Manamela outlines plan for sweeping reforms in SA's tertiary education & training system

PRETORIA - Higher Education Minister Buti Manamela has outlined a sweeping reform plan for the country’s post-school education and training system, saying that the sector remains fragmented, underperforming and out of step with the economy’s needs.

The minister briefed the media in Pretoria on Tuesday morning, three weeks after he was appointed to his new role after his predecessor, Nobuhle Nkabane, was dismissed for misleading Parliament about the SETA board panel appointments.

Manamela’s six objectives include creating a unified system, expanding access, aligning courses with jobs, improving quality, tightening governance and securing long-term funding stability.

The minister said that the reform plan was built on five pillars of job creation, a green just transition, stronger public-sector capacity, African-led research and innovation, and social inclusion.

In the next three months, Manamela said that he wanted to stabilise NSFAS, restructure sector education and training authorities, begin long-term funding talks with Treasury and launch three flagship projects.

Over the next year, the minister plans to pilot autonomous colleges, reform community colleges, introduce new TVET curriculums, and roll out a national database for the sector.

"We’ve already indicated to actors within the system to look forward to engaging with them qualitatively on the pieces of legislative amendments that we will be instituting."

The minister has also set out to put in place a fully sustainable funding model, consolidated reforms, system-wide digital learning, and stronger links between study and work within the next four years.

Manamela said that the aim was a single, coherent, high-performing system that delivered opportunity for all South Africans.