Question No. 210
Mr ML Fransman (African National Congress) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:
(1) With reference to the government's strategic focus on rural development, what (a) measures did his department put in place with regard to (i) education and (ii) skills development, (b) has been the total spent on education and skills development in the rural areas and (c) types of projects for skills development has been rolled out for the 2010/11 financial year?
Reply:
(a) Government priorities such as speeding up growth and transforming the economy to create decent work and sustainable livelihoods, building economic and social infrastructure, and developing a comprehensive rural development strategy will be critical to National Skill Development Strategy III (NSDSIII).
The draft NSDSIII framework indicates that the development of the skills necessary for the rural development strategy will require cross sectoral coordination.
The draft NSDSIII framework indicates that, for example, given the variety of interventions in the rural development strategy which straddle virtually all areas of public policy.
The implementation of the rural development strategy will require that a range of activities in different sectoral plans be coordinated across sectors and agencies. This outcome is not, as some might suppose, only relevant to the agricultural sector as all sectors have, or should have, a footprint in these areas.
The sector skills plan currently being developed by the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs), we have asked for a focus on rural development.
The plans must include rural development needs in the analysis of the economic performance and outlook of each sector, the particular labour market context for the sector, and an analysis the supply of skills against the demand for labour within the specific sector including a special on rural needs.
To support this work, the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform (DRDLR) is collaborating with the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) to lead the process to design a skills development strategy targeting rural areas.
The Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) has been asked to act as the central coordinating agency to provide evidence based support to this policy development process.
A skills development strategy for sustainable rural livelihoods is urgently needed. An overarching goal of this targeted strategy must be to contribute towards government's interventions to reduce rural poverty, create decent and sustainable livelihoods and bring about broad-based social development and social cohesion.
It needs to enable people in rural areas to actively participate in socio-economic activities; to facilitate broader and deeper participatory development.
It is recognised that delivery to the needs of the rural population will cut across the eight priority commitments. The rural areas have received insufficient attention in respect of skilling and investment for many years.
Any rural skills development strategy should fit with an overarching national approach. This should optimise the flow from school to post-school learning opportunities, and from school to work.
In addition to this initiative, the ongoing work of the department includes Further Education and Training (FET) colleges in rural areas, universities serving rural areas, National Skill Fund (NSF) projects undertaken in rural areas, and projects of SETAs that are offered in rural areas.
(b) and (c) To disaggregate this information regarding total spend on education and skills development and types of projects for skills development from its various sources across the branches in the department requires more time than the oral question period time permits.
I would be happy however to provide this information to Member Fransman and undertake to do so. I can however indicate that the following FET Colleges have a footprint in rural areas:
| Eastern Cape | Ikhala |
| Ingwe | |
| King Hintsa | |
| King Sabata Dalindyebo | |
| Free State | Maluti |
| KwaZulu-Natal | Majuba |
| Mthashana | |
| Mnambithi | |
| Esayidi | |
| Limpopo | Liphalale |
| Waterberg | |
| Vhembe | |
| Letaba | |
| Mopani | |
| Sekhukhune | |
| Mpumalanga | Gert Sibande |
| Nkangala | |
| Ehlanzeni | |
| Northern Cape | Northern Cape Rural |
| North West | Orbit (Mankwe) |
| Taletso (Lehurutse) | |
| Vuselelea (Taung) | |
| Western Cape | Boland |
| West Coast |
In respect of higher education, earmarked grant for infrastructure provides funding to universities to construct 1 000 new student places and to renew 2 000 student places in rural areas and small towns.
There has been a focused effort to upgrade infrastructure at our rural universities such as University of Zululand, University of Fort Hare, University of Venda, University of Limpopo and Rhodes University.
The assessment of need has been based on unpacking the kinds of difficulties that these institutions face. It is envisaged that the work of the accommodation task team will also focus on the pressing need for accommodation at the universities as well as others.
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has a sub-component in which R9.6 million was channeled to the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in order to specifically target rural areas.
In addition the communication strategies of the NSFAS include a partnership with the Rural Education Access Programme and other NGOs to ensure that access is not urban based purely.
Source: Department of Education
