Higher Education (and Training): an overview

University Councils’ Regional Training Workshop

Stellenbosch University11 July 2014

Dr Diane ParkerActing Deputy Director-General: University Education

Policy Landscape

A White Paper for Post-school Education and Training: Building an Expanded, Effective and

Integrated Post-school System (2013)

[White Paper 3: A Programme for the Transformation of Higher Education in South

Africa (1997)]

Policy Landscape

• Higher Education Act of 1997 (9 amendments by 2012)

• 1998 - NQF Act [(Revised) NQF Act (67 of 2008)] • 1999 - National Student Financial Aid Scheme

(NSFAS) Act• 2001 - National Plan for Higher Education (NPHE)• 2003 – Funding framework for public HEIs • 2007 - Higher Education Qualifications Framework

(Revised 2013 - HEQSF)

Policy Landscape …

• Review of the Higher Education Act (underway)

• Review of the Funding Framework (underway)• New National Plan for Post School Education

and Training (three delivery subsystems: Higher Education and Training; Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET); and Community Education and Training)

Public Higher Education Landscape• 3 types of institutions: traditional universities (11);

comprehensive universities (9) and universities of technology (6)

• Growth in headcount enrolments from 603 000 in 2001 to 953 375 in 2012 (absolute increase of 58% - ODL growth significant)

• System of public HE insitutions of varying strength and quality (largely characterised by historical legacy/ competition/ mission drift and tendency towards homegeneity)

Key Issues in SA Higher Education• Access - expansion and growth of higher education

opportunities; articulation; funding poor students; career development and central applications service

• Success – throughput and quality; learning and teaching• T & L Environment: Student accommodation and

infrastructure renewal • Graduate production and employability (curricula

relevance; Work Place Based Learning; partnerships)• Postgraduate production, research and innovation• Staffing South African Universities• Funding higher education • Transformation, differentiation and diversity

CHALLENGES…The Post School System in 2012

Higher Education+/-1 046 375

TVET/CET+ 1 035 324

953375 (public)93 000 (private)

657 690 public TVET Colleges) +/- 80 000 (private FET Colleges)Other Colleges ?

15 to 24 year-olds not in education, employment or training (NEET youth)+/- 3 200 000

Public AETC 297 634Skills development programmes (?)

White Paper (2012) – by 2030 1.6 m in HE and 2.5m in VCET+CE

System performance: student throughput 2005 Cohort Study (ex UNISA)

Qualification level

Entrants Year 1 Year 3 Year 5 Total

3 y diploma 37 330Graduate - 16% 19% 35%Drop out 33% 18% 5% 56%

UG degrees (3 and 4 year) 32 178

Graduate - 27% 21% 48%Drop out 30% 12% 4% 46%

Masters 15 479Graduate 6% 25% 12% 33%Drop out 28% 15% 13% 57%

Doctorates 2 140Graduate 1% 14% 20% 35%Drop out 22% 15% 4% 41%

At all levels first year is critical; if UNISA included figures distorted; World bank: SA a ‘low participation high drop-out’ system ;Source: CHET Cohort Study

Academic year

Percentage (Non-accumulative)  

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 *2010By end of

4 yrsBy end of

5 yrsBy end of 6 yrs

AFRICANRegistered at beginning of year 100.0% 62.1% 53.2% 47.5% 23.7% 10.0%  Graduated at end of year   21.1% 11.5% 4.8% 21.1% 32.6% 37.5%Dropped out at end of year 37.9% 8.8% 5.7% 2.7% 2.2% 5.2% 55.2% 57.3% 62.5%

COLOUREDRegistered at beginning of year 100.0% 78.6% 67.1% 58.8% 23.5% 10.3%  Graduated at end of year   30.5% 11.7% 5.0% 30.5% 42.1% 47.2%Dropped out at end of year 21.4% 11.5% 8.3% 4.8% 1.5% 5.3% 46.0% 47.6% 52.8%

INDIANRegistered at beginning year 100.0% 70.7% 59.4% 54.1% 23.6% 8.8%  Graduated at end of year   28.6% 14.0% 4.8% 28.6% 42.6% 47.4%Dropped out at end of year 29.3% 11.3% 5.3% 1.9% 0.8% 4.0% 47.8% 48.6% 52.6%

WHITERegistered at beginning of year 100.0% 82.5% 73.7% 69.2% 20.1% 7.5%  Graduated at end of year   47.1% 11.9% 4.5% 47.1% 59.0% 63.6%Dropped out at end of year 17.5% 8.8% 4.5% 1.9% 0.7% 3.0% 32.7% 33.4% 36.4%

TOTALRegistered at beginning of year 100.0% 71.5% 62.3% 56.9% 22.4% 9.0%  Graduated at end of year   32.0% 11.9% 4.7% 32.0% 43.9% 48.6%Dropped out at end of year 28.5% 9.3% 5.4% 2.5% 1.5% 4.3% 45.6% 47.1% 51.4%Note 1: *Dropouts in 2010 also include a number of students that would have returned to continue studying in 2011

Throughput in Professional 4 Year Degrees (excluding UNISA) 2005 FTEN

Participation in Higher Education (2012)Race Gender GER

African /Black male 13.1female 19.1

total 16.0Coloured male 11.1

female 17.4total 14.2

Indian male 38.2female 56.8

total 47.4White male 48.8

female 60.8total 54.7

Participation in Higher Education (2012)

Gender GERMale 15.9

Female 22.6Total 19.2

Developments in the system• New National Plan for Post School Education and Training

(PSET)• Career development and central application service• Framework for staffing South African Universities• Articulation and integration in PSET (within and between)• New funding framework for universities• A national digital library• National infrastructure and maintenance plan for

universities• Indicators for financial health, good governance and

academic performance of the system