TECHNICAL EDUCATION
Funding gap at crowded colleges ‘set to widen’
In a developing economy, the technical skills offered by these colleges are critical to growth
Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) colleges are underfunded because of overenrolment and the Treasury projects the funding gap will widen by 2020. In a developing economy, the technical skills offered by these colleges are critical to growth. The government wants colleges to become the cornerstone of higher learning and take over from universities in meeting industrial needs, but resources are scarce. In response to questions in Parliament on Wednesday, Higher Education and Training Minister Blade Nzimande said that TVET colleges were funded at 57% of the required 80% due to overenrolment. Public TVET colleges are subsidised by the state. About R9.6m was earmarked for TVETs in the financial year 2017-18 but R23.8m was required. TVET funding for 2018-19 faces an R18.5m shortfall, which will grow to R19.5m in 2019-20. The white paper for post-school education and training proposes increasing enrolment at colleges from about 700,000 to 2.5-million by 2030 to ease pr...
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