Global and National Trends;
Higher Education Policy and the
Legislative Framework
M Mabizela
Mabizela.c@dhet.gov.za
04 August 2014
TRENDS IN HIGHER EDUCATION
Based on a presentation made by
Prof Damtew Teferra
on 25 July 2014, with his permission
2
Contemporary Trends
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•
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•
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‘Massification’
Funding
Internationalisation (Mobility)
Rankings
Un(der)employment
‘Massification’
• Since 2000, post-Secondary enrollments have
increased from 100 million to over 150 million in 2008
• Global enrollments expected to increase to 520 million
in 2035
• In 2035 North America and Western Europe—52
million
• East Asia and the Pacific enrollment to exceed 100
million by 2020; and 200 million between 2033/34;
42% global enrollments
• Africa: Estimated 10 million currently
• South Africa: targeting 1.6 million by 2025
Profile
Country /region
No. Institutions
Population
Enrollment Rate (%)
United States
4,800
300 million
50
China
5,000
1.4 billion
22
India
504 [20,000]
1.4 billion
10
Brazil
186
190 million
11 [27]
Sub-Saharan Africa
1,500+
900 million
6
South Africa
26 [115]
50 million
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Profile of South African HE
• There are 26 universities, comprising
Traditional
Universities (11)
UCT
UFH
UFS
UKZN
UL
RHODES
SUN
UWC
WITS
NWU
WSU
UP
Comprehensive
Universities (9)
NMMU
UJ
UNISA
UNIVEN
UNIZULU
SPU
UMP
SM HASU
Universities of
Technology (6)
CUT
CPUT
DUT
MUT
TUT
VUT
• 50 Technical Vocational Education and Training Colleges
• 23 Sector Education and Training Authorities
• +/- 75 Registered Private HE Providers
6
Traditional Universities
• Offer undergraduate and postgraduate higher
education programmes leading towards
academic degrees in a variety of subjects;
• Are expected, encouraged and required to
conduct some research;
• Are largely characterized by offering
theoretically-oriented university degrees.
7
Universities of Technology
• offer technological career-directed educational programmes,
focusing on innovative-problem-solving research and engage
with government/ businesses/ industry and with communities as
end users. They place particular emphasis on the search for
innovative applications of technology in all fields of human
endeavour.
• They are largely characterised by the following:
- Career-orientated: educates people for the world of work
- Relevant: industry makes input into its diploma and degree programmes
- Practical: programmes are practical and hands-on (what you need to
know and how you need to apply it)
- Work-integrated Learning: experiential learning is part of the
qualification and enables graduates to integrate into the workplace with
ease
- Applied research: research is practical and applied. It seeks solutions to
modern day problems
8
Comprehensive Universities
• offer both traditional degrees and career focused programmes, a
combination of theoretically-oriented university degrees and
university of technology programmes
• They are largely characterised by the following:
– Diversity – through the offering of a diverse range of academic programmes
(vocational, career-focused, professional and general formative) of both university
and technikon type.
– Accessibility – through the opportunities created by a variety of entry and exit points.
– Student mobility – through developing strong vertical and horizontal articulation
pathways.
– Responsiveness – through the development of a suite of educational programmes and
research foci appropriate to local, regional and national needs.
– Flexibility – through the strengthening of relationships with community, civic,
government, business, and industry partners for local and regional development.
Flexibility should characterise the institutions’ ability to meet the human resource
needs of the local (and wider) context through its training programmes, and to
contribute to the development of the communities it serves through the application
and extension of its knowledge and expertise
9
South Africa – Public HE Enrolment
• Growth in headcount enrolments from 603 000
in 2001 to 953 375 in 2012 (absolute increase of
58% - ODL growth significant)
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Higher Education Enrollment: Malawi
10,000
9,000
8,000
7,000
6,000
Male
5,000
Female
4,000
total
3,000
2,000
1,000
0
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
Higher Education Enrollment: Uganda
Funding: R and D
• With very few exceptions, funding HE is on the decline
• Free HE education is in decline; tuition fee is in the increase (local
and international students)
• The highest spenders are Scandinavian countries: DK, NOR, FINL
and SWDN
Country
Investment as % of GDP
Year
Trend
Brazil
1.17
2009
Increasing
China
>1
2008
Increasing
India
0.88
2008
Increasing
Russia
1.25
2009
Increasing
South Africa
0.87
2010
Decreasing
UWN: 269, 2013
Funding Pattern: Malawi
3,500,000,000
3,000,000,000
2,500,000,000
2,000,000,000
1,500,000,000
1,000,000,000
500,000,000
0
2006-07
2007-08
Estimated Total Budget
Approved Total Budget
2008-09
2009-10
2010-11
2011-12
Expected Government Funding
Approved Government Funding
Funding Sources: Makerere
Internationalization
• When students and academics travel
abroad
• University signs an MOU with foreign
(institutional or development) partners
• Satellite campuses or franchise private
providers are established in a new locale
• When a curriculum with an eye on
international issues is developed
• Institution/country reevaluates the mode
of instructional delivery
International Students
Source: OECD (2012) Education at a Glance 2012
Un(der)employment
• Europe: Graduates submit 60 application before 1st job;
graduate unemployment in Europe: 6.2 (2012)
• Unemployed graduates US: 8.8 %
• Kenya: 40% (2008); Sudan: 20% (2012); Ghana: 12.9%
(2005)
• Botswana: 7.5% (2007)
• South Africa: 24.9% (2011); 24.4% (2012 ) est; graduate
unemployment: 5.9%
SOUTH AFRICAN HIGHER
EDUCATION
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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
SA: Higher Education system
Vision: A differentiated and fully inclusive post-school
system that allows all South Africans to access and
succeed in relevant post-school education and training,
in order to fulfill the economic and social goals of
participation in an inclusive economy and society.
Mission: ‘to develop capable, well-educated and
skilled citizens that are able to compete in a
sustainable, diversified and knowledge-based
international economy which meets the developmental
goals of our country’.
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SA: Higher Education system
• The department will undertake this mission by
– reducing the skills bottlenecks, especially in scarce
skills areas;
– improving low participation rates in the postschool system;
– correcting the distortions in the shape, size and
distribution of access to post-school education
and training; and
– improving the quality and efficiency in the system,
its sub-systems and institutions
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CHALLENGES…
The Post School System in 2012
Higher Education
+/-1 046 375
White Paper
(2012) – by 2030
1.6 m in HE and
2.5m in VCET+CE
TVET/CET
+ 1 035 324
953375 (public)
93 000 (private)
657 690 public TVET
Colleges)
+/- 80 000 (private
FET Colleges)
Other Colleges ?
Public AETC 297 634
Skills development programmes (?)
15 to 24 year-olds not in education, employment or training (NEET youth)
+/- 3 200 000
System performance: student throughput
2005 Cohort Study (ex UNISA)
Qualification
level
3 y diploma
Entrants
37 330
UG degrees (3
32 178
and 4 year)
Masters
Doctorates
15 479
2 140
Year 1
Graduate
Drop out
Graduate
Drop out
Graduate
Drop out
Graduate
Drop out
Year 3
Year 5
Total
33%
16%
18%
19%
5%
35%
56%
30%
27%
12%
21%
4%
48%
46%
6%
28%
25%
15%
12%
13%
33%
57%
1%
22%
14%
15%
20%
4%
35%
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
Throughput in Professional 4 Year Degrees (excluding UNISA) 2005 FTEN
Percentage (Non-accumulative)
Academic year
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
*2010
By end of By end of By end
4 yrs
5 yrs
of 6 yrs
AFRICAN
Registered at beginning of year
100.0% 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%
Dropped out at end of year
37.9%
8.8%
5.7%
2.7%
2.2%
5.2%
55.2%
57.3%
COLOURED
Registered at beginning of year
100.0% 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%
Dropped out at end of year
21.4% 11.5%
8.3%
4.8%
1.5%
5.3%
46.0%
47.6%
INDIAN
Registered at beginning year
100.0% 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%
Dropped out at end of year
29.3% 11.3%
5.3%
1.9%
0.8%
4.0%
47.8%
48.6%
WHITE
Registered at beginning of year
100.0% 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%
Dropped out at end of year
17.5%
8.8%
4.5%
1.9%
0.7%
3.0%
32.7%
33.4%
TOTAL
Registered at beginning of year
100.0% 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%
Dropped out at end of year
28.5%
9.3%
5.4%
2.5%
1.5%
4.3%
45.6%
47.1%
Note 1: *Dropouts in 2010 also include a number of students that would have returned to continue studying in 2011
37.5%
62.5%
47.2%
52.8%
47.4%
52.6%
63.6%
36.4%
48.6%
51.4%
Participation in Higher Education (2012)
Race
Gender
GER
Gender
GER
African /Black
male
13.1
Male
15.9
female
19.1
Female
22.6
total
16.0
Total
19.2
male
11.1
female
17.4
total
14.2
male
38.2
female
56.8
total
47.4
male
48.8
female
60.8
total
54.7
Coloured
Indian
White
Legislative Framework and Policies to
HE and Training
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SA Constitution: Bill of Rights (chapter 2)
Section 29. Education
(1) Everyone has the right:
(a) to a basic education, including adult
basic education; and
(b) to further education, which the state,
through reasonable measures, must
make progressively available and
accessible.
White Paper 3: A Programme for the
Transformation of Higher Education (1997)
 The transformation of the higher education
system to reflect the changes that are taking
place in our society and to strengthen the values
and practices of our new democracy is, as I
have stated on many previous occasions, not
negotiable, The higher education system must
be transformed to redress past inequalities, to
serve a new social order, to meet pressing
national needs and to respond to new realities
and opportunities (Foreword).
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• Key challenge: “to redress past inequalities and
to transform the higher education system to
serve a new social order, to meet pressing
national needs, and to respond to new realities
and opportunities”.
• Objective: develop a learning society to meet the
challenges of reconstruction & development.
• Recommended a single qualifications framework
for all HEIs to allow mobility & progression
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White paper: post-school education & training
• Single, coordinated post-school education & training
system
– facilitate & improve articulation
– cooperation with DBE – bridging & foundation
programmes
• Expanded access, improved quality and increased
diversity of provision
– More places for learners; more types of courses &
qualifications; more financial support; improved quality
• Stronger, more cooperative relationship between
education & training institutions and the workplace
– Improve amount & quality of workplace training and
work-integrated learning; promote entrepreneurship
White paper (chapter 4): Universities
• Main focus on improving quality and building
appropriate diversity
• Differentiation
– each institution must have a clearly defined mandate
– all must offer high quality undergrad programmes; all will
engage in some level & type of research
– policy & strategy aligned to national development policies
(National Development Plan, New Growth Path)
• Expanded access & success:
– participation from 17,5% -> 25%, mainly TVET
– focus on scarce skills: health professions,
teachers, engineering & technology
Higher Education Act No 101 0f 1997
(as amended)
Regulates Higher Education, and provides for
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the establishment, composition & functions of the CHE;
the establishment, governance & funding of public HEIs;
the appointment & functions of an independent assessor;
the registration of private HEIs
quality assurance & quality promotion in HE
Most recent amendments include
• 14 Dec 2011: conflict of interest
• 19 Dec 2012: intervention by the Minister, the powers of an
assessor and administrator
Institutional Statutes
• Each university makes an institutional statute – in
its absence the Standard Institutional Statute
applies
• A statute takes the HE Act as reference point and
defines how and what the university does to give
expression to the provisions of the Act
• A university’s statute includes features unique to
each university
• Must be approved by the Minister and gazetted
• Primary governing document for a university
Selected Acts affecting universities
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Auditor-General Act
Basic Conditions of Employment Act
Human Rights Commission Act
Labour Relations Act
Skills Development Act
Employment Equity Act
Consumer Protection Act
Occupational Health & Safety Act
Promotion of Access to Information Act
National Research Foundation Act
SA Qualifications Authority Act
National Qualifications Framework Act
PANSALB Act
……… and many others
Other Important HE Policies
 Funding Framework for Public Higher Education
Institutions
 Reporting regulations
 The Procedures and Processes for the Measurement
of Research Outputs of Public Higher Education
Institutions
 Higher Education Quality Sub-Framework (HEQS-F)
 National Qualifications Framework (NQF)
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NQF & HEQS-F related policy issues
• CAT policy
– SAQA is due to finalise a policy on Credit
Accumulation & Transfer (CAT)
• RPL policy
– SAQA has promulgated a policy on the recognition
of Prior Learning (RPL )
• Articulation Policy
– The Minister has published a draft articulation
policy (27 June 2014) for public comment.
National Development Plan 2030
Vision
– Access to education & training of highest quality ->
significantly improved outcomes
– Graduate skills & knowledge for present & future
needs
– Innovation critical – significant expansion in research;
collaboration locally & internationally
– Help all to realize full potential
– Linkages and articulation between different
levels/types; also with workplace
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National Development Plan 2030
Post-school system: universities
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Improve academics’ qualifications: 75% with PhDs (34% in 2010)
Improve T&L: lecturers should be teachers
Increase participation rate by 70% (0,95 -> 1,62 million)
Increase throughput to >75% (167000 -> 425000)
Increase masters & PhD students to >25%
Produce 100 PhDs per million per annum i.e. 5000 pa (1420 pa)
Double science graduates; increase African & women postgrads
Expand infrastructure especially student accommodation
Extra support for under-prepared learners
Expand distance education
Mobility within education system
Full funding for all NSFAS qualifiers
Funding & research capacity development for young, female & black
researchers
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THE END
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