INCREASING ACCESS AND SUPPORT TO TERTIARY EDUCATION

Lessons learnt from CSI-funded bursary programmes

in South Africa

Presented at the SAGRA Quarterly Network Event

by:

Silvester Hwenha

Presentation Overview

1. The problem

2. Significance of tertiary education

3. Structure of higher education

4. Research findings

5. Highlights from bursary programmes

6. Emerging insights

7. Lessons for corporate social investors

The problem…

Significance of tertiary education

Tertiary education is critical in:

• developing specialised skills;

• conducting research and evaluating knowledge;

• job creation; and

• contributes towards poverty eradication and social and economic

growth.

The structure of higher education in South Africa

102 public teacher training colleges, 20 universities and 15 technikons

Restructuring &

consolidation

23 HEIs

11 universities 6 comprehensive universities

6 universities oftechnology

• Over 90 registered private HEIs

The structure of higher education in South Africa (cont’d)

Enrolment in higher education937 220 (public)

93 000 (private)

Enrolment in FET Colleges427 423 (public)

80 000 (private)

AETC297 000

18 to 24 year-olds not in education, employment or training (NEET) 3.2 million.

Research findings – the good

• Increasing student enrolment in colleges and universities:

• Gender equity has been achieved in tertiary enrolment

• State spending on universities increased from R6.7 billion in 2000 to R23.4

billion in 2011.

• In 2012/13 universities were allocated R20.9 billion and the budget is

projected to increase to R24.6 billion by 2016.

1993 2010 2012

473 000 893 024 1 030 220

Research findings – the good (cont’d)

• Between 1991 and 2012 National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS)

funded 991 759 students at a total cost of R25.1 billion in bursaries and

loans.

• Annual funding for NSFAS has increased from R22 million in 1991 to R513

million in 2000 to R3.2 billion in 2009. In 2012 NSFAS was allocated R5

billion for student loans and bursaries;

• CSI funding for education has increased over time. In 2013 the education

sector received 43% of the almost R8 billion of total CSI spend.

Research findings – the bad (cont’d)

• Racial inequality in higher education still remains

– 14% and 15% of Black and Coloured students between 20 and 24 years old

are in higher education

– 46% and 57% for Indian and White students between 20 and 24 years old are

in higher education

• Unacceptably high student dropout rate

– 45% of students drop out in university

– Drop out rate higher among Black students (59%)

– 35% of White students dropout

• Funding for tertiary education remains inadequate despite all efforts

Research findings – the bad (cont’d)

Reasons for high student drop-out rate:

• Poor selection of learners entering higher education

• Lack of adequate funding

• Inadequate academic support

• Inadequate support systems to guide students through tertiary

education

• Language of teaching and learning

• Lack of discipline among students and an entitlement culture

Research findings – the bleak reality (cont’d)

• Few students are passing matric with a bachelor

admission

• Students lack adequate foundational academic

skills and competencies to transition from

secondary to tertiary education

• Poor career advice and choices

First gap

• Students require comprehensive financial support

– tuition, books, meals transport and living expenses

• Psychosocial support required by students to deal with the demands of

life on campus

• Mentorship programmes and peer support groups necessary for most

students

• Workshops to support student social and academic development

necessary to ensure students graduate

Highlights from bursary programmes

• Student recruitment and placement: Place the right students in the right

courses at the right institutions

– REAP – uses a network of partnerships and volunteers to identify and assist potential

bursars in rural areas to apply for funding

– Assist bursars to make appropriate career choices

– SciMathUS Bridging Programme – for students who did not qualify for higher

education

– TBF – first engage with learners in Grade 11

– Target specific universities with programmes that approved programmes

Highlights from bursary programmes – best practice

• Student support : Provide intensive support to effectively manage the

initial transition

– Provide full cost bursaries

– Orientation camps

– TBF – target universities that provide life, study and workplace readiness skills, provide

mentoring support sand facilitate community service and vacation work opportunities

– Peer mentorship programme (3rd years students mentor 2nd year students and 2nd years

mentor 1st years)

– REAP assigns a student development advisor to each student once a term to review

and address any academic and social challenges

– Stellenbosch University – First Year Academy (FYA) to support first year students at-risk

of failing

– Tutor groups in halls of residence

Highlights from bursary programmes – best practice

• Work placement: Expose bursars to relevant work place skills to

complement the academic and technical skills

– TBF - Third year workplace readiness camps

– SU – Work placement programme

Highlights from bursary programmes – best practice

• Lack of resources and dependence on central government

• Inadequate infrastructure

• Increasing numbers of students

• Little research being conducted

Research findings – challenges faced by HEI

• Graduation rates still low

• More graduates in human and social sciences; business

and commerce; and science and technology

• Tertiary graduates unprepared for the world of work

• Few programmes providing students with practical work place skills

• Many employers competing for few top graduates

• Universities training very few postgraduate students

Research findings – the second gap (cont’d)

• A more holistic and robust theory of change required in the education

sector

• Inefficiencies in the education value chain renders the cost of education

unnecessarily high

• Increase opportunities for post-graduate studies. Global competitiveness

of any country rests on high level research and knowledge creation at

tertiary institutions

• Tertiary institutions must be more responsive to skills required in the

economy.

Emerging insights

• Assess the capacity, expertise and experience of bursary fund managers

to ensure that investments in bursary programmes are effective, achieve

intended goals and are sustainable

• Invest in and pay close attention to the selection of bursars

• Commit to get all bursars to graduation through ensuring access to

funding student academic and social support needs

Lessons for corporate social investors

Lessons for corporate social investors

.

• Support mechanisms designed to expose bursars to the world of work

through holiday attachments, learnerships or job placements

• Promote the evaluation and impact assessment of bursary programmes in

order to determine the value and contribution to society as well as the

return on investment.

• Pilot innovative bursary-funding models and programmes and leverage

government funding to take these to scale.

.