V) certification rate was 47% and 78% retention rate.

·         The college did not experience leakages of examination papers.

·         60% of the college staff were paid by the college and 40% on persal.

·         The college did not provide student accommodation.

Labour

·         The college experienced labour unrest owing to allegations of mismanagement of funds and nepotism in the college.

·         The markers and moderators complained that they were heavily taxed by the South African Revenue Services (SARS) owing to extra income obtained from marking of examination scripts.

d) South West Gauteng FET College

The Principal, Mr D Nkosi led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

·         The governance structures of the college were all functional. However, the college did not have a permanent CFO at present.

·         The college had six campuses with a headcount of 18424 students in 2013 and it grew by 20% in 2013.

·         The total allocation of NSFAS for 2013 was R72 million. The college was lagging behind on the claims for Report 191 due to the recalling of earlier claims of which some were incorrectly captured.

·         The college did not have residential facilities for students and students who needed accommodation were assisted to lodge in the neighbourhood.

·         The 2012 overall NC(V) certification rate of the college was 48%, the highest in the province.

·         The top 10 students of the college went to Holland for a student exchange programme.

·         The college experienced a labour strike that lasted for 20 days.

SRC

·         Poor planning of internal exams was a serious challenge in the college. Duplication of previous year’s exam papers undermined the credibility of exams.

·         There was no teaching and learning in the college for the past two weeks.

·         Students with disabilities were not adequately assisted by the college with facilities to suit their needs.

Labour

·         The four weeks long strike by members of NEHAWU was as a result of mismanagement and nepotism allegations in the college.

·         Bogus service providers provided inadequate accommodation for students (20 students shared a two bedrooms flat). The college signed agreements to accommodate students in backyard rooms that were not suitable for learning. The college advertised student accommodation in its brochures while it did not have its own residences and this misled prospective students.

·         There were inadequate facilities and personnel available in the college for disabled students.

·         Unroadworthy buses were also used to transport students to the college and one student died in a bus accident last year which tested unroadworthy.

e) Tshwane North FET College

The Administrator, Ms Q Ndlovu led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

·         The college was currently under administration since February 2012.

·         The administrators used the first six months of their work to engage with the stakeholders of the college since the situation was volatile.

·         Upon appointment of the administrators, it emerged that the college owed millions of rands to various service providers and the administrators were in the process of settling outstanding debts. The college had a history of inadequate financial management where procurement procedures were not adequately followed to procure goods and services.

·         The college had 16000 students and 300 staff.

·         The administrators discovered that some students registered at the college continued with their studies without paying any tuition fees to the college, and this was not picked up by previous management of the college.

·         The college had outstanding audit statements and there was no tax clearance certificate upon arrival of the administrators.

·         High student absenteeism remained a serious challenge in the college.

·         80% of the total income of the college was used to pay salaries.

·         A turn-around strategy was being implemented by the administrators to improve the situation in the college

SRC

·         Non- compliance to policies was a norm in the college.

·         Registration was not standardised across all the campuses of the college.

·         High student failure and inadequate student housing remained a serious concern.

Labour

·         The criterion used to appoint the administrators was a serious concern for workers. The current administrators did not understand the FET sector.

·         NEHAWU threatened to shut down the college if its demands were not met by the administrators.

·         The forensic audit report conducted in the college was not yet published.

f) Tshwane South FET College

The Principal, Mr J Chiloane led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

·         The college had five campuses with a headcount of 21745 students for 2013 with a staff complement of 568 employees.

·         The governance structures of the college were functional. The college managed to fill 154 posts since June 2012 and currently there were 27 vacancies.

·         The college dismissed seven of 22 employees who faced disciplinary hearings. It was alleged that one of the employees dismissed in the college was appointed as a Deputy Principal at Vhembe FET College.

·         The good governance structures in place did not translate to good performance in the college. The 2012 overall NC(V) certification rate of the college was 29%. The college setup a commission to investigate the high failure rate in the college and the commission submitted its report on 31 July 2013.

g) Western FET College

The Principal, Mr L Coetzer led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

·         The college received an unqualified audit opinion in 2012. All governance structures of the college were functional.

·         The college would be among the first colleges in the province to offer a University of South Africa (UNISA) accredited higher certificate as of 2014.

·         All workshop staff of the college were qualified artisans. The National Skills Fund (NSF) grant for training and development of lecturers assisted the college.

·         The 2012 overall NC(V) certification rate of the college was 34%.

·         Recognition of Prior Learning was implemented in the college.

SRC

·         The SRC was not recognised by management of the college and it did not have its own budget and constitution.

·         Late payment of NSFAS bursaries contributed to high student drop-out.

·         Student at the Thuba Makote Campus in Thabazimbi were not assisted with NSFAS bursary by the college.

·         The Thuba Makote Campus was mismanaged and it SRC recommended that it should be moved to another FET college in Limpopo.

Labour

·         The unions were not included in certain sub-committees of the college.

·         Retention of staff that reached their retirement age was a serious concern for workers.

·         The organogram of the college required an urgent review.

·         Lack of transformation in the management of the college was a concern.

4.3 Wits University

a) Management

The Registrar, Ms K Menon led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

·         The university had five faculties, 43 schools with over 300 courses, five Centres of Excellence, seven Research Institutes, 20 Research Units, 14 Museums, two Art Galleries, two Commercial Companies and 11 Libraries.

·         The 2013 headcount was 31000 students, 70% black, 52% female, 48% male, 7% international and 32% postgraduates.

·         The university had 19 Research Chairs, 220 rated scientists, 100 students clubs and 38 sports clubs.

·         The university spent over R1.5 billion on infrastructure upgrades to provide state of the art teaching, learning and research facilities.

·         The throughput rate remains a challenge for the university. The university established a teaching and learning academy to assist students who were struggling academically.

·         The university had 18 student residences that accommodated 23.5% of the undergraduate student population and 7% of postgraduates.

·         In terms of research outputs, the research publications per permanent academic ratio were 1.1. The university required academics to produce two research articles per annum. The university advertised for recruitment of 30 A-rated scientists to increase research footprint of the university.

·         In terms of staff complement, the university had 16180 staff, 51.85% female and 48.15% male.

b) Council

The Chairperson, Dr R Carolissen led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

·         The new Chairperson of Council was elected in June 2013 although he was a member of the previous council.

·         The university was excited with the establishment of the two new universities in Mpumalanga and Northern Cape and shared its expertise with regard to infrastructure development.

·         Funding remains a serious concern for expansion of the university and reserves were very limited. The decrease in government subsidy remains a concern and the university had not increased its student fees for a while.

·         Student housing remained a concern for the university and additional funding was required to build more residences for students.

·         Majority of postgraduate students were part time and their throughput rate was not good. Additional funding was required to enrol more full time postgraduates.

·         A cause of concern for the university was the misuse of NSFAS bursary by certain students for other activities besides learning.

·         The student profile of the university was majority black, while 61% of the academics were white. The university had a challenge in attracting young black academics owing to low salary scales offered by the university as compared to the private sector.

·         The university had zero tolerance towards sexual harassment. The university acted in an inclusive way in dealing with the sexual harassment cases reported. An independent inquiry was commissioned to look into the nature, scale and the extent of sexual harassment at the university. A swift action had been taken in dealing with those implicated in sexual harassment cases. A sexual harassment advisory group was setup with an effort to curb the increase in sexual harassment activities.

c) SRC

The Secretary-General, Ms T Essop led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

·         Transformation remained a serious concern in the university. Slow level of transformation especially in academic staff was also a challenge. Majority of senior management posts in the university were male dominated and the issue of gender equity was not taken seriously by management.

·         Facilities for students with disabilities remained a challenge in the university as students with disabilities could not access some buildings.

·         The notion of institutional autonomy or academic freedom was misused in the university and it should be reviewed.

·         Withholding of students results affected in particular students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The university did not allow students to access their results if they owed outstanding fees.

·         The language policy of the university was not implemented.

·         Racial integration among students remained a serious concern. There were certain spaces within the university that were exclusively occupied by certain races.

·         Black students were unfairly assessed by white lecturers and students preferred to write their student numbers instead of names in examination scripts.

d) Unions

Administration, Library and Technical Staff Association (ALTSA)

The President, Ms A Underhay led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

·         The union had 600 staff members and it had serious challenges in getting recognition by management of the university.

·         The union was concerned with inadequate information dissemination by the university to staff members.

·         For the past seven years, the union had been fighting with management to allow negotiations before the budget of the university was implemented.

National Health & Education Allied Workers Union (NEHAWU)

The Deputy-Chairperson, Mr P Moremi led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

·         Senior and middle management positions of the university were dominated by white males and transformation at this level was slow.

·         The workers especially at low level posts were not encouraged to further their studies by the university and promotions opportunities were very limited.

·         The union staff members were not allowed sufficient time to attend to union related issues.

Academic Staff Association of Wits University (ASAWU)

The President, Prof D Dickinson led the presentation which highlighted the following key issues:

·         The union had 750 academic members at the university, majority of the approximately 1100 employed at the university.

·         The recent survey of academics at the university which the union conducted earlier this year, identified widespread concerns over critical aspects of the university, particularly, conditions of employment, resources, governance and management.

·         Progress on the conditions of service of academic staff was slower than the union would like.

·         The high failure rate of first year students remained a serious concern in the university. Increased numbers of students in the university over the past few years while academic staff numbers remained static affected students that were struggling with their studies.

·         The problem of workload in academic work for lecturers affected research output of the university. Academics were too busy with administrative work than producing research articles. An additional problem was research finance which was not adequate to produce more research outputs.

·         The university was committed to transformation and it was concerned with the slow transformation pace especially in the academic body. There was a need to improve salaries of academics in order to attract more young black academics.

5. Observations and Responses

The following formed part of the key observations:

a) FET colleges of KwaZulu-Natal

·         It emerged that the term of office of all College Councils in the province expired in 2012 and most FET Colleges operated with de-facto councils. A critical concern for the Committee was the number of colleges that operated without permanent Principals for number years. It was noted that there was a moratorium by the Department to prevent colleges from appointing permanent employees especially at senior management and lecturing staff posts. This resulted in critical staff shortages in the lecturing staff.

·         It was noted that there was no career pathing of the College lecturers like in the university sector.

·         The delays in appointment of new councils in the province affected the implementation of certain labour relations resolutions and rollout of key projects in some colleges.

·         Mthashana FET College was the only college under administration in the province, while Coastal FET College was just out of administration.

·         It was noted that College employees were concerned that there was no feedback regarding the migration process neither from their management nor the Department and that created uncertainties.

·         While Colleges heeded the call by the Minister of Higher Education and Training to increase access to education and training, the increase was not matched by the subsidy allocation which left certain Colleges to operate with deficits owing to the unfunded enrolments. For example, Umgungundlovu FET College received only 46% of its projected baseline budget.

·         In terms of NSFAS allocation, all Colleges received less than what they projected and that brought with it challenges in allocating funding to needy students. It was commendable that NSFAS allocation to Colleges had been growing over the years and has gone a long way in ensuring that needy students have increased access to education and training. Irrespective of the recorded growth in allocations over the years, it was noted with concern that it was still not proportionate to the growth in student numbers. Consequently, some Colleges were forced to use their own discretion in dividing the award to fully pay tuition fees while accommodation and transport was partly funded or not funded in some cases. While the approach ensured that many students were funded it contributed to high rate of absenteeism, poor student retention and a low pass rates.

·         Shortage of student accommodation was highlighted as major concern for colleges in the province especially those situated in rural areas. High student retention rates were reported for college campuses with students housing.

·         FET colleges in the province had inadequate NC(V) and Report 191 certification rates and this was highlighted as a serious concern by the Committee. It was also noted that the Department and Umalusi were recalling some of the issued certificates due to errors.

·         It was observed that there was very limited articulation between FET colleges and universities in the province and this area required serious attention by the Department.

·         It emerged that students had a serious challenge of receiving textbooks and other learning material late from colleges in the province.

·         The Committee was concerned with the appointment of consultants by Thekwini FET College to assist with improvement of financial management systems.

·         Late payment of NSFAS claims was highlighted as a major contributor to some of the student unrests that were experienced by colleges across the province.

·         Students were concerned that Student Support Services of colleges were turned into NSFAS financial aid offices.

·         Poor enrolment planning by colleges was highlighted as major contributor to overcrowding in classrooms.

·         Rural colleges were unable to establish partnerships owing to lack of industries in the rural areas and that affected placement of students.

b) FET colleges of Gauteng

·         It was noted with serious concern that most colleges in the Province did not provide student accommodation for learners.

·         It emerged that certain students misused NSFAS bursary allowance for other purposes than learning. Of serious concern to the Committee were allegations that some students received NSFAS bursary from two different colleges. It also emerged that NSFAS claims were paid to students while the academic year of the college closed.

·         It emerged that most colleges submitted claims very late to NSFAS and enrolled more students than the available allocation for bursaries. This often led to high student drop-out as students did not receive the bursary on time.

·         Poor financial planning by colleges was highlighted as major concern which often led them to request students for upfront payment during registration period. It emerged that certain colleges used the 7% upfront payment made by NSFAS to pay for salaries and other expenditures.

·         It was alleged that certain students used the NSFAS food vouchers to buy groceries for their families. In one case reported to NSFAS, it was alleged that students sold their book allowance to the book shop to buy fridges and other appliances. The new NSFAS system would trace the spending trends of students and reduce the fraudulent activities by students. The pilot project for the new system would be rolled-out using Ekurhuleni East FET College in 2014.

·         The Department reported that 36936 certificates were still outstanding and colleges needed to submit a report to the Department on how many certificates were outstanding.

·         There was a concern around the admission policy of the Department where students who passed Grade 12 attend same classes with those who passed Grade 9. A concern was raised around low pass rates of students in NC(V) Level 2-3.

·         Inadequate moderation of exams by the Department was highlighted as major concern by colleges. It was noted that errata for question papers were sent an hour late after students completed their exams.

·         It was noted with great concern that students at Ekurhuleni West College were forced to repeat Engineering trimester programme owing to a substitute exam paper not sent to the College by the Department.

·         It emerged that there were a persistent leakage of exam papers outside of Colleges’ precincts during examination period.

·         The term of College Councils in the province also expired. However, the Department noted that the process for appointment of new Council Members was underway.

·         Umalusi noted that it did not issue certificates to students until all data had been received from the Department. However, if the data supplied by the Department was incorrect, Umalusi would not issue certificates until verification of data was completed. In instances where there were reported paper leakages, Umalusi verified the allegations and did not issue certificates till the process was completed. Umalusi further noted that the examination system for FET colleges was not adequately managed by the Department.

·         Umalusi further noted that the FET examination system was not running well owing to absence of provincial and district offices to support the examinations.

·         In terms of errata, Umalusi noted that errors identified by external moderators were not always considered.

·         The Tshwane North FET College was the only college under administration and the situation in the college required urgent intervention by the Department.

·         It emerged that financial records storage remained a serious concern for colleges and the Committee advised college to improve on this aspect for good auditing purposes.

·         It emerged that South West Gauteng FET College enrolled disabled students with visual impairment in order to secure more funding but the students were not well support academically.

c) Wits University

·         It was commendable that the university was one of the leading research institutions in the country and also had international recognition. It was noted that the Faculty of Humanities played a major role in producing cutting edge research. The university had the largest third stream funding in the country and was able to maintain the funding even during the economic meltdown.

·         It emerged that learners who came from no-fee schools across the country were doing well academically.

·         The university established partnerships with University of Limpopo and Venda around rural development looking at economic patterns of rural communities.

·         It emerged that the university withheld certificates of students who owed outstanding debts. The Committee was seriously concerned with financial exclusions and withholding of students certificates as this affected mostly students from disadvantaged background.

·         It emerged that 61% of the academic staff of the university were whites and the Committee was seriously concerned with the slow transformation and gender balance in academic staff.

·         It was noted with serious concern that although the university had a language policy, it did not implement it.

·         The university’s disability unit was requested to share expertise with FET colleges that enrolled disabled students as they struggled to cater for them.

·         The university reported that 3 out of the 4 male lecturers that were involved in the sexual harassment scandal had been dismissed and the remaining one was facing disciplinary hearings.

6. Summary

The strategic sessions conducted by the Committee with all FET colleges of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng was a very important platform for assessing the main challenges faced by the FET sector and provided an opportunity for the Committee to provide strategic leadership and guidance to colleges. The Committee met with 9 FET colleges of KwaZulu-Natal and 8 FET colleges of Gauteng in a meeting attended by different stakeholders of FET colleges, NSFAS and Provincial Department of Education of each province.

In terms of governance, the term of College Councils of both provinces expired in 2012 and all of them operated with de-facto councils. Mthashana FET College was the only college under administration in KwaZulu-Natal and Tshwane North FET College was the only college under administration in Gauteng. Majority of FET colleges in KwaZulu-Natal operated without permanent Principals and the moratorium by the Department on senior management posts prevented colleges from appointing permanent staff.

NSFAS’s bursary allocation to FET colleges of KwaZulu-Natal was R421.9 million for 2013 and R442.1 million for FET colleges in Gauteng. Despite the commitment of NSFAS to assist academically deserving students to access programmes of study in FET colleges, the demand for financial aid far exceeded the current allocation. Late submission of claims by colleges to NSFAS resulted in spread of student unrests owing to the late payment of transport, books and food allowances.

Certification and pass rates of FET colleges in both provinces were low. In KwaZulu-Natal, of the 27900 new entrants in 2012, 16697 wrote exams and 5944 passed, a provincial certification rate of 33% for the NC(V) programme. In Gauteng, of the 22082 new entrants in 2012, 14197 wrote exams, 5417 passed. Curriculum design of the NC(V) programme and unsuitably qualified lecturers were blamed for the poor NC(V) and Report 191 pass and certification rates.

The collaboration between SETAs and public FET colleges improved significantly and this was commended by the Committee. SETAs had financially invested R85 million in learning programmes delivered at Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal FET colleges. Partnerships between colleges and private industries also improved. However, the colleges that served predominantly rural areas had challenges in accessing these partnerships owing to their locations.

Finally, the oversight visit to Wits University gave an opportunity for the Committee to meet with various stakeholders of the university. The Committee remained concerned with the slow transformation especially at academic level posts where staff complement was 61% white. The throughput and drop-out rate of the university were a cause of concern for the Committee. Withholding of student’s results who owed the university remained a serious concern and the university was requested to review this practise. Although the university exercised swift action in dealing with the sexual harassment scandal, it was advised to strengthen its internal policies to safeguard the image of the institution

7. Resolutions

The Committee made the following key resolutions during its interaction with FET colleges and Wits University:

·         The Tshwane North FET colleges should meet with the Committee in Parliament at a later date to be communicated.

·         The labour union (NEHAWU) of South West Gauteng FET College should submit a full report on allegations of mismanagement by management of the college.

·         Umalusi should brief the Committee on its role in the issuing of certificates and moderation of FET college examinations.

·         The Western FET College should submit a comprehensive report to the Committee on funding of students at the Thuba Makote Campus.

·         Student leaders who encouraged students to destroy property during demonstration should face the law.

·         The representative body of private colleges should brief the Committee on allegations of paper leaks by private colleges.

·         The Council of Wits University should submit a comprehensive report on financial position of the university to the Committee.

8. Recommendations

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

a) Appointment of Councils

·         The Minister should prioritise the appointment of new Councils for all FET colleges in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. All the current councils of FET colleges in both provinces were de-facto.

b) Staffing

·         Majority of colleges in KwaZulu-Natal functioned without permanent Principals for a number of years. FET colleges could not appoint permanent staff based on the moratorium imposed by the Department. The Minister should prioritise the appointment of permanent Principals to ensure stability and good leadership in FET colleges. Furthermore, the Minister should consider lifting the moratorium so as to allow Colleges to appoint staff in critical areas like teaching.

c) Infrastructure

·         FET colleges enrolled students beyond their carrying capacity and this put an enormous pressure on the inadequate existing infrastructure. The Minister should ensure that funding is made available for infrastructure development for FET colleges.

·         FET colleges that enrolled students with disabilities lacked adequate facilities and academic support for those students. The Department should assist with all the necessary resources required for students with special needs.

·         Shortage of student housing was highlighted as a major concern for FET colleges. The Minister should ensure that additional funding is allocated for building of new residences in all FET colleges.

d) Outstanding certificates

·         The release of outstanding certificates was a serious concern for the Committee. The Department should improve the moderation and management of college exams as this contributed to delays in the release of results. The Minister should ensure that all the 36 936 outstanding certificates are distributed to all learners urgently.

e) Payment of benefits

·         Inconsistency in the payment of benefits due to workers of FET colleges remained serious for labour unions. The Minister should ensure that outstanding collective agreements are implemented.

f) Administration of NSFAS bursary

·         Late submission of claims to NSFAS by FET colleges contributed to the spread of student unrest in FET Colleges. The Department should ensure that FET colleges comply with their enrolment plan and should not enrol more students than their actual allocation.

·         Owing to lack of dedicated personnel to the administration of NSFAS bursaries in Colleges, students’ bursary applications and claim forms were often processed and submitted late to NSFAS and that caused delays in transfer of allocation from NSFAS to the Colleges and then to students. Colleges resorted to using Student Support Services (SSS) staff to administer bursaries leaving students without the services of the SSS. The Minister should ensure that all Colleges have Financial Aid Offices with qualified and competent personnel.

g) Tshwane North FET College

·         The college was in dire situation although the administrators were working on a turn-around strategy. The fact that the college has had outstanding audits for the past three years is a serious concern to the Committee. The Minister should ensure that additional support is provided to the administrators at this College to bring stability.

h) NCV and Report 191 certification rates

·         The NC(V) and Report 191 certification rates in the FET colleges of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal were alarmingly low. The high failure rate of students in FET colleges was demoralising and a waste of human potential as well as massive investment made by government to the FET sector. This situation in particular, needs urgent attention by the Department to improve the contribution of FET colleges to skills development.

·         Shortage of suitably qualified lecturers in FET colleges was a serious concern. The Minister should fast-track the implementation of FET college lecturer qualification to improve the capacity of FET college lecturers.

i) NC(V)Curriculum Review

·         The integration of learners from Grade 9, 10, 11 and 12 in one class in the NC(V) programme was not justifiable. The Department should ensure that the curriculum review of the NC(V) take cognisance of this concern and should not be biased towards learners that already passed Grade 12.

j) Withholding of results

·         Wits University did not allow students access to their results if they still owed the institution. The Committee had zero tolerance towards withholding of students results because this affected the marginalised. The Minister should consider making a directive that, all higher education institutions should allow academically deserving students access to their results or certificate even if they owed the institution so that the debt can be recouped after the student receives permanent employment.

Report to be considered.