Chairperson, the DA's vision for higher education and training is of a system that equips South Africans with the knowledge and skills they need to fulfil their true potential. It is a system that consists of committed and professional lecturers who can deliver quality education. It is a system that will facilitate a shift to a knowledge-based economy and that can deliver the skills necessary to boost productivity and incomes.
This is vital if we are to encourage economic growth and job creation and deliver opportunities for all South Africans. The Higher Education and Training budget must be read against this vision and the proposals contained in the National Development Plan must be kept in mind. They are important beacons to guide us towards the creation of a better and stronger system. However, this budget must also be read taking into account the realities of our present situation. It also has to be read in the context of skills shortages and a basic education system that leaves much to be desired, with learners ill equipped to perform in higher education and training.
In light of this, the announcement of billions of rands over the next three years for the refurbishment and building of new further education and training colleges is welcome news and does indicate that these colleges are an important component of the higher education and training sector. This allocation will indeed contribute to alleviating the problems experienced by the colleges regarding spatial constraints and the greater demand and emphasis on access.
However, access does not necessarily lead to success and access without success will not address the country's demand for well-skilled employees. Infrastructure, although very important, does not guarantee quality teaching and learning. If one looks at the figures provided to the portfolio committee in terms of the performance levels at FET colleges, it is clear that there are serious problems with teaching and learning in the FET sector. Pass rates of between 16% and 22% for mathematics and all the certification rates almost below 40% does not augur well for the future of these students and for reaching the vision set out in the NDP.
Although the department's annual performance plan makes provision for the training of lecturers, serious attention will have to be given to the actual quality of the training of these lecturers. In order to meet the vision of a quality education system, in which schools have globally competitive literacy and numeracy standards and 80% of every cohort of learners successfully completes 12 years of schooling, the quality of teacher training has to be improved. One of the ways of improving this is focusing on the reopening of teacher training colleges. The question one still has to ask is whether or not the department is really serious about this.
The Minister has said today that they will be opened and mentioned a few. We have been hearing promises about the reopening of these colleges for a number of years. In April 2008, headlines read, "Pandor confirms plans to reopen teacher training colleges." The reopening was even part of the ANC election manifesto in 2009. In May 2010, the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training was informed that the matter was being dealt with and in April 2011, the New Age reported that the Minister announced that teacher colleges were to reopen. Again, in April 2012, we heard that this was going to happen and today we heard it again. In the interest of the education of our children and future students, the South African people deserve a clear answer about whether or not it is going to happen, if there is a comprehensive plan and not only a few examples, and what the specific time frame is.
It is encouraging that there is an increase in the financial support for poor students. It is indeed in the interest of the country that students who are academically deserving but do not have the financial means to study be assisted by NSFAS. Not only does this contribute to the wellbeing of the individual student but it also has a ripple effect on the community and economy of the country. Access to higher education and training is, arguably, one of the best mechanisms to eradicate poverty and narrow the gap between rich and poor.
However, it is important to note that the system as it functions at the moment does lead to some unfortunate consequences. On the side of the students, there is a problem that because of the great number of financially needy students, universities, in an effort to assist as many as possible, give only partial financial assistance to students. This means that students are still left with finding ways to fund the remainder of their study fees, leaving them with debt. In many instances these students do not continue with their studies, which is an absolute tragedy not only for the students personally but also for the country. Many universities try to accommodate these students, but in the end they cannot run into a deficit and they too have to balance their books.
An additional problem that will have to be addressed sooner rather than later relates to those students who, in terms of the current means test, do not qualify for financial assistance. These are students whose parents earn above the threshold to qualify for NSFAS, but who do not earn enough to qualify for loans at other financial institutions. The question is: What becomes of these students?
Although the increase in funding for NSFAS is welcomed and appreciated, it is still insufficient to provide access to higher education and training at the levels that the country requires. What is welcoming is the recent report on student accommodation. This is a serious problem and besides the shortages of accommodation at the different higher-education institutions, the exploitation of students in private off-campus accommodation is shocking and unacceptable. This is a sad state of affairs and it was again highlighted this past weekend in the media.
Not only is proper and safe accommodation a problem but the fact that many students also go hungry is extremely disturbing. In this regard, I would like to congratulate the Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Free State, Professor Jonathan Jansen, on his "No Student Hungry" programme. This is the kind of initiative that shows that the community cares for our students. This is indeed the kind of programme and initiative that could and should be replicated across the country.
The funding of universities is another point of concern. It is important that the greater emphasis on access should not place financial burdens on higher-education institutions that they cannot absorb because their funds have been exhausted. This could lead to irreparable harm to our university system, with consequences for sustained economic growth and development.
A worrying feature of higher education at the moment is the number of higher-education institutions where there are governance and management problems. From the reply to a parliamentary question in this regard, it seems as if the reason for these problems relates to the councils at these institutions. It is therefore extremely important that the councils at the different higher-education institutions have the requisite capacity, in terms of knowledge and expertise, to fulfil their fiduciary functions.
The department will also have to ensure that the necessary early-warning systems are in place to rather take corrective or remedial measures before situations take on crisis proportions. The question, Minister, is whether or not many of these problems could have been detected earlier by means of a thorough analysis of the reports that these institutions submit to your department. Was there no indication that processes and procedures were not being followed? The consequences of a poorly governed and managed institution do not only have an effect on management and the staff but they have a negative knock-on effect on students, their performance, their future and the institution's standing in society.
I would, however, want to raise a caveat that the governance problems experienced at some of these institutions should not pave the way for a process to reduce university autonomy. University autonomy and academic freedom are important pillars of a democratic society such as our own. It is going to require tough decisions and an unwavering commitment to quality education if we were to build a higher education and training system that can truly offer South Africans the knowledge and skills they need to build a better, brighter future. [Applause.]