2023-w519 - 27 March 2023

Sanele Sethembeni Zondo to ask the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation

Considering that the increasing student debt has been a persistent problem for the Republic’s economy and the higher education sector due to inflation and the limited funding provided by his department, causing a gradual increase by at least R2 billion annually over the past decade, having snowballed from R13,162 billion in the 2019-20 financial year to R16,5 billion in the 2021-22 financial year, (a) what measures has his department put in place to curb the increase in student debt for the 2022-23 financial year and (b) how has his department capacitated the National Student Financial Aid Scheme for the 2023 academic year to meet the financial needs of disadvantaged students?

Reply from the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation on 27 Mar 2023

a) Government contributed R1.7 billion to NSFAS following a due diligence exercise that was undertaken in 2018 towards historic debt owed to universities by continuing or returning NSFAS qualifying students, registered in 2018. The allocation targets students who were subject to the R122 000 family income threshold and the NSFAS funding cap, and covers students registered in 2019, 2020 and 2021. Students must meet the ...

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2023-w547 - 27 March 2023

Karabo Lerato Khakhau to ask the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation

(a) By what date will the review of the outdated prescribed curriculum for mechatronics students be reviewed and (b) what total number of students are currently enrolled for studies in mechatronics?

Reply from the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation on 27 Mar 2023

Since 2007, when the NC(V) programmes were first introduced, the NC(V): Mechatronics programme has been offered supported by workshops and equipment that enables the development of relevant skills needed by industry. Many of these workshops match those at some Universities of Technology used by first year students.

Over the past 5 years various components of the NC(V): Mechatronics programme have been reviewed and updated. ...

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2023-w543 - 27 March 2023

Chantel King to ask the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation

On what evidence did the National Student Financial Aid Scheme rely to cap the accommodation allowance for beneficiary students at R 45 000 in each year?

Reply from the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation on 27 Mar 2023

The NSFAS relied on the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation report, existing NSFAS data for accommodation claimed historically across all institutions, both universities and TVET colleges, recommendations from the MTT report and available market data which looked at the generic student housing market.

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2023-w572 - 27 March 2023

Duduzile Patricia Sibiya to ask the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation

(1) What is the extent of online education in the Republic as information technology is critical in expanding access to higher education; (2) whether he has found that the higher education system has the capacity to expand access through online education; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply from the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation on 27 Mar 2023

The Department of Higher Education and Training has embraced the digital transformation journey and has prioritised utilising technology to improve the quality of teaching and learning which will ultimately improve institutional efficiency and student success.

1. The extent of online education has not been quantified by different institutions in the PSET sector. However, the Department has introduced multiple initiatives including amongst others:

(a) Investment ...

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2023-w555 - 27 March 2023

Nomsa Innocencia Tarabella Marchesi to ask the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation

Whether he has been informed that the R45 000 cap on accommodation for National Student Financial Aid Scheme beneficiaries often results in such students not being able to afford suitable accommodation, or even end up living on the streets in some cases; if not, will he undertake to deal with the specified issue; if so, what are the relevant details of the steps he will take to deal with the matter?

Reply from the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation on 27 Mar 2023

I have not been informed about the Cap leading to students not being able to afford suitable accommodation. Men my department presented on readiness for the academic year, we reported that universities made provision for emergency accommodation for students where possible. On 20 March 2023, USAF too confirmed that emergency accommodation has been offered to students. Following my meeting with USAF on 3 March ...

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2023-w528 - 27 March 2023

Thapelo Mogale to ask the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation

Whether he has considered engaging with municipalities and the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure in order to repurpose buildings owned by the Government for student accommodation; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply from the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation on 27 Mar 2023

The Department has considered the use of redundant buildings to house satellite campuses for PSET institutions in general and Community Learning Centres in particular.

The exercise has been managed at the regional and institutional level because many of the redundant buildings are schools owned by Provincial Departments of Public Works. However, the Department has started a process establishing a schedule of all redundant buildings ...

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2023-w518 - 27 March 2023

Ahmed Munzoor Shaik Emam to ask the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation

What steps is his department taking to address the high drop-out rate of first-year students at technical and vocational education and training colleges which comes at a very high cost?

Reply from the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation on 27 Mar 2023

The Department of Higher Education and Training has various strategies in place to improve retention of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college students. In respect of student admissions, the Department has developed the Policy Framework on Administration and Management of Student Admissions in TVET Colleges to facilitate access to young people, particularly from disadvantaged backgrounds to TVET college programme offerings. Furthermore, administration ...

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2023-w574 - 27 March 2023

Nompendulo Thobile Mkhatshwa to ask the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation

What strategies has his department implemented, particularly for institutions in rural and less urbanised locations, to increase access to quality student accommodation which is becoming scarce resulting in inflationary pressure on student accommodation costs?

Reply from the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation on 27 Mar 2023

My department has established a Student Housing Infrastructure Programme (SHIP) which is aimed at addressing student housing backlog through the implementation of large student housing projects that deliver more than 1000 student beds each across universities and TVET Colleges. From the onset, SHIP was established to ensure that a minimum of 60% of the student beds it delivers are for campuses in rural and ...

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2023-w823 - 22 March 2023

Sanele Sethembeni Zondo to ask the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation

What is the detailed breakdown of the reported allocation of R1 billion to the University of Fort Hare in each of the past seven financial years?

Reply from the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation on 22 Mar 2023

Over the past seven years (2015/16 to 2021/22), a total of R1.057 billion from the Department’s earmarked grants, namely, the Foundation provision (FP) , Infrastructure and Efficiency Grant (IEG), Student Housing Infrastructure Programme (SHIP) and Sibusiso Bengu Development Programme (SB-DP) has been allocated to fund various projects at the university. This support has enabled UFH to work towards improving the quality of their infrastructure ...

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2023-w837 - 22 March 2023

Sanele Sethembeni Zondo to ask the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation

What steps is his department taking in respect of the safety of university leadership, following reports that the Vice-Chancellor of the Durban University of Technology, Professor T Z Mthembu, is now being protected by bodyguards after a security threat, making the specified person the second university head after the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Fort Hare, Professor Sakhela Buhlungu, to engage security guards while other institutions, such as North-West University and University of Johannesburg, offer security services to staff and students?

Reply from the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation on 22 Mar 2023

The Department expressed its outrage at the callous conduct of criminals. The Department invited all heads of security to a workshop to understand common threats and risks, and resolved to meet every quarter with them, and develop a security framework for a national security policy for universities as well as norms and standards applicable to the PSET sector. The Department also consulted them on ...

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