Hon Chairperson, hon members, Ministers, Deputy Ministers, ladies and gentlemen, the portfolio committee welcomes the introduction of these three Bills which we are discussing as one in this debate and, obviously, proposing their adoption in this Assembly of our people.
I have to thank various institutions and structures that were part of this process, which did not necessarily only start when the portfolio committee dealt with it. The process began during the transition from the Department of Labour to the Department of Higher Education and Training via the Department of Education. There, the Basic Education portfolio committee had to deal with and engage on certain issues concerning the Higher Education and Training committee. So, we want to thank all those institutions and structures of Parliament that had a preliminary engagement on these respective processes.
The portfolio committee has engaged on this particular matter since August this year. At the beginning of the debate, we really had a tussle between how deep we should go and the fact that this is a technical piece of legislation. We had to decide between working on it more substantially or dealing with the technicalities only.
There was also another question that the portfolio committee had to deal with, and that was with regard to public hearings. Currently, there is a convention that if the changes are extremely technical, one does not really require a public hearing process in an expanded way. However, we deliberated on this matter and the portfolio committee agreed that it is important to give input to the public on this issue.
Die voorleggings wat ons gekry het, was grotendeels te doen met ondersteuning vir hierdie drie wetsontwerpe. Ons het een of twee voorleggings gekry wat basies aangedui het dat hulle voel kwessies moet baie meer in diepte aangespreek word. In ondersteuning van wat die Minister nou ook ges het, het ons besluit dat daar 'n Groenskrif-proses sal wees. Ons sal daardie voorleggings binne daardie proses akkommodeer, waar daar baie meer deeglike gesprekvoering oor die kwessie moet wees. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[The submissions we received mostly had to do with support for these three Bills. We received one or two submissions in which it was indicated that they believe issues should be addressed more thoroughly. In support of what the Minister has also just said, we have decided to follow a Green Paper process. We shall accommodate those submissions within that process, where there has to be more in-depth discussion about the issue.]
I want to thank all the political parties that participated in the portfolio committee process, and all the parties that have confirmed these amendments. I would also like to thank hon James, who has now moved from Higher Education and Training to another portfolio committee, for his input and engagement in our committee. I wish him well.
Essentially, the mandate to change this legislative process came from the January 8 Statement, and I would like to read from that. Page 15 in the January 8 Statement of 2010 reads as follows:
The process of creating a single postschool and training system for the youth and adults is now under way. Through such a system, the ANC government aims to respond to the requirements of the economy, rural development challenges, the need to develop an informed and critical citizenry, and maximum co-operation amongst the components of the learning delivery system at colleges, universities, workplaces and work training centres.
The January 8 Statement continues by saying:
Through such an integrated system, the ANC government will significantly increase access to postschool education and training. In addition, there shall be an effective co-ordination between the Seta system and education and training institutions, particularly FET colleges and universities of technology.
So what we are seeing, hon members, is that that which the January 8 Statement calls an "underway process" - which is based on our Polokwane resolutions - has been transformed, and has gone to the state. We are now seeing the implementation of that initial "underway process" speaking to legislative changes.
In terms of the respective Bills, therefore, essentially, we had to look at definitional changes in the Higher Education Laws Amendment Bill. We also had to address critical aspects that caused confusion in the Higher Education and Training system as a result of the transfer of the Skills Development Act.
So Parliament and the Department of Higher Education and Training would go out either on oversight visits or to the summits that the Minister has spoken about. There would be times when people would not be clear on matters, because they are looking at the law and still seeing definitions that are not relevant in their current context. Therefore we had to bring this before Parliament.
The amendments also seek to avoid confusion in respect of qualifications offered by private institutions, and to confirm their qualifications on the National Qualifications Framework, the NQF.
The Higher Education and Training Laws Amendment Bill seeks to amend certain definitions of the Adult Basic Education and Training Act, Act 52 of 2000, and to make provision for the employment and employers of educators at public centres by inserting provisions in the said Act. So, we had to look at those things and at the process and powers, functions, and the monitoring and evaluation of adult education and training.
Regarding the issue of international private providers, there was one submission that we found within the context of the public hearings, where the private providers felt very strongly that the insertion of certain wording will, in fact, make it a very bureaucratic process. From their point of view, it can delay quality education with regard to the registration of their qualifications. We debated this matter, because they also indicated, hon Minister, that if they were not to get their way, they would even consider taking the matter to court. We looked at the matter, and it is quite clear to us that it is, indeed, a separate issue. The insertion of the wording within the draft legislation will not necessarily affect it.
We must have registration at our South African Qualifications Authority as well as the National Qualifications Framework. We must have those issues presented there otherwise we would not know what types of qualifications are, at times, being offered to our citizens. And then we could find faulty qualifications or inferior presentations towards qualifications. So, that was a very real issue.
Another issue that the committee debated and had to deal with was that some of the members were concerned about the removal of the word "basic" from the title "basic education and training" resulting in the term "adult education and training". This could lead to adults who want a very basic education feeling that they would not be given the support they need.
However, it was clarified with the department that basic education for adults is addressed by the Kha Ri Gude Mass Literacy campaign, which is a function of the Basic Education Department. Therefore there is a co- operative environment between basic education and adults in the context of basic education, in addition to what the Minister has termed postliteracy education, which, to a larger degree, addresses the issue of skilling processes.
So, those were some of the issues that we had to deal with and debate. Generally, the process was followed properly. We also had a divergence of opinions, but through the portfolio and public hearing processes we were able to make certain amendments that strengthen the definitional changes, and not necessarily just pass it as is.
So, with that, we, as the portfolio committee, obviously want to present these three respective Bills for adoption by the Assembly. Thank you. [Applause.]