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NSFAS receives almost 2 million grant applications for the 2024 academic year

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NSFAS receives almost 2 million grant applications for the 2024 academic year

Lerato Mbhiza

NSFAS has received over 1 936 330 bursary applications of which 1 000 389 are provisionally funded, 395 265 are awaiting evaluations, 80 111 have been withdrawn by the student, 141 886 are in progress and 136 558 applications are on the not-started status as applicants only created profiles and did not submit applications. 

NSFAS has rejected 124 918 applications and 1 258 appeals have been lodged thus far.

The student finance loan scheme received 22 954 loan applications (as of 16 February 2024), and the application closing date was also on the 15 of February 2024.

Of the 22 954 loan applications received, 139 are provisionally funded, 12 890 are awaiting evaluations, 841 have been withdrawn by the student, 30 are in progress and 8 345 applications are on the not-started status as applicants only created profiles and did not submit applications. 

NSFAS has rejected 476 loan applications and only 5 appeals have been lodged so far

The NSFAS Board met over the weekend to consider various policy and operational matters relating to the commencement of the 2024 academic year.

Deployment of NSFAS servicing administrators

In a Statement NSFAS said it has deployed its Servicing Administrators to all institutions (TVET colleges and universities), to provide registration support-related to all NSFAS processes. 

“The servicing team has been assisting institutions to conclude all NSFAS outstanding processes, including data preparation and uploading”.

“The team will also assist students who have been confirmed for funding with their enquiries. They will assist students to upload supporting documents, guide students in the appeals process and in the student accommodation processes” said the statement .

In term of in-front payment to institutions

NSFAS said it has advanced an upfront payment to both the universities and the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges.

“For universities, NSFAS disbursed R2.8 billion in January 2024. This disbursement does not include the calculation of the tranche payments, which NSFAS will disburse at the beginning of April 2024.

“This upfront payment covers one month of student accommodation and the book allowance. The book allowance is calculated at half of the total cost whilst the accommodation is calculated as one month of the accommodation cost” said NSFAS, in a statement.

“For TVET colleges, a total of R580,150,950.00 was paid to colleges as tuition upfront in January 2024. An additional R1 billion is earmarked for three (3) months’ worth of allowances to be paid based on registration from the January-march period”.

All these upfront payments are meant to enable institutions to register all NSFAS approved students for the academic year 2024.

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Sports Minister, Deputy hand over facilities in KZN

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Sports Minister, Deputy hand over facilities in KZN

Sports Reporter

Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Zizi Kodwa and Deputy Minister Nocawe Mafu handed over sports facilities and sports attire in ministerial outreach programme in KwaZulu-Natal from 20 to 23 Feb

 
These engagements form part of the Ministerial Outreach Programme in which the Minister and Deputy Minister formally hand over sports facilities commissioned by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture through its agencies. 

This programme continues interventions by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture to develop schools in rural communities, and to make school sport the bedrock of sports development.
 
On Tuesday, 20 February 2024 at the Greater Kokstad Local Municipality, the Minister and Deputy Minister will hand over two multipurpose sports courts as part of the Netball World Cup Legacy programme, in conjunction with The Sports Trust, the implementation partner of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture. The Sports Trust celebrates 30 years of enhancing education through sport. Following this engagement, the Minister and Deputy Minister will open a library at Shayamoya Secondary School.

On Thursday, 22 February 2024, a sports field will be handed over at Banqobile Secondary School in Mkhambathini, while on Friday, 23 February 2024, a sports field will be handed over in Impendle.

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With a clean audit and meeting 100% of its goals, CHIETA has a great story to tell 

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With a clean audit and meeting 100% of its goals, CHIETA has a great story to tell 

 Inside Education Correspondence

Breaking the trend of negative publicity around institutions like them, the innovative Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority (CHIETA) has gone beyond the narrow confines of the industry to launch Smart Skills Centres in Saldanha Bay, Gqeberha and Babanango. 

More than 6,000 youth from the communities have used the centres. 

While the centres come in different sizes depending on the communities they serve, they all feature several pods in which virtual reality and augmented reality technologies can be used, with other pods providing laptops for surfing the internet, doing training or even job interviews. Connectivity and data are also provided. 

Getting people, especially women and girls, familiar with and confident in using technology is part of making them work-ready. At these centres, rural youth are taught digital skills, and they can keep up to date with artificial intelligence developments and get the latest in robotics and artificial intelligence. 

The following smart centre will be launched in the Highveld Industrial Park in Mpumalanga, on the former Highveld Steel and Vanadium factory site. The CHIETA wants to establish similar centres in all nine provinces. 

Although their research shows that data analysis is the number one skill petroleum companies seek, CHIETA remains duty-bound to do what it can to deepen the pool of data analytics talent for the benefit of its stakeholders. But it is also broadening how it interprets its remit, ensuring that it can positively impact the country’s high youth unemployment challenge. 

One of their groundbreaking initiatives is What About the Boys, a Gender Violence initiative in partnership with Primestars and several corporations, teaching 20,000 young boys about dealing with masculinity and learning about entrepreneurship. 

“We’ve got a good story to tell,” remarked Yershen Pillay, the chief executive officer of CHIETA, which received a clean audit, met 100% of its targets and grew levy income year-on-year from R592 million to R621 million. 

With a mission of “innovating for impact”, Pillay presented the CHIETA 2022/2023 Integrated Annual Report at its Annual General Meeting on 1 December in Sandton, saying that CHIETA was determined to continue making a difference and continue working on the hydrogen economy for which it has gained a growing reputation as a leader in the green economy. 

During International Day of Women and Girls in Science at the weekend, CHIETA could take comfort from the fact that they’re putting resources behind dozens of young girls – at least 217 last year – with positive results to boot. 

The Eastern Cape Department of Education recognised hard-working matriculant Liyabona Ncanywa as one of the province’s top achievers in the National Senior Certificate Examinations. 

CHIETA assisted her with tuition and school fees through its Science, technology, engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fund, which supports 1,000 learners nationwide. 

Through its various programmes, including the upcoming Discretionary Grant Funding Windows and working with corporations. CHIETA provides potential opportunities for 615 internships, 1085 leadership, 1 395 skills programmes, and 1285 TVET students for Work Integrated Learning. 

Such investment in skills development is vindicated when learners like Liyabona show evidence that investment in our youth bears fruit. It certainly encourages others to do more to ensure that the goals of the United Nations become a reality for women and girls worldwide. 

In 2016, the UN declared the 11th of February International Day of Women and Girls in Science to encourage more girls and women to take jobs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM subjects). But can they take their place without support? 

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Time to break the mould says former Mauritius President

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Time to break the mould says former Mauritius President

Staff Reporter

There Is A Lot Of Stereotyping In The Way Sciences Are Taught To Girls, says Dr Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, the world-renowned biodiversity scientist and former first female President of Mauritius. 

Mom of two, Gurib Fakim, says increasingly on the continent, women and girls are not being encouraged to do the sciences, and this is for many reasons.

“For example, if you look at the [teaching] textbooks, there is a lot of stereotyping in the way that the sciences are being taught to girls. If you look at the infrastructures in schools, they don’t really cater for girls to stay. 

“These issues need to be looked into. We need more mentoring, more advocacy. We need to take the girls by the hand and make them believe that they can do anything. By building their confidence from a very young age, telling them that the sky’s the limit, it will lead to more in the sciences.”

When it comes to women in leadership, she said: “I have been advocating that we need to have better representation and there is a need to fix what we are all talking about – the ‘leaky pipe syndrome’ – which loses a lot of women in the pipeline, instead of bringing them along into systems and institutions. 

“But the onus is also on all Africans. People have to start asking the right questions. Politicians, leaders, policymakers in normal democracies, are all accountable to the people. But, and I am sorry for saying this brutally, we get the government that we deserve. The one we vote in. It’s your vote.”

Gurib Fakim said we all need to push gender be it in medicine, food, education, agriculture – in everything that we do in all sectors. “We cannot compromise on quality. This is the message that we need to spread across our continent. And to get to the required degree of excellence and quality, we need to empower our youth, more so our girls, with the right tools and education that will take them to the highest levels of excellency.”

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New Direction for Business Higher Certificate Course

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New Direction for Business Higher Certificate Course

Inside Education Reporter 

In the South African tertiary education landscape, Higher Certificate training plays an important role in providing bridging courses for school-leavers who are not yet ready for longer term studies, as well as stepping stones into entry-level positions for young job seekers.  

SACAP (The South African College of Applied Psychology) has announced a new direction for its Higher Certificate in Business Management and Higher Certificate in Human Resources Management programs to make these one-year training courses more accessible.

Lee-Ann Drummond, Head of SACAP’s Management & Leadership faculty says, “SACAP is committed to finding innovative ways to ensure that our high-quality education is within the reach of the many young people who are thirsty for knowledge, skills, and work opportunities in the business field.  

These two redesigned SACAP Higher Certificate programmes give students meaningful insights into the Business Management and Human Resource Managements fields.  

They are vocational qualifications that focus on the practical skills and theoretical knowledge required for taking up entry-level positions in different industries.  Students have opportunities to develop essential skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking and communications.” 

Higher Certificate qualifications can serve as a bridge to a bachelor’s degree studies for students who did not pass Matric with a university exemption or for those who need to gain a better understanding of the world of work before they feel ready to choose a degree study path.

Students enrolled in SACAP’s Higher Certificates in Business Management and Human Resource Management can expect high levels of academic excellence and opportunities to develop applied skills, while being surrounded by community.  

Drummond says, “We’ve streamlined course costs by redesigning our delivery model to focus on providing a facilitator-led, structured learning path that is more self-directed.  These smart adaptations to our business-focused Higher Certificate courses have meant that we can make them more accessible by offering them at a significantly lower cost.”

Every week a facilitator will guide students through the targets and requirements.  There will be facilitated learning activities such as a forum discussion or a live presentation with a Q&A session.  

Students will engage with video and multimedia content as well as academic readings in their own direction, in their own time. Assessments such as quizzes are embedded in the learning process so that students get feedback and can gauge their mastery of a topic in real-time. 

Technology within the course structure includes built-in automatic triggers to activate personalized support from SACAP facilitators. 

SACAP has also introduced several new subjects in the education programs. The Higher Certificate in Business Management now includes coursework on Professional Communication and the Digital Landscape, Principles of Economics, Marketing Management, Supply Chain Management and Project Management. New subjects in the Higher Certificate in Human Resource Management program are Occupational Health and Safety Management, Professional Communication and the Digital Landscape and Project Management.

Drummond concludes, “There’s facilitation, feedback and support, however, as with all online learning, these are courses that require students to be self-directed, self-motivated and able to engage independently with a variety of information sources and formats.  

“SACAP Higher Certificate programs offer adaptive learning pathways that empower young people to develop their capacities for self-management and self-mastery.  These are abilities that are highly valued in the modern world of work and so through studying, they have opportunities to hone the 21st century skills that employers are seeking.”

Applications for SACAP’s Higher Certificate programs are now open. Visit sacap.edu.za to register.

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MEC Matome Chiloane launches Thuto-Tiro School of Specialisation

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MEC Matome Chiloane launches Thuto-Tiro School of Specialisation


Tlholohelo Mosala

Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane launched Thuto-Tiro Engineering School of Specialisation with a focus on Energy at Sebokeng on Thursday, making this the 33rd school of its kind to be launched by the Gauteng Province – etching it closer to the envisioned target.

“It is clear what we hope to achieve as a government, to create model citizens out of our learners by exposing them to critical skills that are needed in this economy. We are creating the future of our province, and our country as education is the foundation of all careers,” Chiloane said.

MEC Chiloane said that focus of School of Specialisation was based on the Southern Economic Development Corridor, which has tourism and entertainment, agri-processing and logistics industries.

The school is based in Sebokeng, a middle-class township in the Emfuleni Local Municipality in southern Gauteng; and in light of the township being segmented into various zones, the hostel residence was located on the periphery, when entering from Vanderbijlpark. 

Chiloane said the schools of specialisation do not have a fixed feeder area, so anyone should be able to benefit by having their children accepted at the school, depending on the outcome of the assessment for admission.

He said that the establishment of this school is aligned with the Gauteng Provincial Government’s (GPG) commitment to developing Townships, Informal Settlements and Hostels (TISH), enabling communities to benefit from the vast array of resources at the school’s disposal, as well as the advanced skills that learners will acquire.

As such, learners demonstrated an extensive knowledge in Engineering Graphics & Design (EGD) as a subject, which provides knowledge and skills that centre around mechanical, civil and electrical technology.

In addition, learners showcased their proficiency in Electrical Technology and Power Systems, demonstrating their own automated power system as well as solar inverter.

Mechanical Engineering and Civil Technology is also taught at the school, where learners gain skills in welding, sawing, fitting and turning, as well as woodwork and construction.

“This level of advanced education, coupled with commercial stream subjects, prepares learners to utilise these skills on an entrepreneurial level, not only tackling the skills gap, but addressing unemployment as well,” Chiloane said.

The MEC said enriching the foundation with an abundance of advanced skills, would result in more competent, knowledgeable, capable and proficient learners who were ready to either be employed upon exiting the system, or venture into entrepreneurship and create employment for others.

He said that the launch of these schools was in line with the department’s vision of creating problem-solvers that could effectively facilitate the development of solutions to the problems facing communities by members from the community itself.

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NSFAS not up to scratch, says the Auditor-General’s office

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NSFAS not up to scratch, says the Auditor-General’s office

Johnathan Paoli

THE National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has received an adverse finding from the Auditor-General’s (AG’s) for its 2021/2022 financial report; this emerged in Parliament on Wednesday when officials from both entities were deliberating on student funding for 2024 and on the Werksmans report on corruption allegations.

Officials from the AG’s office and NSFAS briefed parliament’s higher education portfolio committee and the AG representative Ignatius Fourie told the committee that the adverse audit stems from unreliable financial statements provided by NSFAS and said this was due to the inefficient systems and a lack of capacity within the scheme.

“We were not able to conclude on the accuracy of the information in the annual performance report. There’s insufficient measurement definitions and processes to collate and to report performance information. As a result of that we are then unable to do reliability testing, and to see if the figures that are being included are reliable,” Fourie said.

Fourie told the committee that when they audited the books of NSFAS, they found a number of mistakes and that a lot of data was not supported, and subsequently could not be audited, and that there were errors in the calculations.

Fourie said the adverse audit meant that there were a number of material misstatements in the financial statements and the figures in the financial statements were not reliable, nor were they fairly stated.

The office found that there was no reconciliation between what is owed by universities to NSFAS and what is owed by NSFAS to universities and that there was a delay in submitting the annual report by NSFAS to Parliament, which was finally tabled in December last year.

Fourie confirmed that in terms of addressing those matters, NSFAS started the process of reconciling between the institutions’ students data and their own data to determine any overall underpayments to students.

“There are various reasons why over and underpayments can happen, because they do payments on the original registration and if there are changes, like students changing their course, there could be an impact on that,” Fourie said.

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TUT Giyani Campus Set for 2025 Opening says Nzimande

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TUT Giyani Campus Set for 2025 Opening says Nzimande

Lerato Mbhiza

THE Department of Higher Education, Science and Innovation says it is pressing ahead with the completion of the establishment of the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) campus in Giyani and opening the facility’s doors in 2025.

“The Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Blade Nzimande, has become aware of the circulation of information on various social media platforms that are designed to create the false impression that the Minister is blocking or deliberately delaying the finalisation of the establishment of the Tshwane University of Technology Giyani campus,” the statement read on Tuesday.

This misrepresentation according to the department “This false impression, according to the department, is designed to create confusion, ferment chaos and disrupt the finalisation of this important project”.

“In the interest of transparency and concern for the future of the young people of Giyani and surrounding areas, the Minister wishes to provide the necessary clarification.”

The department has since clarified the decision to establish the Giyani campus under Nzimande’s leadership.

“This decision was informed by a number of strategic considerations, including the need to extend access to higher education for the young people of Giyani and surrounding areas. It then becomes utterly ridiculous and mischievous to suggest that the Minister is delaying or frustrating his very own initiative,” the statement read.

According to the department, the team commenced a feasibility study for the establishment of the TUT Giyani campus in May last year when it hit delays of more than five months from the Limpopo Department of Education.

However, according to the department, it is now working with the Limpopo MEC for Education, Lerule Ramakhanya, to address these obstacles.

The department announced that an agreement was reached in October 2023 after the Minister allocated R31.916 million to the project the previous month.

The department said it will carry out renovations and address deferred maintenance once the feasibility study is completed, within the allocated budget.

“TUT will now commence with the refurbishment and deferred maintenance in February this year, which will enable the first intake of students during the 2025 academic year.”

Meanwhile, the department said more funding will be allocated from 2024/25 onwards and over an anticipated six-year period.

“The funding to be allocated during 2024/25 will enable TUT to start with the planning of the major projects during the 2024 calendar year.

“As this work was unfolding, the departmental project team that was appointed by the Minister and is responsible for the implementation of this project has been engaging the relevant community, government and private sector stakeholders in Giyani, regularly.”

In addition, stakeholders have since been provided with regular feedback and together with the departmental project team agreed on a mechanism to resolve any concerns that may arise in implementing this project.

“It is also in the public interest that we should also state that there was a group of individuals who actively prevented the appointed technical team from carrying out its work. As stated, all this seems to be calculated to create confusion, ferment chaos and block the finalisation of this important project.

“Furthermore, it is the department’s experience that this project has regrettably attracted many interest groups, some of which seek to hijack the legitimate concerns of the community of Giyani and use these for their narrow and malicious ends.”

The department said it had also noted a malicious attempt to exploit the legitimate concerns of the community of Giyani to further what seems to be an established campaign to tarnish the name and reputation of the Minister, through lies and misinformation.

The department said it continues to enjoy the full support of TUT, the Limpopo provincial government and Ramakhanya.

“As the Department of Higher Education and Training, we remain committed to completing the establishment of the Tshwane University of Technology campus in Giyani.”

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Motshekga praises the central role of SGBs in education

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Motshekga praises the central role of SGBs in education

Johnathan Paoli

Minister for Basic Education Angie Motshekga has praised the central role School Governing Bodies play in the more general and communal landscape of education and said the department hoped for increased participation for elections this year.

Motshekga was speaking during an address under the theme: “Empower, Engage, Educate”, which she said aims to catalyse a shift, with a multifaceted strategy leveraging both digital and traditional media, and intended to reach every corner of South African society.

The minister confirmed that the SGB elections will be held from 01-31 March 2024 in all ordinary public schools, in line with the legal requirement of conducting the elections for SGBs every three years.

The minister said research had consistently illustrated that schools with active SGBs excelled across various metrics, including academic performance, learner wellbeing, and community engagement, with schools exhibiting a higher SGB participation reporting an average of 20% higher pass rate than those with a lower engagement.

“From rural townships to bustling urban centres, our message is clear: your voice shapes the future,” the minister said.

Motshekga said the department intends to initiate conversations across communities, creating platforms for questions, discussions, and sharing ideas and that these dialogues will bridge gaps, dispel myths, and build a shared vision for the country’s schools.

However, the minister said past participation rates have not matched departmental aspirations, and despite the undeniable importance of SGBs, turnout has lingered around the 40% mark.

“This is not just a missed opportunity—it’s a call to action,” Motshekga said.

The minister used KwaZulu-Natal as an example, in which the department witnessed a remarkable improvement in results, as a result of what the minister claims was the unwavering support of SGBs who played a pivotal role.

“They represent not just an exercise in democracy but an opportunity for parents, educators, and community members to join hands and contribute to improving our schools,” the minister said.

Motshekga said transparency and inclusivity were the guiding principles in order to ensure every voice was heard.

“The future of basic education isn’t a distant horizon; it’s being built today. Through these elections, we can influence policies and decisions that will guide our educational landscape for years to come. We must choose a path toward excellence, equipping our children with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in a dynamic world,” the minister said.

Motshekga confirmed that throughout this month, the DBE would share detailed information on the electoral process, nomination procedures, and critical dates, and said that in line with their commitment, these elections would be a model of democracy and accountability.

“My call to action today is simple yet powerful: get involved. Whether you choose to stand for election or cast your vote, your contribution holds immense significance. It will not only impact the lives of our children but also shape the future of our nation,” the minister said.

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Grassroots must provide Bafana Bafana talent, says Minister Zizi Kodwa

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Grassroots must provide Bafana Bafana talent, says Minister Zizi Kodwa

Inside Education Reporter

Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Zizi Kodwa is optimistic about the future of Bafana Bafana following a third-place finish at the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Côte d’Ivoire. 

“What is clear for me now is that after a long time with Bafana Bafana, we now have sufficient building blocks for a national team to prepare for the next World Cup,” Kodwas says, adding that grassroots talent must provide the future pipeline to the national team. 

“We must focus on the grassroots to build on. Bafana Bafana have made us proud as a country. All our national sports teams are performing extremely well. Bafana Bafana have come to the party.”

Turning his attention to Boxing South Africa (BSA), the Minister said reflected on the urgency of the BSA matter that is currently before the court. The Minister once again highlighted the government’s focus to stabilise leadership and governance at BSA.

“We are dealing with the issue. It takes time, but we have got to be careful in whatever we do.”

Kodwa says in a matter of days, he would be considering a number of options, including that in the interim, while we are dealing with the issue of the main application of the court ruling, whether appointing an administrator to do the same work that the Board would have done should be pursued. 

“I want to bring boxing to its glory days. Whatever we do, we must make sure that there is clarity on issues of governance, there is clarity on issues of stability of leadership.”

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