The Department of Higher Education (DHET) on Wednesday tabled a turnaround strategy for South Africa’s 50 further education and training (FET) colleges, which span over 260 campuses.

Many of these colleges were not only underperforming, but had failed to align their curricula to the changing needs of the country’s economy and its businesses. 

Higher Education and Training Minister Dr Blade Nzimande said the strategy had a strong focus on improving lecturer qualifications, student pass rates, as well the quality of the teaching staff and systems.

Also being targeted for improvement were institutional management and governance, administration, curriculum delivery, student support services, infrastructure, facilities and equipment management, as well as the promotion of partnerships, linkages and stakeholder management.

“The intention is to systematically address key challenges these institutions have been faced with over the years, to achieve sustainable improvements in the quality of teaching and learning,” Nzimande said.

Historically, FET colleges had experienced low throughput rates, inadequately qualified lecturers and insifficient industry-linked experience, as well as a limited programme qualification mix, with insufficient programmes relevant to local communities and industry.

In many instances examinations and assessment systems, as well as financial management were also below par.

The DHET took responsibility for adult education and FET colleges, as part of its efforts in improving skills development, after a 2012 amendment to the FET Colleges Act, No 16 of 2006, shifted accountability from the provincial education departments to the national department. The migration should be completed by April 2013.

The turnaround strategy also incorporated the diversification of FET programme offerings to meet the varying interests and needs of students.

Currently, post-school opportunities for grade 12 learners were being undermined by the low labour absorption capacity of the country’s economy as well as the limited capacity in South Africa’s universities.

Learnerships, apprenticeships, certified skills programmes and bridging programmes were critical to providing opportunities for upward mobility, Nzimande argued.

Meanwhile, in efforts to improve the quality of educational output, the DHET was in the process of professionalising lecturer teaching practice within the vocational education system.

A policy on minimum qualifications for vocational educators was published for comment in September. The finalised policy would serve as the blueprint for such recruitment and ongoing vocational professional development.

Meanwhile, Nzimande said that the DHET had also secured a 26% increase in State funding from R3.8-billion in 2010, to R4.8-billion in 2012. FET college bursary allocations rose from R318-million in 2010, to R1.75-billion in 2012.

“While funding will remain a key priority for the department, it will also be closely tied to outputs. And for colleges that fail to perform satisfactorily, the allocations will be brought into a regulatory framework to ensure that quality and effective teaching and learning takes place without compromise as the sector expands,” he warned.

The National Skills Fund and the Sector Education and Training Authorities had also committed R2.5-billion in funding for programme-related activities at the 50 FET colleges.