The Minister of Higher Education and Training, Doctor Nobuhle Nkabane, presented the department’s budget vote in a mini plenary of the National Assembly. Dr Nkabane emphasised that the higher education and training sector is crucial to the work of nurturing a skilled workforce that includes diverse professions and disciplines.
In the financial year 2024/2025, the department received a budget of R137.5 billion with an annual average increase of 4.8% over the R130.5 billion it received in the 2023/24 financial year.
Meanwhile, the Minister vowed to resolve the current student funding and payment challenges within the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS). Dr Nkabane explained that the NSFAS disbursed R21.4 million in 1991 and now supports 800 000 students at a cost of R54 billion. The Minister reaffirmed her department's commitment to eradicating corruption and maladministration within the NSFAS, while highlighting the department’s success in developing a funding model to support students falling into the “missing middle”.
However, student funding in higher education remains a contentious issue, with committee members pointing out that more needs to be done to prioritise critical issues in the sector. The Department of Higher Education and Training oversees over 100 entities, including 26 universities, 50 technical and vocational education and training (TVET) colleges, nine community education and training colleges, 21 sector education and training authorities (SETA), NSFAS, the National Skills Fund (NSF), and others.
MPs debate budget vote
Speaking during the budget vote debate, the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training, Mr Tebogo Letsie, stated that by March 2025, the department aims to produce and certify 26 500 artisans. This effort contributes to the National Development Plan’s goal of producing 30 000 artisans annually by 2030, through TVET colleges.
Mr Letsie emphasised the sector’s significant role in fostering economic growth by nurturing a skilled workforce and he thus endorsed the budget, acknowledging its fundamental importance. Over the medium term, 1.5 million university students and one million TVET students from poor and working-class backgrounds at 76 public higher education institutions are expected to receive bursaries through NSFAS. He urged NSFAS to triple its efforts to finalise funding decisions and allowance distributions on time and applauded the Department of Higher Education for completing 10 TVET college campuses.
The committee was concerned about the reduction in infrastructure grants over the medium-term expenditure framework. Members emphasised that these reductions must not affect the bursary scheme. It is essential for educational institutions to have the necessary infrastructure to accommodate students accessing higher education despite budget cuts, they said.
Ms Fasiha Hassan, a member of the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training representing the African National Congress, called for the equal treatment of students in the university and TVET sectors.
Meanwhile, Mr Mandla Shikwambana from the Economic Freedom Fighters supported the budget on condition that it made education accessible to more students and called for an overhaul of the NSFAS board, allowance for late applications and registration, and free driving lessons for students.
Ms Desiree van der Walt, committee member for the Democratic Alliance, highlighted the adverse impact of corruption and poor governance at NSFAS, which has forced many students to seek education from unregistered private colleges, only to find their qualifications do not meet industry standards. This situation contributes to the 59.7% unemployment rate among youths aged 15 to 24. She argued for fundamental changes to the funding model, including implementing a tier system for loans and grants, focusing on substantial financial support for low-income students.
Other members emphasised the need to address the prevailing norm of prioritising universities over the TVET sector and highlighted the importance of addressing safety issues, such as the ongoing plague of gender-based violence (GBV), which continues to run rampant through universities and colleges, echoing the situation within the broader society.
Jabulani Majozi
17 July 2024
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