Minister for Higher Education and Training, Dr Blade Nzimande, will present his fourth Budget Vote for the 2012/13 financial year in Parliament on Tuesday, 24 April 2012.
The fourth Budget Vote since the Department was established in 2009 comes at a time when Minister Nzimande can count a number of key interventions he has successfully led his department in, within the post-school education and training sector, key of which was the release of the Green Paper on Post School Education and Training in January.
Other interventions Minister Nzimande has presided over include:
Improving access for poor students at universities where in the 2011 academic year, final year students who qualified for National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) aid received loans equivalent to the full cost of study (tuition, accommodation, food and books). On successful completion of studies, the final year loan was converted into a full bursary.
The department set aside a total of R200 million to assist students who had successfully completed their university diplomas and degrees, but had not received their certificates or graduated because they owed money to universities.
Since 2011, Further Education and Training (FET) college students in the NC (V) programme and the N-Courses who qualify for NSFAS funding are completely exempted from paying fees.
The Department set aside a special bursary fund of about R77 million which was dedicated to supporting students with disabilities at universities to cover their full cost of study, including study aids.
Full bursary support for FET colleges has tripled from R318 million in 2011 to R1.7 billion in 2012.
Collaboration between FET Colleges, Universities, SETAs, business and industry has become one of the most prominent focal points of the department, with the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) tasked with facilitating partnerships between institutions of learning and employers.
A comprehensive turnaround strategy for FET Colleges has set them on a path whereby these institutions can claim their rightful place as the institutions of choice for the country’s economic growth and scarce skills development.
The Budget Vote speech will give an indication of the Department’s achievements within the past financial period and key focus areas for the 2012/13 financial year. It will be presented on Tuesday, 24 April 2012 at 14h00 at the Old Assembly in Parliament.
The speech will be preceded by a media briefing in the Imbizo Media Centre.
Enquiries:
Vuyelwa Qinga
Tel: 012 312 5555 / 5538
Fax1: 086586704
Fax2: 012 323 5618
Cell: 076 883 4144
E-Mail: Qinga.V@dhet.gov.za
Minister Nzimande to present his fourth Budget Vote speech
