Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande has urged students to focus on true transformation of education rather than allowing themselves to be sidetracked by poo-throwing and destruction of statues.
Nzimande said his department will, before the end of the year, identify and quantify exactly what is meant by the transformation of higher education, including racial transformation, sound management, quality and access.
In this regard, Nzimande emphasised he was very unhappy with the transformation of some historically disadvantaged institutions (HDIs) into institutions of quality higher education.
This year, Nzimande’s department had put aside more than R2-billion specifically to help and stabilise HDIs.
The corrupt way the massive National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is administered at some universities has cost the ANC votes in Student Representative Council elections – including losing the University of Fort Hare to the DA – and yesterday Nzimande admitted he was shocked by NSFAS corruption on some campuses.
Therefore, a forensic audit will begin before the end of the month, focusing on institutions known to have NSFAS problems.
The audit must be provisionally finished by the end of the year, Nzimande announced.
The minister also said his fight against the scourge of false qualifications would result in blacklisting anyone who lied about their qualifications.
The director-general of higher education, Gwebs Qonde, announced that a forensic audit of qualifications in the civil service was being initiated in collaboration with the South African Qualifications Authority (Saqa), and that criminal charges would follow.
During the budget vote debate, opposition MPs tore into Nzimande, accusing him of strangling universities. “The ANC is squarely to blame for the fact that there is no new generation of academics to take over from the older generation,” warned DA MP and renowned academic Belinda Bozzoli.
“When the current older generation is gone, there will be no one left to take their place.”
She pointed out that no self-respecting young professional person would opt for an entry-level academic career in which they would earn less than a rock drill operator.
Nzimande challenges student activists
Nzimande said his department will, before the end of the year, identify and quantify exactly what is meant by the transformation of higher education, including racial transformation, sound management, quality and access.
In this regard, Nzimande emphasised he was very unhappy with the transformation of some historically disadvantaged institutions (HDIs) into institutions of quality higher education.
This year, Nzimande’s department had put aside more than R2-billion specifically to help and stabilise HDIs.
The corrupt way the massive National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is administered at some universities has cost the ANC votes in Student Representative Council elections – including losing the University of Fort Hare to the DA – and yesterday Nzimande admitted he was shocked by NSFAS corruption on some campuses.
Therefore, a forensic audit will begin before the end of the month, focusing on institutions known to have NSFAS problems.
The audit must be provisionally finished by the end of the year, Nzimande announced.
The minister also said his fight against the scourge of false qualifications would result in blacklisting anyone who lied about their qualifications.
The director-general of higher education, Gwebs Qonde, announced that a forensic audit of qualifications in the civil service was being initiated in collaboration with the South African Qualifications Authority (Saqa), and that criminal charges would follow.
During the budget vote debate, opposition MPs tore into Nzimande, accusing him of strangling universities. “The ANC is squarely to blame for the fact that there is no new generation of academics to take over from the older generation,” warned DA MP and renowned academic Belinda Bozzoli.
“When the current older generation is gone, there will be no one left to take their place.”
She pointed out that no self-respecting young professional person would opt for an entry-level academic career in which they would earn less than a rock drill operator.
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