Colleges for schooling dropouts

The lack of formal schooling will no longer be a hurdle in getting college-level training if the proposals set out in a cabinet-approved blueprint are implemented.

Youths and adults who have not completed their schooling could be enrolled in community colleges to be established soon, according to a white paper on post-school education and training.

Released by Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande in Pretoria yesterday, the white paper says that the colleges would be multi-campus institutions incorporating existing public adult-learning centres.

They would build on the adult-learning centres' content, and expand vocational and skills-development programmes, and informal programmes.

The vice-chancellor of Rhodes University, Professor Sizwe Mabizela, lauded the white paper as visionary and ambitious, "setting out a clear direction for post-schooling education''.

But he cautioned that, "as a country, we are good at producing good quality policy documents but fall short on implementing them".

Nzimande said a strategy was needed for the 3.4million young people between 15 and 24 who were not in employment, at school or being trained.

"Education has long been recognised as a route out of poverty," the minister said.

The community colleges would be linked to the Extended Public Works Programme and community works programmes.

The colleges would be established in phases.

The white paper also proposes overhauling the technical and vocational education and training colleges.

The SA Institute for Vocational and Continuing Education and Training would be established to provide support to colleges, and a national institute for the humanities and social sciences will be set up.