MPs back application plan
Members of parliament's higher education and training portfolio committee on Wednesday visiting Umgungundlovu FET College, in Pietermaritzburg. Members of parliament's higher education and training portfolio committee on Wednesday visiting Umgungundlovu FET College, in Pietermaritzburg.
A high-powered delegation of MPs would like to see the establishment of a national central applications office by next year if possible to ease admissions to colleges and universities for students.
That was the word from members of parliament’s higher education and training portfolio committee on Wednesday after visiting Umgungundlovu FET College, in Pietermaritzburg.
The committee is this week inspecting KwaZulu-Natal higher education institutions. Earlier this week, it visited the University of Zululand in Empangeni and Umfolozi FET College in Richards Bay.
After meeting staff from the Central Applications Office (CAO) in Cato Manor on Wednesday to observe the organisation’s operations, the committee’s chairman, Ishmael Malale, said once a report had been compiled about the difficulties faced in higher education institutions, he would recommend that a national CAO be created to handle applications for all institutions in South Africa.
The urgent need for such an organisation became apparent earlier this month after a stampede outside the University of Johannesburg of people hoping to register as students led to the death of a woman and the injury of at least 22 people.
At present, CAO handles applications for four universities, two FET colleges and 13 private colleges based in KZN.
“We want to have an understanding of the system as Higher Education and Training Minister Blade Nzimande speaks about a centralised application system for all higher education institutions,” said Malale.
He said the committee hoped a national CAO would be fully operational by next year.
Another challenge highlighted by Malale was the increase in numbers of young people hoping to pursue tertiary level studies.
“The majority of the youth come from disadvantaged backgrounds that require state interventions for resources,” he said. Malale said the infrastructure of FET colleges needed to be expanded to meet the demand for places from new and returning students.
Further Education and Training (FET) colleges were also failing to attract sufficient experienced and competent staff. He said the unattractive packages offered in the vocational learning sector discouraged quality lecturers and instructors from applying.
On Thursday, the committee will visit eThekwini FET College in Asherville and on Friday, the oversight programme will be wrapped up with a visit to the Mangosuthu University of Technology in Umlazi.