Higher Education (and Training): an overview University Councils’ Regional Training Workshop Stellenbosch University 11 July 2014 Dr Diane Parker Acting 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) NQF Act [(Revised) NQF Act (67 of 2008)] National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) Act National Plan for Higher Education (NPHE) 2003 – Funding framework for public HEIs Higher Education Qualifications Framework (Revised 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 in 2001 to 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 +/ TVET/CET (public) (private) public TVET Colleges) +/ (private FET Colleges) Other Colleges ? 15 to 24 year-olds not in education, employment or training (NEET youth) +/ to 24 year-olds not in education, employment or training (NEET youth) +/ Public AETC Skills development programmes (?) White Paper (2012) – by m in HE and 2.5m in VCET+CE

System performance: student throughput 2005 Cohort Study (ex UNISA) Qualification level EntrantsYear 1Year 3Year 5Total 3 y diploma Graduate -16%19%35% Drop out 33%18%5%56% UG degrees (3 and 4 year) Graduate -27%21%48% Drop out 30%12%4%46% Masters Graduate 6%25%12%33% Drop out 28%15%13%57% Doctorates Graduate 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) *2010 By end of 4 yrs By end of 5 yrs By end of 6 yrs AFRICAN Registered at beginning of year100.0%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 year37.9%8.8%5.7%2.7%2.2%5.2%55.2%57.3%62.5% COLOURED Registered at beginning of year100.0%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 year21.4%11.5%8.3%4.8%1.5%5.3%46.0%47.6%52.8% INDIAN Registered at beginning year100.0%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 year29.3%11.3%5.3%1.9%0.8%4.0%47.8%48.6%52.6% WHITE Registered at beginning of year100.0%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 year17.5%8.8%4.5%1.9%0.7%3.0%32.7%33.4%36.4% TOTAL Registered at beginning of year100.0%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 year28.5%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) RaceGender GER African /Blackmale 13.1 female 19.1 total 16.0 Colouredmale 11.1 female 17.4 total 14.2 Indianmale 38.2 female 56.8 total 47.4 Whitemale 48.8 female 60.8 total 54.7

Participation in Higher Education (2012) GenderGER Male 15.9 Female 22.6 Total 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