FOLLOWING a visit to the University of Zululand, the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education, Science and Innovation says it is pleased with the institution’s readiness for the 2023 academic year.  

The committee is currently conducting oversight visits to institutions in KwaZulu-Natal on governance and management-related matters, as well as teaching and learning, and expanding access to education and training.

During an oversight visit at the main institution’s campus in KwaDlangezwa, the committee expressed its satisfaction that all governance structures – including the university Council, the Student Representative Council (SRC) and the Institutional Forum- agreed that it is all systems go for the academic year.

Committee Chairperson, Nompendulo Mkhatshwa, said the university has a fully constituted SRC, which will ensure that the voices of the students be included in decision-making by the university.

The committee commended the university for its effective online application and registration processes, as well as efforts to extend the registration period if and when necessary.

The university said it will allow walk-in registrations due to the challenges students face when coming from rural areas.

The committee commended the university’s commitment to pay students who are confirmed by the National Students Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) to be eligible for funding, living allowances while waiting for NSFAS to pay the university the upfront payment.

“We are of the view that this is a progressive step to ensure that students can be able to pay residence fees to private providers, have meals and transport fare to come to the institution,” Mkhatshwa said.

The committee had a tour of the site for the new two student residences, each with a capacity for 1 500 beds, which are under construction, as well as three older residences that were decommissioned for refurbishment.

All the projects are expected to be ready and handed over to the university by October or November 2023.

It also observed that the university is building a new engineering facility to expand the engineering programmes offering.

The committee further applauded the university for developing a safety and security app for students to report if they have safety concerns. The SRC said the app has helped many students receive prompt intervention.

The week-long oversight visit programme included a visit to Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges, universities and science, technology and innovation initiatives under the Department of Science and Innovation.

SA NEWS

MPHOENTLE PULENG MODISE

SUB-Saharan Africa is one of the largest regions in the world and has the lowest rates of participation in higher education anywhere in the world. The World Bank reported in 2020 that only 9.4% of the region’s tertiary education age group is enrolled. The global average ratio is 38%.

Education is a key catalyst of economic emancipation. Open and distance education was specifically designed for this purpose: to make higher education accessible to everyone, everywhere. Since it’s not limited to one campus or physical space, this approach empowers students to take full responsibility for their studies, to learn anywhere and at any time. Importantly, this happens with a higher education institution’s support and guidance.

One of the programmes commonly offered by such universities in other parts of the world is the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). These are free, easily accessible and completely online courses with no entry requirements. In some developing countries outside Africa, such as the Philippines, Thailand and India, MOOCs are already being credited at the national level for entry into formal university education. This increases access to higher education.

MOOCs are relatively new in Africa; they have become more common in the past five or ten years. On paper they are ideal for many African contexts. Egyptian education researcher Ghada Refaat El Said writes that MOOCs can effectively alleviate.

But how exactly are MOOCs being used by African universities? Are any countries’ education systems effectively using MOOCs to widen higher education access? To find out, we analysed existing peer-reviewed research published between 2013 and 2020.

We found that not many African countries perceive MOOCs as tools for boosting higher education access. Where these courses are offered, they are usually supplementary or designed merely to give students extra tuition support. And there’s not much awareness of MOOCs among school teachers and learners, who then miss out on this potential alternative path into higher education.

What we found

We searched the Sabinet, Scopus and Web of Science databases for papers by African authors about MOOCs. This produced 99 papers. Our study was based on the 15 that were most relevant to our inclusion and exclusion criteria and that specifically addressed African issues around MOOCs.

A key finding was that MOOCs are mostly used as a self-learning element to support formal qualifications within African universities. In some cases, MOOCs involve face-to-face tuition and support for university students. However, this practice allows only a limited number of learners to access higher education. For the most part, it caters only to those who are already in the system.

The literature review also shows that most people from African countries taking these courses already possess some level of higher education. So, again, the existing education access divide is not addressed.

Some of the studies we reviewed found that many learners and teachers at high school level didn’t even know what MOOCs were because they had no access to digital spaces.

The literature suggests that a few countries in Africa – among them Nigeria, Egypt and South Africa – seem to have at least acknowledged the role that MOOCs might play in broadening higher education access. But this has not yet been translated into national policy.

Examples from elsewhere

We found that MOOCs are already being used as part of mainstream credit-bearing courses in some institutions in the Philippines, Thailand and India. That means completing a MOOC can count towards access to a university degree. It helps make the degree more affordable.

Another finding related to how MOOCs in some developing countries are being successfully packaged with recognition of prior learning programmes. This is a process through which informal learning can, with strict measurements and mediation, be certified – as the South African Qualifications Authority describes it – “against the requirements for credit, access, inclusion or advancement in the formal education and training system, or workplace”.

It is clear from these and other findings in our study that African governments, policy makers and education sectors could learn a great deal from other developing countries.

Going forward

Higher education institutions in African countries must initiate dialogue with governments and accreditation bodies on how MOOCs can be used innovatively to widen access to higher education.

Governments that aspire to widen access to higher education through MOOCs need to raise the awareness of every stakeholder, including school communities, educationists in higher education, policy makers and government stakeholders. It’s another way to provide African students with quality and relevant education.

Mphoentle Puleng Modise, University of South Africa.

THE CONVERSATION

THERE were fewer registrations for Ministerial-approved programmes at technical and vocational education and training (TVET) colleges for the 2023 academic year, at 497 032, than there were in 2022, when there were 508 000.

This is worrying, given the National Development Plan (NDP) target to ensure 2.5-million TVET registrations by 2030, Higher Education, Science and Technology Minister Dr Blade Nzimande said on January 24.

“Our TVET colleges planned headcount enrolment for 2023 is 497 032 for the Ministerial-approved programmes, with an additional 59 383 headcount enrolment for programmes that are funded through other funding sources, thus bringing the total planned TVET enrolment for the academic year 2023 to 556 415,” he stated.

Additionally, the 508 000 enrolments into Ministerial-funded programmes at TVET colleges in the 2022 academic year was itself lower than the enrolments funded by the State and TVET colleges in the 2021 academic year.

Further, the total number of candidates, at 133 442, who wrote the November 2022 National Vocational Certificate Level 2 to 4 examinations, decreased by 4 909, or 3.7%, compared with the 2021 figure.

“This is a matter of concern to the department, as our country needs much greater throughput from this crucial sector,” he emphasised.

Encouragingly, the TVET report indicated that 72.1% of the candidates who wrote the November 2022 exams were female, and 27.9% were male.

“This illustrates that our work is helping to affirm the place of women in our post-school education and training sector, but we are concerned about what seems to be an ongoing decline in male participation in the programme.

“This particular decline [in male participation] requires our attention, and addressing it will form part of efforts that we are launching this year,” said Nzimande.

“We are working hard with our plans to ensure that we accelerate the growth of our TVET sector. We will use the inadequate resources we have available and explore creative and innovative ways to accelerate the growth of the TVET sector.

“However, we can proudly report that the image of TVET colleges is changing in the country and they are no longer considered second choices. Many of the TVET courses are offered only at these colleges and most of our TVET colleges are full to the brim every year,” he boasted.

Meanwhile, the DHET is standardising TVET registration and admission processes, which will also include standardisation of the processes of issuing of certificates.

“This standardisation process will also help us to migrate from manual to online registration processes in all our TVET colleges. Significantly, this has led to growth in student numbers on several colleges that have embraced the use of technology in their enrolment processes, and has reduced the number of walk-ins at these colleges,” added Nzimande.

The rural Limpopo province is the leading province in terms of online registration for TVET colleges, he noted.

“This is something we must build on in other provinces, as many of our youth have access to smart phones [with which to complete online registration processes].”

Further, ten TVET colleges will also be introducing a new programme in robotics in the current academic year.

“This is part of our curriculum transformation strategy for the TVET sector in ensuring that our colleges remain responsive to the needs of a changing economy,” he highlighted.

SKILLS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES
The National Skills Fund (NSF) will fund 107 000 workplace-based learning opportunities in 2023, including learnerships in various sectors of the economy. This will be increased to 110 500 workplace-based learning opportunities from April 1.

These opportunities will mainly be aimed at benefitting young people between the ages of 15 to 24, and the 2022 matriculants will greatly benefit from this, Nzimande said.

The department’s current target on skills programmes in various sectors of the economy is to have 149 000 beneficiaries.

For artisanal trades, the target is 23 000 beneficiaries. The department remains on track in terms of funding artisanal development programmes, and the NSF will continue to fund them, he added.

These programmes will make use of accredited skills development providers. The NSF will post new requests for proposal from qualifying skills development providers to carry out and support the placement of learners for work integrated learning, in particular targeting the not in employment, education or training group, he added.

Further, the skills development funding efforts will release an estimated R3-billion from the NSF to support beneficiaries in agricultural, digital and information technology programmes and skills in small business development. These investments exclude the DHET’s investment in artisan development and other support skills development programmes.

“Central to the NSF skills development funding programme in the 2023/24 financial year will be the acceleration of skills development funding through massification in agricultural, digital and information technology programmes and skills in small business development and entrepreneurship, in partnership with other government departments,” Nzimande said.

All these skills development programmes will be coordinated through the District Development Model.

Meanwhile, community colleges will introduce digital literacy programmes through a partnership with the National Electronic Media Institute of South Africa for community college lecturers.

“We will also be progressively introducing skills, occupational learnerships and nonformal programmes at community colleges through funding support from the NSF and sector education and training authorities,” Nzimande said.

The aim is to change the focus of community colleges from the formerly adult-only-focused education courses to include skills development programmes for people who left school early or who did not finish their schooling to enable them to acquire new skills or improve their capabilities in particular skills, he noted.

These will be in addition to the senior matric and second-chance offerings at these colleges, provided in partnership with the Department of Basic Education, to people who failed matric or want to improve their scores in specific subjects.

UNIVERSITY ENROLMENTS
Enrolments at public universities for the 2023 academic year were projected at 1.1-million, which is 41 545 higher than the prior year, with 655 427 female and 412 428 male students.

“This indicates that our university sector is steadily growing,” said Nzimande.

Importantly, 208 299 first-time enrolments were projected, of which 69 069 will be within scarce-skills areas, including 17 085 in engineering, 17 584 in life and physical sciences, 985 in animal sciences, 209 in veterinary sciences, 10 418 in human health and 22 788 in teacher education courses.

“I must applaud our universities for their achievement in exceeding the targets for the veterinary science, animal sciences and teacher education areas,” he noted.

However, most of the courses in the scarce-skills areas require a matric mathematics pass rate of at least 60%, and some require a minimum 60% pass rate in mathematics and science.

“We do not have nearly enough in every cohort of matriculants that achieve a 60% minimum pass rate in mathematics and science.

“Therefore, the Department of Science and Innovation has developed collaborations with provincial departments of education to support mathematics, science and technology education, aimed at ensuring that we increase the number of learners passing Grade 12 mathematics, science and technology,” he said.

Additionally, to ensure the entire public sector university system is developed, the DHET is intensifying the implementation of the university capacity development programme to improve student success and the quality of teaching, learning and research to support curriculum renewal in all universities.

The DHET has begun to consider the use of blended learning models as an alternative to accommodate more students.

Nzimande has commissioned the Council on Higher Education to conduct a study on blended learning, which will aim to increase learning and teaching through physical and online distance means.

“This mode of delivery will enable more access to higher education. This may assist with achieving the NDP goal of 1.6-million enrolments in our universities by 2030,” he noted. 

Engineering News

PHUTI MOSOMANE

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa told delegates at the annual Basic Education Lekgotla held in Sandton that the Three-Streams Model is critical if the country is to seriously adapt and thrive in the new world of work. 

Ramaphosa delivered a keynote address at the 2023 Basic Education Sector Lekgotla at the Sandton Convention Centre on Thursday under the theme: “Equipping Learners with Knowledge and Skills for a Changing World in the Context of COVID-19”.

The Three-Streams Model, considered a silver bullet to the dearth of skills in South Africa, offers the Technical Vocational and Technical Occupational pathways added to the academic pathway.

The curriculum shift towards the Three Stream Model owes its birth to the 2011 National Development Plan (NDP) policy’s call for differentiated pathways in the basic education sector.

Ramaphosa said the skills that South Africa needs, the jobs that can grow the economy, and most importantly, the avenues for entrepreneurship that are so sorely needed, can best be achieved by increasing learner access to Technical and Vocational subjects. 

”I am pleased to hear about the progress that we are making in institutionalising the three-stream model. I understand that various Technical Vocational specialisations have already been introduced in more than 550 schools, and a growing number of schools are piloting the subjects in the Technical Occupational stream,” Ramaphosa said. 

Some of the subjects include Agriculture, Maritime and Nautical Science, Electrical, Civil and Mechanical Technologies, among others. 

”These are all vocations our economy sorely needs. They are the kind of vocations that we need to promote and develop if we are to tackle unemployment,” he added. 

The high numbers of unemployed young people is, he said, something no country can afford, but it is even worse if they are also not in education or training. 

Ramaphosa said inclusive growth and shared prosperity can only be achieved when more people are working. 

If the economy is not creating enough jobs at scale to support the growing numbers of unemployed, Ramaphosa said the country must come up with creative thinking and innovatively. 

”We have to look beyond issues of labour absorption alone, and into what are the best ways to open up new pathways for employment and self-employment. This starts with developing skills for a modern and dynamic workforce through basic education,” he said.  

He said the greater the scope of basic education streams, the better learners’ prospects are for securing employment and for self-employment after school. 

”By way of example, we will all be aware of the national effort to transition our economy along a low-carbon, climate change resilient pathway, and our move towards cleaner sources of energy,” Ramaphosa said. 

Powering a clean energy revolution and pursuing sustainable development requires artisans, mechanics, green equipment manufacturers and operators, waste entrepreneurs, technicians, sustainable farming practitioners and a host of others. 

He told delegates that never has the imperative been greater for the country to forge ahead with curricula that are responsive to the changing needs of economy and society.

The learning losses from the COVID-19 pandemic period will take some time to recoup, Ramaphosa encouraged the department to forge ahead with the comprehensive curriculum recovery plan. 

‘’Basic education is the foundation of a nation’s development, progress and prosperity,’’ he said, adding that through the Sanitation Appropriate for Education programme, known as SAFE, the government has so far been able to construct 50,000 sanitation facilities at 2,388 schools. 

A further 15,000 appropriate toilets were constructed at 1,047 schools as part of the Accelerated Schools Infrastructure Delivery Initiative (ASIDI). 

All remaining SAFE sanitation projects at approximately 1,000 schools are scheduled for completion in the next financial year. 

He said despite the impact of lockdowns, school closures, learning disruption, curriculum trimming, rotational timetables and numerous hurdles, the 2022 matric learners excelled recording an 80.1% pass rate.  

This year’s results, particularly in the performance of learners from poorer schools, show the deepening impact of education spending and the social wage more broadly.

INSIDE EDUCATION

KWAZULU-NATAL Premier, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, has encouraged learners to consider Technical Vocational Education and Training Colleges (TVET) as their alternative to university education.

Speaking during the announcement of KwaZulu-Natal’s matric results held in Durban on Friday, Premier Dube-Ncube noted that one of the reasons why government adopted the three-stream model in the education system was to accommodate some leaners who have skills but may find it hard to be accepted in universities.

“We are therefore encouraging leaners to also make use of the opportunity provided by TVET colleges. We have seen in the past few years a trend where industry and business is absorbing more graduates from TVETS as opposed to universities,” Dube-Ncube said.

Dube-Ncube commended the province’s Matric Class of 2022 for surpassing all expectations by achieving an 83% pass rate, exceeding the 80% pass rate benchmark set by the province.

“Last year, the floods pummelled KwaZulu-Natal causing damage to infrastructure and disrupted education. This resulted in 824 learners in eThekwini being placed among the displaced in 135 mass care centres, and later being moved into Temporary Residential Units (TRUs).

“Out of this number, at least 36 were in matric in 2022, and four had special needs. Despite these challenges, our resilience showed up. We ensured that these learners were given a fair chance and were not prejudiced by the impact of the flood disaster,” Dube-Ncube said.

The Premier said the 2022 results reflect an improvement in all the districts with Umkhanyakude being the most improved district and no school received a 0% pass rate in the province.

This follows the rollout of the Ten-Point Improvement Plan championed by provincial Education Department.

“These objectives were meant to guide all the interventions for the improvement of the performance of the matric class of 2022. The province undertook to improve performance in Mathematics and Physical Science and sought improvement in the total number of distinction passes in 2022 [and] progress was achieved in all these areas.

“Attention to special schools has also resulted in significant achievement overall. The province has worked hard to improve education of learners with learning barriers,” the Premier said.

She said the Department of Education will come up with a decisive intervention strategy to deal with the situation in the 11 schools that performed below 30%.

“We note that they were 22 in 2021 and now have reduced to 11. The Education Department must conduct an evaluation and introduce an academic improvement plan with immediate effect.

“The Executive Council will receive the report with school by school analysis and will assist with relevant interventions,” Dube-Ncube said.

The Premier also expressed her excitement about the increase in the number of Bachelor passes, as well as an improvement in the pass rate of township and rural schools that achieved 100% pass rate from 145 in 2021 to 212 in 2022.

“We are excited about the increase in the number of Bachelor passes from 37% in 2021 to 42.5% in 2022, which marks a 5.4% improvement. The province is also pleased that girl learners performed well.

“Girl learners obtained an overall pass percentage of 83.6% while the boy learners obtained 82.3%. We will continue to intervene to ensure that female learners have equal opportunities of success like male learners,” Dube-Ncube said.

Embracing the future and 4IR

The Premier also encouraged learners to take advantage of digitisation, robotics and the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR).

She said the provincial government is paying attention to subjects including Coding, Mathematics and Physical Science.

“The province also recently launched the Mobile Digital Analytics Skills Laboratory to ensure that young people are exposed to the Fourth Industrial Revolution. We have taken a decision as the Provincial Government that we must assess the viability of schools with a low enrolment rate.

“Our view is that some of them could be converted into Vocational Skills Centers to address among others the shortage of technical skills for the country. These include among others Artisan, Plumbers, Electricians, Construction and Carpentry,” the Premier said. 

SA NEWS