A Critique of the Proposed National Education Policy Reform
SATN Conference 2010 - Prof Mary Metcalfe
1. UNIVERSITIES OF TECHNOLOGY DRIVING HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS 3RD ANNUAL SATN CONFERENCE 2010; 29 SEPTEMBER – 1 OCTOBER 2010, VAAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
2. Government’s Policy Agenda providing an enabling environment Mary Metcalfe, DG Higher Education and Training DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
3. CENTRAL GOAL A skilled and capable workforce to support an inclusive growth path DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
5. GOALS Accelerate The number of new training graduates in priority economic sectors identified in ASGISA and the NIPF and IPAP Training output in the priority areas of design, engineering and artisans that are critical to the manufacturing, construction and cultural industries Increase Access to high level occupationally–directed programmes within the fields of Engineering Sciences, Animal and Human Health, Natural and Physical Sciences and initial Teacher Education Graduate output of Honours, research masters, doctoral and post doctorate students. DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
6. GOALS Build Research, development and innovation A culture of research at Universities of Technology The economy and improving societal conditions through innovation. Stimulate entrepreneurship, innovation growth DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
7. PRINCIPLES Education and training is a common public good which must not be sold and traded as a commodity, where only those with money and other resources will be able to afford it. Only by providing equal opportunities for all, irrespective of social background, can we contribute towards building a nation in which everyone has a stake and a common loyalty. Connecting the human resource development with developmental strategies across all spheres of government and the social and economic development strategies A strong, sound and visionary institutional leadership to overcome challenges. Dialogue between stakeholders and with government DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
8. STRATEGIES Increase access to post-school education training opportunities. Reinforce and complement work through strategic partnerships. FET and UoT relationships that facilitate articulation and progression in certificate and diploma programmes. Inter-institutional collaborations between traditional universities and UoTs Improve industry linkages maximize work integrated learning and work placements supervised professional experience improved levels of applied learning increased levels of industry experience knowledge of lecturers in scarce skill disciplines DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
9. SOME CHALLENGES TO UoT Train future technicians and technologist in career focused programmes especially in the areas of engineering and the built environment. Contribute towards increasing the supply of appropriately qualified people to meet the human resource demands in the areas of ICT, Automotive, Component manufacturing, Chemicals, Plastics, Fabrication, Pharmaceuticals, Forestry, Pulp, Paper and Furniture, Tourism, Bio-fuels, Diamond & Jewellery designs, Agro-processing and the Film & Television industry. Build academic staff capacity to produce quality graduates at undergraduate and gradually increase their research and innovation capacity. DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
11. Do we have the necessary policy instruments to achieve these goals? DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
12.
13. Challenges Policy and Funding frameworks that: support a differentiated post-school education and training system facilitates distinctive institutional identities and pathways of optimal development and the pursuit of the multiple purposes of PSETS adequately funds each institution to optimally enhance its growth trajectory Mobilise social partners behind the education and training projet DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
14. Challenges Governance System wide leadership in an integrated PSETS Strong institutional governance Quality Success and throughput Work Integrated Learning Institutional arrangement Properly resourced DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
15. Challenges Research and Innovation frameworks which: provide adequate support to industry-university partnership Incentivise collaboration? Provide adequate investment in research and development, especially in SET Develop and support young researchers? Adequately fund post-graduate students? DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
16. A policy process to re-imagine and consolidate the new post-school education and training system PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING AND IMAGINATION OF THE SYSTEM THAT MUST BE CREATED DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
17. PURPOSE To review all components of the post-school education and training system in order to make proposals that will reduce inefficiencies and maximize complementarities so that the system is conceptually and operationally designed as a single nationally coordinated entity which maximises equity of opportunity and outcome for youth and adults within a diverse and differentiated institutional base appropriate to the needs of the country DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
18. Where from?… and Where to? Mobilising social partners behind the project and its stakeholders Meaningful partnerships Democratic governance Effective use of resources A differentiated and articulated system Access Qualification frameworks and articulation Quality and success Integrating working and learning DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
19. Funding Maximizing complementarities across PSETA Innovative funding mechanisms Redress, equity and access Research, Development and Innovation Building the next generation of academic leaders and researchers DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
21. Should a differentiated PSETS: Combine the imperatives of national integrity and coherence with flexibility at institutional levels to allow for individual growth paths? Demonstrate how it enhances the capacity of the system to increase student access & success? Be linked to long-term HRD macro-planning driven by Government with its 30-year time horizon? Enable different ‘institutional types’ to combine functions (teaching, research & engagement) in very specific and focused ways that are institutionally and context specific? Aim to achieve portability of knowledge, students & staff? DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
22. Where is the Differentiation Debatein the FET sub-system? Each college to be distinguished by its individual Programmes and Qualifications Mix (PQM), which may differ from other colleges in terms of: the range and level of programmes offered the numbers enrolled, And driven by a long-term national development plan for the college system in response to various factors including: DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
23. And driven by a long-term national development plan for the college system in response to various factors including: the geographical location of the college; the local labour market; the communities served by the college; linkages with higher education; regional, provincial and national growth and development plans and HRD strategies; the capacity of the college to offer particular programmes, as determined by the relevant Quality Council or other quality assurer; and historical inequalities. DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
24. A simplistic picture – Status Quo Traditional Universities Drop Out Universities Of Technology Drop Out FET Colleges SCHOOL
25. A Simplistic Picture - Way Forward FET Colleges Universities Of Technology Traditional Universities SCHOOL
26. A Different Take on Differentiation DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
27. THE POST-SCHOOL EDUCATION AND TRAINING SYSTEM SKILLS PLANNING QUALITY ASSURANCE AND ADVISORY BODIES, QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORKS UNIVERSITIES, UNIVERSITIES OF TECHNOLOGY AND COMPREHENSIVES WORKPLACE LEARNING FACILITATED BY SETA’S COLLEGES PUBLIC ADULT LEARNING AND SKILLS CENTRES NATIONAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY STEERS SETA’S AND NSF WITHIN THE COMMITMENTS OF HRDSA 27
28. New: A continuum of individual institutional missions and trajectories articulating with each other? Clusters? DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
29. TOWARDS FET/UoT PARTNERSHIPS Quality Exams and lecturer development FET colleges work with UoT to offer Higher Certificates ( and Advanced Certificates) Selection based on set of stringent criteria eg Must offer corresponding NCT/ NC(V) programme Limited number of Higher Certificates for each FET college Must have existing staff exchange programme with HEI Minimum % of academic staff of FET college must have M+4 QA? Admission requirement: Grade 12 or NCV4 ‘equivalent’ DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING