Date: 02/06/2003
Source: Department of Education
Title: Asmal: Press Conference of FET Colleges
PRESS CONFERENCE ON FET COLLEGES BY THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION, PROFESSOR KADER ASMAL, Alexander Campus, Johannesburg, 2 JUNE 2003
THE NEED FOR REFORM
On this spot, in September 2001 I announced the restructuring of the then 152 technical colleges into 50 FET Colleges, which would form the foundation of the new college system of this country.
In 2001 the technical college system in South Africa was still characterised by the structures and ideology of the apartheid era. There was little understanding around the new concepts for life long learning and continuing education that had been ushered in by recent legislation. The funding and governance structures also perpetuated the inequities between the state-aided, formerly white, and state colleges, formerly black, institutions. The vestiges of legal, financial and other differences inherent in this distinction between formerly advantaged and disadvantaged institutions was to be swept away with the introduction of these new FET colleges.
The colleges were serving only 123,000 learners in contrast to the 350,000 students enrolled in just 21 Higher Education institutions. This disparity reflects the poor learning provision in technical colleges then being provided to that sector of the population in greatest need of educational opportunity. In turn this was reflected in poor educational attainment, less qualified workers and a poor national skills base.
Institutions were also poorly structured to provide proper learner support through counselling and career advice. The shortcomings of many institutions prior to 1998 are reflected in the poor success rates and low throughput of learners. This together with the other shortcomings in educational provision in many institutions indicated the need for new quality assurance systems to support the widening of educational opportunity for learners as well as improved student support services.
POLICY DEVELOPMENTS 2001
Significant achievements have been made in transforming the sector since the newly merged colleges were formed in 2001. The progress is part of a process that began in 1994 with a number of interventions in Further Education and Training (FET) aimed at improving the quality of education. Various pieces of legislation, key amongst which are the South African Schools Act of 1995, the FET Act of 1998 and the National Skills Development Act provide the legislative framework for the ground breaking reforms that are taking place in the sector, which ranged from systemic organisational restructuring to interventions focused on site based curriculum delivery. Whilst the former has addressed system wide capacity issues, the latter has focused attention on site level functionality and effective teaching and learning.
The FET College sector is a significant player in the national Human Resource Development strategy and through restructuring, especially of the colleges, is the single biggest contributor to intermediate skills which are essential for achieving four out of the five key HRD objectives. These are: improving the foundations for human development; improving the supply of high-quality skills which are more responsive to society's and the economy's needs; increasing employer participation in lifelong learning; and supporting employment growth through industrial policies, innovation, research and development. The HRD Strategy describes FET as "the only sector where the prospects for employment growth at an intermediate level are strong".
Over the past three years the focus has been on national strategic objectives set in three key performance areas
Curriculum Development and Delivery
* Develop system capacity for outcomes-based curriculum development and delivery in colleges
* Enhance strategic interventions in colleges
* Establish a new assessment regime for colleges
* Develop and maintain new funding formula for colleges.
Institutional Development and Support
* Enable colleges as institutions to implement FET policy
* Further develop the capacity of provinces to implement FET policy.
Quality Assurance
* Contribute to the development of a new quality assurance regime for colleges, ensuring synergy with other quality assurance activities.
In the college sector the implementation of these policies on the new restructured landscape will be recognisable by a number of attributes that will distinguish it from the previous system. Among these are:
* Large multi-site FET colleges;
* Greater authority;
* A quality assurance system;
* Specialised niche and multi-purpose colleges;
* Open and distance learning;
* Articulation and collaboration with Higher Education;
* Linkages and connections with local industry and the communities served; and
* Student support services.
SOME EARLY INDICATORS OF SUCCESS
The Quantitative Overview of the FET Sector produced in 2002 already indicates that the restructuring and transformation process in the public college sector is already having a positive impact. Specifically it highlights:
* An overall growth of 17% in student numbers;
* A growth in enrolments in non national programmes of 22%;
* An increase in national participation rates from 1.1% in 1998 to 2.7% in 2000 with some provinces experiencing a threefold increase;
* An increase in total staff of 18%;
* an increase in enrolments at FET level by 29%;
* An increase in the number of female students enrolled for engineering;
* An increase in African students of 5%;
* An increase from 28% to 39% in the percentage of African staff members;
* A decrease in the numbers of un/under qualified staff of -22% and an increase of staff with higher degrees of 54%.
All of this has been achieved by a sector characterised as the "Cinderella sector " without a real increase in provincial education budget expenditure.
Whilst there are still critical issues relating to equity, redress and the quality assurance of programmes offered in the FET sector, progress has been made since 1998. Importantly, the sector is beginning to build on its strengths and recognises those areas of weakness that need to be addressed.
YEAR OF FURTHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
The time has come for this sector to begin to correct its role in both its public profile as well as the scale and scope of the services it has to play within our society and meeting the development needs and aspirations of our people.
Towards this end I am implementing a program of the Year of FET 2003. Not as a once off activity, but as a means of establishing a foundation from which the sector must now grow over the next 6 years.
The program is intended to assist earners (youth and adults) in becoming aware of the learning opportunities offered by these institutions, thus increasing enrolment rates; ensuring that employers (public and private) appreciate the skills and competencies of college graduates and therefore offering them job opportunities, which will be furthered by the promotion of linkages between colleges and local industries and communities to improve curriculum relevance and last but not least the mobilisation of additional resources to improve the college's facilities for quality learning and teaching.
Today marks the second activity in this programme, the first being the successful launch of the 50 new colleges two weeks ago.
Today I am here with the senior members of provincial government and business to see for myself the changes and achievements of some of these colleges. Displayed here in this room are examples of these achievements, remarkable achievements from a sector which has historically been absolute last chance opportunity for struggling students.
It also highlights the challenge of the sector as it transforms across the country. I have announced two targets for the sector over the next three years, to increase its enrolments by 5% year on year, and also to increase its throughput by 5% year on year. This should be matched by a similar expansion in learnership and skills programs.
I am once again challenging all the role-players in this sector to take up these challenges and to find innovative and successful ways to form partnerships to achieve our vision of ensuring progressively accessible relevant, responsive quality FET learning opportunities for all.
The rest of this year program will be focussed on the first round of Ministerial College Awards and an FET Convention in October, a process of establishing linkages and partnerships between SETA's and colleges and lastly a blitz on informing students and learners of the career opportunities available in the sector as a means of increasing student enrolment.
More information about these activities will be made available during the course of the next 3 months.
In closing let me thank all the supporters of the sector to date, business, international donors, governments and college and provincial staff and officials who have committed the time and resources which have brought us so speedily to this point in our transformation. Remember now that the battle for the mountains has been won, the battle for the plain begins. Now more than ever the fledgling new sector needs your undivided support and commitment to make it into the "princess" sector it sorely needs to be.
Issued by the Department of Education
Source: Department of Education
Title: Asmal: Press Conference of FET Colleges
PRESS CONFERENCE ON FET COLLEGES BY THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION, PROFESSOR KADER ASMAL, Alexander Campus, Johannesburg, 2 JUNE 2003
THE NEED FOR REFORM
On this spot, in September 2001 I announced the restructuring of the then 152 technical colleges into 50 FET Colleges, which would form the foundation of the new college system of this country.
In 2001 the technical college system in South Africa was still characterised by the structures and ideology of the apartheid era. There was little understanding around the new concepts for life long learning and continuing education that had been ushered in by recent legislation. The funding and governance structures also perpetuated the inequities between the state-aided, formerly white, and state colleges, formerly black, institutions. The vestiges of legal, financial and other differences inherent in this distinction between formerly advantaged and disadvantaged institutions was to be swept away with the introduction of these new FET colleges.
The colleges were serving only 123,000 learners in contrast to the 350,000 students enrolled in just 21 Higher Education institutions. This disparity reflects the poor learning provision in technical colleges then being provided to that sector of the population in greatest need of educational opportunity. In turn this was reflected in poor educational attainment, less qualified workers and a poor national skills base.
Institutions were also poorly structured to provide proper learner support through counselling and career advice. The shortcomings of many institutions prior to 1998 are reflected in the poor success rates and low throughput of learners. This together with the other shortcomings in educational provision in many institutions indicated the need for new quality assurance systems to support the widening of educational opportunity for learners as well as improved student support services.
POLICY DEVELOPMENTS 2001
Significant achievements have been made in transforming the sector since the newly merged colleges were formed in 2001. The progress is part of a process that began in 1994 with a number of interventions in Further Education and Training (FET) aimed at improving the quality of education. Various pieces of legislation, key amongst which are the South African Schools Act of 1995, the FET Act of 1998 and the National Skills Development Act provide the legislative framework for the ground breaking reforms that are taking place in the sector, which ranged from systemic organisational restructuring to interventions focused on site based curriculum delivery. Whilst the former has addressed system wide capacity issues, the latter has focused attention on site level functionality and effective teaching and learning.
The FET College sector is a significant player in the national Human Resource Development strategy and through restructuring, especially of the colleges, is the single biggest contributor to intermediate skills which are essential for achieving four out of the five key HRD objectives. These are: improving the foundations for human development; improving the supply of high-quality skills which are more responsive to society's and the economy's needs; increasing employer participation in lifelong learning; and supporting employment growth through industrial policies, innovation, research and development. The HRD Strategy describes FET as "the only sector where the prospects for employment growth at an intermediate level are strong".
Over the past three years the focus has been on national strategic objectives set in three key performance areas
Curriculum Development and Delivery
* Develop system capacity for outcomes-based curriculum development and delivery in colleges
* Enhance strategic interventions in colleges
* Establish a new assessment regime for colleges
* Develop and maintain new funding formula for colleges.
Institutional Development and Support
* Enable colleges as institutions to implement FET policy
* Further develop the capacity of provinces to implement FET policy.
Quality Assurance
* Contribute to the development of a new quality assurance regime for colleges, ensuring synergy with other quality assurance activities.
In the college sector the implementation of these policies on the new restructured landscape will be recognisable by a number of attributes that will distinguish it from the previous system. Among these are:
* Large multi-site FET colleges;
* Greater authority;
* A quality assurance system;
* Specialised niche and multi-purpose colleges;
* Open and distance learning;
* Articulation and collaboration with Higher Education;
* Linkages and connections with local industry and the communities served; and
* Student support services.
SOME EARLY INDICATORS OF SUCCESS
The Quantitative Overview of the FET Sector produced in 2002 already indicates that the restructuring and transformation process in the public college sector is already having a positive impact. Specifically it highlights:
* An overall growth of 17% in student numbers;
* A growth in enrolments in non national programmes of 22%;
* An increase in national participation rates from 1.1% in 1998 to 2.7% in 2000 with some provinces experiencing a threefold increase;
* An increase in total staff of 18%;
* an increase in enrolments at FET level by 29%;
* An increase in the number of female students enrolled for engineering;
* An increase in African students of 5%;
* An increase from 28% to 39% in the percentage of African staff members;
* A decrease in the numbers of un/under qualified staff of -22% and an increase of staff with higher degrees of 54%.
All of this has been achieved by a sector characterised as the "Cinderella sector " without a real increase in provincial education budget expenditure.
Whilst there are still critical issues relating to equity, redress and the quality assurance of programmes offered in the FET sector, progress has been made since 1998. Importantly, the sector is beginning to build on its strengths and recognises those areas of weakness that need to be addressed.
YEAR OF FURTHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
The time has come for this sector to begin to correct its role in both its public profile as well as the scale and scope of the services it has to play within our society and meeting the development needs and aspirations of our people.
Towards this end I am implementing a program of the Year of FET 2003. Not as a once off activity, but as a means of establishing a foundation from which the sector must now grow over the next 6 years.
The program is intended to assist earners (youth and adults) in becoming aware of the learning opportunities offered by these institutions, thus increasing enrolment rates; ensuring that employers (public and private) appreciate the skills and competencies of college graduates and therefore offering them job opportunities, which will be furthered by the promotion of linkages between colleges and local industries and communities to improve curriculum relevance and last but not least the mobilisation of additional resources to improve the college's facilities for quality learning and teaching.
Today marks the second activity in this programme, the first being the successful launch of the 50 new colleges two weeks ago.
Today I am here with the senior members of provincial government and business to see for myself the changes and achievements of some of these colleges. Displayed here in this room are examples of these achievements, remarkable achievements from a sector which has historically been absolute last chance opportunity for struggling students.
It also highlights the challenge of the sector as it transforms across the country. I have announced two targets for the sector over the next three years, to increase its enrolments by 5% year on year, and also to increase its throughput by 5% year on year. This should be matched by a similar expansion in learnership and skills programs.
I am once again challenging all the role-players in this sector to take up these challenges and to find innovative and successful ways to form partnerships to achieve our vision of ensuring progressively accessible relevant, responsive quality FET learning opportunities for all.
The rest of this year program will be focussed on the first round of Ministerial College Awards and an FET Convention in October, a process of establishing linkages and partnerships between SETA's and colleges and lastly a blitz on informing students and learners of the career opportunities available in the sector as a means of increasing student enrolment.
More information about these activities will be made available during the course of the next 3 months.
In closing let me thank all the supporters of the sector to date, business, international donors, governments and college and provincial staff and officials who have committed the time and resources which have brought us so speedily to this point in our transformation. Remember now that the battle for the mountains has been won, the battle for the plain begins. Now more than ever the fledgling new sector needs your undivided support and commitment to make it into the "princess" sector it sorely needs to be.
Issued by the Department of Education
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