Higher education minister Buti Manamela has vowed to “fix that which is broken” in South Africa's post-school education and training (PSET) sector while setting out a long-term vision to integrate and modernise the system.
Speaking at a media briefing in Pretoria on Tuesday, Manamela said his department's consultations over the past 19 days with students, lecturers, principals, vice-chancellors, labour, business and civil society have revealed “frustrations, hope and ideas” for change.
“The truth is that our post-school education and training systems remain fragmented and uneven. Too many young people are locked out of opportunity, too many skills taught are not the skills the economy needs,” he said.
Manamela outlined six core objectives:
- integrating the PSET system into a single co-ordinated whole;
- expanding equitable access;
- improving responsiveness to the economy and society;
- raising quality;
- strengthening governance and accountability; and
- ensuring sustainable funding.
These objectives will be supported by five strategic pillars:
- economic renewal and jobs;
- a green just transition;
- public sector capacity building;
- research and innovation; and
- social inclusion, so “no-one is left behind”.
In the next three months, the department will move to stabilise the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) and “set in motion a sustainable student funding model”.
It will also launch three flagship projects:
- Skills to Work Transitions for unemployed youth;
- Career Choices, known as Khetha for school learners; and
- an adult literacy initiative targeting 4-million South Africans who cannot read or write at a functional level.
Over the next year, pilot projects will include:
- granting more autonomy to TVET and CET colleges,
- rolling out new curricula aligned to emerging industries, and
- establishing a PSET database to improve planning and avoid duplication of training; and
- a national senior certificate for adults.
In the longer term, the department aims to:
- fully implement a sustainable funding model;
- consolidate Seta and CET reforms;
- expand digital learning;
- deepen research capacity; and
- strengthen partnerships with industry and international stakeholders.
Manamela said the department would convene a higher education national convention next year to build a “broad national compact for skills and knowledge” with students, staff labour, business, civil society and communities.
“We will reimagine and re-engineer our post-school education and training system for a changing world. We'll fix that which is broken, but we'll also strengthen what works ... because our future depends on it.”
TimesLIVE
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