Government has announced the new landscape for higher education system, heralding a new era for education in the country.

The move is expected to cost government at least R3.1-billion.

This after Cabinet approved the final proposals to the National Plan for Higher Education last week, for the restructuring of the institutional landscape. However, with a slight shift from the initial proposals.

Announcing the final plan in Pretoria today, education minister Kader Asmal said the University of Venda would be retained with a new focus as a 'comprehensive institution' offering technikon-type programmes as well as a range of relevant university-type programmes.

This university would not be part of the merger between the University of the North and the Medical University of South Africa (MEDUNSA), as proposed initially.

The minister said taken as a whole, the transformation and reconstruction proposals would foster growth and rejuvenation of higher education, especially in parts of the country which had been poorly served in the past.

The other exception is the proposed merger of Border Technikon, Eastern Cape Technikon and the University of Transkei (UNITRA) to establish a new technikon.

Prof Asmal said he believed the interests of the region would be best served if a comprehensive institution were to be established. For this reason, it is proposed that the three institutions would be merged, including UNITRA medical school, to form a comprehensive institution to also offer technikon- and university-type programmes.

'This new organisational form will result in the integration of academic and vocational programmes offered across the full qualification spectrum, allowing increased student access and mobility.'
As initially proposed, the following mergers will be implemented: - Universities of Natal and Durban-Westville
- Potchefstroom and North West
- Technikons Pretoria, Northern Gauteng and North West
- Universities of Fort Hare and the East London Campus of Rhodes University
- the incorporation of the Vista campuses into the appropriate universities and technikons
- Universities of Port Elizabeth and Port Elizabeth Technikon
- University of the North and Medunsa
- University of Transkei/Border and Eastern Cape technikons
- Rand Afrikaanse University will merge with Wits Technikon
- Cape Technikon and Peninsula Technikon.

Regarding implemented mergers, the minister said the merger of ML Sultan Technikon and Natal Technikon into the Durban Institute of Technology took place in April, while the incorporation of the Qwa Qwa branch of the University of the North into the University of the Free State would take place in January.

Processes have also begun to implement UNISA, Technikon SA and the distance education arm of Vista University.

Of the R3.1-billion, the minister said R1.3-billion would be spent to deal with under-capitalisation in previously disadvantaged institutions, which often borrowed money to pay in April from government's subsidies.

It is anticipated that the first group of mergers will take place early January, and the second group will take place in 2005.

This to give affected institutions and the ministry a minimum of one year for the preparations, said the minister, adding that the national education department would enter into discussions with the institutions in the new year to determine the timing of each merger within this framework. He said the incorporation of individual Vista campuses into larger universities and technikons would lay the foundation for the establishment of 'vibrant' higher education provision in areas such as the East Rand and Soweto, in Gauteng.

Also as initially proposed, government would establish National Institutions for Higher Education in Mpumalanga and the Northern Cape, two provinces in the country which do not have higher education institutions.

Asked if these mergers would bring job losses, the minister said this was not envisaged but retraining would have to take place, especially when lecturers move from teaching academic subjects to technical ones.

The minister said this would mostly affect mergers between Unisa and Technikon SA, who have totally different traditions, but it was the coalition of ideas that would have to take place.

Also addressing the media, chairperson of the National Working Group appointed to assist the minister in this regard, Mr Saki Macozoma, said the foundation had been laid on which to base the higher education system in the country.

Mr Macozoma said while this would take time, however, it was now time for South Africa to increase participation rates as well as the quality of education.

Meanwhile, resources have been set aside for the establishment of a National Higher Education Information and Application Service, to serve as a source of information about study opportunities, career guidance and mentoring, for Grade 12 learners. - BuaNews