South Africa: Experiences and
Challenges
Dr Cheryl de la Rey
Council on Higher Education
Outline
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National Policy Context
Higher Education Landscape
Steering Mechanisms
Academic Staff – Current Status and
Potential Pool
• National Strategies and Interventions
• Challenges and Opportunities
Policy Environment
• Dual system -Government Departments Department of Education (DoE) and
Department of Science and Technology
(DST)
• DoE – National Plan for Higher Education
• DST – National Research and
Development Strategy
National Plan for Higher Education
• Transformation framework 16 Outcomes
specified
• Redress and restructuring
• Outcome 8 – improved staff equity (increase in
black and women staff)
• Employment Equity Act requiring employment
equity plans as a key instrument
• Institutional culture as an institutional
responsibility
• Institutions encouraged to improve salaries and
conditions of service
National Research and
Development Strategy
• Human Capital Development a priority,
especially race and gender equity in
science, engineering and technology
• National strategic research areas identified
Institutional Landscape
• 23 Public Higher Education Institutions –
universities, comprehensives, universities
of technology (DoE)
• Private Higher Education Institutions
(DoE)
• Science Councils and National Research
Facilities (DST)
• Council on Higher Education (DoE)
Central Steering – Institutional
Autonomy
• Institutional autonomy, academic freedom,
accountability
• Planning - Student Enrolment Planning,
Programme and Qualification Mix
• Quality assurance – CHE, Professional
Bodies and Institutions
Public Funding for Public Higher
Education
• Dual stream (1) formula based and
earmarked (Education vote);
• (2) competitive research and postgraduate
funding ( Science vote)
• Formula based – goal oriented and outputbased, discretionary
• Earmarked – NSFAS, Development
Grants, Foundation Grants, Infrastructure
Headcount of All Academic Staff by race and rank in 2006
Indian
White
Not
known
African
Coloured
Total
Professoriate
476
94
232
3,552
25
4,379
Senior
Lecturer
875
173
396
3,282
38
4,764
Lecturer
5,490
1,205
1,621
8,813
1,072
18,201
Headcount of All Academic Staff by gender and rank in 2006
Female
Male
Total
Professoriate
1,038
3,341
4,379
Senior
Lecturer
1,920
2,844
4,764
Lecturer
8,981
9,220
18,201
Headcount doctoral enrolments and graduates in higher education
2002 to 2006
10000
9000
8000
7000
6000
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
7455
8112
8757
9071
9437
Enrolments
Graduates
963
2002
1,024
2003
1,070
2004
1,150
2005
1,057
2006
National Strategies
• Target-setting by race and gender
• Output-based funding, development
funding, co-funding
• Identification of strategic niche areas
Interventions
• DoE – Doctoral funding, Development
Grants
• DST – National Research Foundation
(NRF) – Postgraduate and Postdoctoral
Funding and Support, Thuthuka (Staff
Development Programme), SA Research
Chairs Initiative
• Institutional and other Staff Development
Initiatives (largely externally funded)
Thuthuka
• 3 Sub-programmes: Researchers-inTraining; Women-in-Research; Research
Development for Black Academics
• Institutional co-funding
• Seminars, mentorship
• Showcasing
SA Research Chairs Initiative
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210 Research Chairs by 2010
Strategic research areas
New talent
Equity
Human capital development
Institutional Programmes
• Research capacity development
• Improvement of qualifications and
productivity
• Equity focus
• External funding
Key Challenges
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Insufficient policy and programme co-ordination
Different planning horizons
Innovation and risk climate
Alignment of steering mechanisms – planning, funding
and quality assurance
Nature of the academic job
Conditions of service – salary, staff-student ratio,
organizational culture
Procedures of recruitment
Career development opportunities esp mid-career
National social and economic climate
Opportunities
• National human capital development strategy
(DST)
• Revision of Policy on Funding of Public Higher
Education
• Move towards partnerships and strategic
alliances
• Industry prepared to invest
• Shift towards longer-planning horizon for higher
education
• Economic climate