By Thapelo Molefe

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has opened applications for the 2027 academic year, with the scheme now back under board-led governance following the suspension of administrator Professor Hlengani Mathebula’s appointment by the Gauteng High Court.

Higher Education and Training Minister Buti Manamela officially opened the application cycle on Friday, saying applications would remain open until 31 October.

Interim NSFAS Board chairperson Advocate Richardt Ramashia said the scheme was ready to receive, process and adjudicate applications after conducting a final system check before the launch.

He said the system had already received almost 6,000 applications during the overnight test, with more than 2,000 successfully processed.

“Today, we are able to say, yes, NSFAS is ready, not only to receive these applications. We are ready to process them. We are ready to adjudicate,” Ramashia said.

The 2027 application process has been redesigned to make greater use of the NSFAS mobile application, allowing prospective students to create profiles, submit applications, upload documents and receive confirmation through their mobile devices.

Ramashia urged applicants to ensure that their supporting documents are complete and readable and that consent forms are correctly completed.

He also warned students not to stop before submitting their applications.

“After doing everything that you have done, uploading, recording, editing and everything, please press that submit button,” he said.

Once submitted, applicants will receive a confirmation message and a unique reference number which can be used to track their applications.

The launch comes after a major change in the governance of NSFAS.

The scheme was placed under administration on 4 May, with Manamela appointing Mathebula as administrator after dissolving the board. The department said the intervention was intended to address governance, financial and operational problems at NSFAS.

However, on 14 August, the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria suspended Mathebula’s appointment as administrator pending the finalisation of an application challenging his appointment. The court also directed the former board members who brought the application to continue managing and governing NSFAS.

This means NSFAS is now operating under a board-led governance arrangement, rather than administration.

On 11 September, Manamela announced that Ramashia had been designated interim chairperson of the NSFAS Board to provide leadership and continuity while vacancies on the board are filled.

The minister also supported the board’s request for Waseem Carrim to continue as Acting CEO, meaning the current leadership is headed by Ramashia as interim chairperson, with Carrim responsible for the day-to-day executive management of NSFAS.

Manamela said the return to board-led governance followed a period of institutional transition.

“The past few months have been a period of significant institutional transition for the NSFAS. We moved through a period of administration and have now returned to a board-led governance arrangement,” he said.

He said the immediate focus was to ensure stability, improve governance and ensure that NSFAS could continue providing financial assistance to students.

According to Ramashia, NSFAS plans to conclude its initial funding decisions by 30 November.

An audit of those decisions will take place from 1 to 9 December, followed by an appeals window from 10 to 24 December.

Appeal outcomes are expected to be published by 9 January 2027, while the list of students who qualify for funding will be sent to institutions by 11 January 2027.

Ramashia said the timetable was designed to give NSFAS enough time to process applications, review decisions and conduct internal and external audit work before releasing the final funding list.

“We wanted to eliminate any possibility of technical glitches. We have had to make sure that no potential NSFAS beneficiary is excluded from funding because of errors of technical imperfections,” he said.

Manamela said NSFAS had also introduced automated document verification, electronic document signing and strengthened verification of student registration and banking information.

He said the department was working with the Department of Home Affairs to strengthen verification systems.

The minister also said work had started on a loan management system for students who fall into the so-called missing middle and do not qualify for NSFAS bursary funding.

Manamela warned prospective students that applying for NSFAS does not guarantee admission to a university or Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college.

“Application to NSFAS does not guarantee access to your chosen area of study. You must also apply to institutions as funding eligibility alone will not ensure a place to study in your chosen qualification,” he said.

Applications for public TVET colleges for the 2027 academic year are open until 30 September, while the NSFAS application period runs until 31 October.

Manamela said NSFAS would also deploy outreach teams to provinces, districts, rural areas, townships and other marginalised communities to help eligible students with applications.

He stressed that applying for NSFAS is free.

“It’s free to apply for the NSFAS. You don’t need to pay anybody anything for that,” he said.

Manamela also said the scheme would continue working on the missing-middle funding model for students whose household income is above the NSFAS bursary threshold but who still cannot afford the full cost of higher education.

For the 2027 cycle, NSFAS has urged students to apply early rather than waiting until the October deadline.

INSIDE EDUCATION

The post NSFAS 2027 applications open as board takes back control after administrator’s suspension appeared first on Inside Education..

By Charmaine Ndlela

Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training Yusuf Cassim has vowed to follow up on thousands of student complaints received through his Helpdesk, after revealing that about 4,429 queries were recorded in July, including 560 NSFAS-related cases.

Cassim made the remarks during a visit to Nelson Mandela University (NMU) in Gqeberha on Friday, where he engaged directly with students about funding, food, transport, connectivity and unpaid work-integrated learning stipends.

The session also focused on student accommodation, non-academic barriers to well-being, SETA support, and restoring NSFAS funding for the Extended Studies programmes.

“A responsive government must be prepared to listen when questions are difficult, go where problems are experienced, distinguish between what it knows and what it still needs to establish, and identify clearly where responsibility sits,” Cassim said.

The visit went ahead despite a disagreement between NMU management and the Deputy Minister’s office over the arrangements and timing of the engagement.

Cassim’s office said the university had initially confirmed and supported the visit before later raising security concerns and asking that it be postponed.

NMU said it had welcomed the proposed visit but raised concerns about the short notice, security risks, the possible mobilisation of thousands of students and the impact on the academic programme.

Despite the disagreement, Cassim proceeded with the visit and met students who had raised concerns through his office.

“This is not a ceremonial visit. I am here because students have raised matters with my Office that require attention,” Cassim said.

The Deputy Minister, an NMU alumnus and former SRC president, said he wanted to hear directly from students and find practical solutions to problems affecting their university experience.

He said the Helpdesk had become an important mechanism for identifying recurring challenges across the higher education sector.

“In July alone, it recorded approximately 4,429 queries, including 560 NSFAS-related queries,” he said.

Cassim said the figures highlighted pressure points in the system, but warned that the Helpdesk should not become a place where students receive reference numbers without substantive assistance.

“It must be a mechanism through which we listen, identify patterns, intervene where necessary and follow cases through to substantive responses,” he said.

He said his office had undertaken similar engagements with students and institutions at Unisa, the Central University of Technology and Tshwane University of Technology.

Cassim said the NMU visit followed the same approach: listening to students, establishing the facts, identifying responsibility and determining what action was required.

Among the main issues raised was NSFAS funding and financial exclusion.

Cassim said his office had previously engaged NSFAS leadership over GAP investigations and the difficulties these cases created for students.

He said the department needed an updated picture of students affected by GAP investigations and cases involving dual registration.

A student submission cited during the engagement indicated that 63 NMU students were affected by GAP matters linked to dual registration, although Cassim said the figure still needed to be verified.

He called for clarity on how many students had been defunded, how many had appealed and how many cases remained unresolved.

He also questioned what happened to students who remained academically active but were financially excluded.

“A referral is not a resolution,” Cassim said.

He said students needed to know who was responsible for their cases, what information was still required and when they could expect a response.

Food insecurity was another concern raised during the engagement.

Cassim referred to a 6 May 2026 communication from the university regarding a proposed alternative Meal Management System under which students could opt out of catered meals and receive their food allowance directly into their bank accounts.

He said the status of the required safety and infrastructure assessment needed to be established, including what remained outstanding and when the model could be implemented.

He also called for immediate assistance for students struggling to access food.

Accommodation and transport were also raised.

Cassim said his office needed to establish the current accommodation gap and what immediate measures were available for students unable to secure accommodation on campus.

He said accommodation and transport could not be viewed separately because students living off campus still needed reliable access to lectures, laboratories and libraries.

The Deputy Minister also raised concerns about connectivity, saying reliable Wi-Fi had become essential to participation in higher education.

He called for an assessment of connectivity gaps both on campus and in accredited off-campus accommodation.

Another matter involved about 50 Medical Laboratory Science students undertaking work-integrated learning through the National Health Laboratory Service.

The students reportedly had not received their WIL stipends since July.

Cassim said his office had engaged the Health and Welfare Sector Education and Training Authority to establish whether the students were correctly captured, whether verification was outstanding and what was required for payments to be processed.

“The student should not carry the consequence of an administrative problem between institutions,” he said.

Student wellbeing was also discussed, with Higher Health participating in the engagement.

Cassim said students’ mental and emotional wellbeing could not be separated from the conditions in which they lived and studied.

He said financial exclusion, food insecurity, accommodation problems, transport difficulties and academic disruption could all affect students.

“Are students able to eat? Do they have a safe place to stay? Can they get to class? Do they have access to funding?” he asked.

Cassim told students he could not guarantee that every matter would be resolved immediately because some cases required verification and formal processes.

However, he said students should not be left moving from one office to another without knowing who was responsible for their cases.

He also addressed the absence of NMU management from the engagement.

Cassim said he had hoped university management would participate because some of the concerns raised by students required the institution’s response.

“I am not here to turn that decision into an institutional dispute or speculate about its reasons,” he said.

“But the absence of one stakeholder does not make the issues raised by students disappear.”

The university disputed the suggestion that it had refused to host the Deputy Minister.

In a statement, NMU said it was first notified of the intended visit on 11 September, seven days before the engagement.

It said management had to reconsider longstanding commitments, including preparations for a scheduled Council meeting, while the programme extended across two campuses and included weekend activities.

The university also pointed to the upcoming SRC election process scheduled for Monday, 21 September, saying the possible mobilisation of large numbers of students had implications for safety, security and the academic programme.

NMU said an internal security assessment had identified concerns that were shared with the Deputy Minister’s security detail.

It said it had proposed either proceeding with the visit under an arrangement that clearly allocated responsibilities and liabilities, or rescheduling it to allow the objectives of the visit to be achieved while managing the identified risks.

The university said it remained committed to constructive engagement with the Department of Higher Education and Training.

Cassim, meanwhile, said his office remained prepared to engage with the university through appropriate institutional channels.

The Deputy Minister is scheduled to continue the engagement at NMU’s George Campus on Saturday.

He said the measure of the visit would be whether students saw progress after the engagement.

“The real measure of this visit will not be how many meetings we hold or speeches we make. It is whether the student sees a change after we leave,” Cassim said.

He said this could mean a student’s question being answered, a funding case being addressed, an accommodation problem being escalated or a WIL stipend matter being progressed.

“The work does not end when we leave this room,” he said.

INSIDE EDUCATION

The post Cassim pushes ahead with NMU visit amid management standoff, vows to act on 4,429 student complaints appeared first on Inside Education..

By Lebone Rodah Mosima

Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Blade Nzimande has warned that artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies could usher in new forms of colonialism in Africa unless their development is governed by an ethical framework.  

Nzimande made the remarks in his closing address to the Human Sciences Research Council’s (HSRC) annual conference in Ekurhuleni.  

He said AI could not be properly understood without examining the social relations and power structures shaping technological change.

ALSO READ: Gauteng invests more than R2bn in social infrastructure as five delayed schools completed

“These narratives sometimes tend to represent technological change as if it evolves outside of social relations and power structures in which it is expressed,” he said.

He said the social sciences and humanities had a critical role to play in examining the promises and dangers of technologies including AI, robotics and bioengineering, as well as the political economy underpinning their development.

Citing US sociologist John Bellamy Foster, he said that the fetishisation of technology could obscure the economic and political forces driving inequality, ecological destruction and threats to democracy.

“We know from history that all the great leaps of technological change, from agrarian to industrial societies to the digital age – are not only the result of specific choices by dominant forces in each historical period, but have also been accompanied by new forms of inequality and social exclusion,” he said.

Nzimande also raised concerns about the effect of technology on mental health and social relations.

“A good case in point is the contradictory impact of social media on communities, including rising levels of suicide and depression in certain demographics,” he said.

He highlighted South Africa’s high suicide burden among young men and said government needed to better understand and address the problem.

Nzimande also questioned how society should value human intellectual labour compared with machine-generated work, particularly in education, the arts and culture.

“If AI becomes smarter than us, in more fields than narrow intelligence domains like chess or mathematics, should we allow it into other areas of human agency?”

He also criticised the influence of powerful technology executives in shaping visions of society’s future.

“It is perhaps not surprising that many of these techno oligarchs have amassed spectacular personal wealth and are often ardent sponsors of right-wing political and social movements across the world,” he said.

Nzimande said an ethical framework for AI would need to address inequality, neo-colonialism and international conflicts rather than treating technological development as politically neutral.

“It must speak against the use of digital tools such as AI in the genocide in Gaza, the invasion of Venezuela, and the Middle East,” he said.

He said such a framework should not be shaped only by governments and experts, but should also include civil society, labour movements and grassroots organisations.

Nzimande said the International Union of Scientists planned to hold a global people’s summit on ethical AI in South Africa in May next year, with the aim of adopting a People’s Charter on ethical AI.

“I wish to commend this effort and hope that it will galvanise as wide as possible a cross-section of social forces, especially from the global south and the wider African continent for this important task,” he said.

He also pointed to the department’s efforts to place science, technology and innovation more centrally within government and society.

“To be sure, when we refer to science here, we refer to both natural and social sciences. We have to remind people of this all the time, as well as humanities, with particular emphasis on transboundary and interdisciplinary knowledge as critical to the future of the national system of innovation,” he said.

Nzimande said the 2019 White Paper on Science, Technology and Innovation and the Science, Technology and Innovation Decadal Plan 2022–2032 recognised the importance of indigenous knowledge systems and ensuring marginalised communities were included in innovation and development.

“Our department has also been looking into programmes to develop African languages through machine learning tools – now widely available – and their integration into our education system.”

He said the HSRC had a central role to play alongside the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, National Research Foundation, universities and other institutions in monitoring the social consequences of technological change.

“For too long, science and technology have been the preview of elites and experts. We need to find a way of bringing this closer to the people.”

He said the social sciences and humanities were crucial to preserving human qualities such as care, solidarity, cooperation and compassion as machines became more embedded in everyday life.

“After all, these human traits, perhaps uniquely human, have been the key to our survival and eventual flourishing as a species for over 300,000 years of human evolution.”

INSIDE EDUCATION

The post Nzimande says unchecked AI could usher in new forms of colonialism appeared first on Inside Education..

By Charmaine Ndlela

The Gauteng government says it has invested more than R2 billion in social infrastructure projects during the 2026/27 financial year, with five long-delayed schools now completed as part of efforts to improve education infrastructure across the province.

During the State of Governance address on Wednesday, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi said the provincial infrastructure turnaround plan was beginning to deliver results, with about 24 new and delayed projects creating temporary jobs and opportunities for township-based small businesses.

ALSO READ: Soshanguve learners turn to farming as school expands practical skills training

“More than R2 billion has been invested in social infrastructure projects this financial year,” Lesufi said during a media address on Wednesday.

Completed projects include the Bantubonke Early Childhood Development Centre in Midvaal, Rust-ter-Vaal Secondary School in Midvaal, Dr W.K. du Plessis LSEN School in Springs, Nancefield Primary School in Eldorado Park and Simunye Primary School in Westonaria.

Lesufi said work was continuing at Semphato Junior Secondary School in Soshanguve, the Bekkersdal Social Integrated Facility in Randfontein, the Johannesburg Forensic Pathology Lab and the Women’s Living Monument in Tshwane.

The investment comes as Gauteng continues to face pressure on its public school infrastructure, particularly in areas experiencing population growth and high demand for school places.

The province is also implementing 26 rehabilitation, renovation and refurbishment projects, including work at Thubelihle Intermediate School in Soweto, St Ansgar’s Combined School in Randburg and Laerskool Generaal Nicolaas Smit in Tshwane.

According to Lesufi, the infrastructure turnaround strategy is intended to address the province’s long-delayed project pipeline while ensuring that new infrastructure projects are delivered on time and within budget.

Meanwhile, the Gauteng Department of Education is dealing with significant demand for school placements following the closure of the 2027 Online Admissions application period on 4 September.

ALSO READ: UJ tops South Africa in 10 subjects in global rankings

The department received 805,688 applications for Grades 1 and 8 for the 2027 academic year, with 357,468 parents and guardians registering on the online admissions system.

The system recorded 169,396 unique Grade 1 learners and 177,481 unique Grade 8 learners, amounting to 346,877 individual learners seeking placement in the two entry grades.

Lesufi said the department was now processing applications and working to ensure learners were placed efficiently and fairly while managing pressure on schools with high levels of demand.

The province is also preparing for the 2026 National Senior Certificate examinations, with Lesufi saying the necessary examination centres, personnel, security measures and systems had been put in place.

“We have put the necessary systems, examination centres, personnel and security measures in place to ensure that the examinations are conducted smoothly, securely and with integrity,” he said.

He also commended educators, school management teams, examination officials, security agencies, parents and learners for their work ahead of the examinations.

Lesufi also addressed delays in the payment of 2026/27 school subsidies, saying the province had initially planned to pay the first 50% tranche, amounting to R2.6 billion, by 15 May.

However, the department received insufficient cash allocations from Treasury to cover the subsidy payments in full while also paying suppliers and dealing with previous-year accruals.

To date, R1.7 billion has been paid, with R900 million still outstanding.

For public ordinary and special schools, the outstanding R900 million is planned to be paid during September and October, subject to the monthly cash-flow allocation from Treasury.

For independent subsidised schools, the two tranches amounting to 50% of the subsidy have been paid. The remaining tranches are scheduled for November and January, in line with policy and subject to cash availability.

INSIDE EDUCATION 

The post Gauteng invests more than R2bn in social infrastructure as five delayed schools completed appeared first on Inside Education..

By Thapelo Molefe

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in the Eastern Cape has criticised the provincial departments of Education and Transport over a scholar transport crisis that has left more than 200 learners at home for more than two weeks.

In a statement on Monday evening, the party said it met with affected parents at the Rhubusana District Office on Friday, where officials led by Acting District Director Vuyiseka Siciko committed to taking urgent steps to ensure the learners returned to school from Monday.

However, the EFF said parents were again left frustrated after the commitment was not fulfilled.

“Instead, they have once again been met with excuses, delays and shifting explanations from government,” the party said.

The EFF accused the Department of Transport, which it said is responsible for the administration and funding of scholar transport, of failing to provide a solution to the crisis.

The party said the Department of Education had at least attempted to intervene, but accused Transport of showing a lack of political will to resolve the matter.

The EFF said the problem was not isolated, pointing to previous scholar transport disruptions in Buffalo City that it claimed had affected thousands of learners and resulted in lost teaching time and missed examinations.

ALSO READ: NYDA, NEF commit R100m to fund youth-owned businesses 

It said the continued disruptions showed the need for a more reliable scholar transport system for learners, parents and transport operators.

“Scholar transport is not a favour to poor and working-class children. It is a responsibility of government,” the party said.

The EFF said the affected learners were approaching the final stages of the academic year and could not afford to lose more school days.

The party said it would confront the departments of Education and Transport on Tuesday and demand a permanent solution.

“We will not accept another meeting that produces another promise while learners remain at home,” it said.

The EFF also called on the Department of Transport to account for its handling of the scholar transport programme and said the government must ensure that the learners return to school.

INSIDE EDUCATION

The post EFF demands action over Eastern Cape scholar transport crisis appeared first on Inside Education..

By Charmaine Ndlela

The University of Johannesburg (UJ) has been ranked number one in South Africa in 10 academic subjects in the latest ShanghaiRanking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects (GRAS), with eight of those subjects also taking the top spot in Africa.

The results, released on Tuesday, place UJ among the leading universities globally across a range of disciplines, including engineering, education, business, management, political sciences and the natural sciences.

UJ was ranked number one in South Africa for Hospitality and Tourism Management, Earth Sciences, Political Sciences, Education, Business Administration, Management, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Telecommunication Engineering, Food Science and Technology, and Biotechnology.

Eight of these subjects also ranked number one in Africa.

The university’s strongest global performance came in Hospitality and Tourism Management, where it was ranked 19th in the world.

UJ Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Letlhokwa Mpedi said the results demonstrated the university’s research strength across a broad range of disciplines.

“These results speak to the depth and diversity of research excellence at UJ. Being ranked number 1 in South Africa across 10 subjects, with eight of these also leading Africa, demonstrates the strength of our academic enterprise across a remarkably broad range of disciplines,”  Mpedi said.

He said the rankings also reflected the university’s continued performance in established areas while highlighting emerging areas of research.

“Our continued global top 20 position in Hospitality and Tourism Management, together with the return of Political Sciences and the debut of Biotechnology, shows both the sustained quality and the evolving nature of our research strengths,” Mpedi said.

UJ was ranked in 15 of the 57 subject tables included in the 2026 GRAS.

The university secured second place nationally in Geography, Sociology and Chemical Engineering, while Economics was ranked third in South Africa.

Much of the bibliometric data used in the rankings, including research output, citation impact and international collaboration, covers the period from 2021 to 2025, while other indicators draw on faculty, awards and academic leadership data extending into 2026.

ShanghaiRanking assesses universities according to academic disciplines using indicators covering research output, research quality, research impact, international collaboration and the strength of academic faculty.

The ranking evaluates universities across 57 subjects in the natural sciences, engineering, life sciences, medical sciences and social sciences.

According to ShanghaiRanking Consultancy, the 2026 edition includes nearly 2,000 universities from around 100 countries and regions, covering about 20,000 subject units.

The assessment uses nine objective indicators grouped into five broad categories: world-class faculty, world-class research output, high-quality research, research impact and international collaboration.

The rankings are compiled using bibliometric data from sources including Web of Science and InCites, with publication thresholds varying according to the subject being assessed.

ShanghaiRanking first introduced global rankings by academic subject in 2009 before officially renaming the ranking the Global Ranking of Academic Subjects in 2016.

INSIDE EDUCATION

The post UJ tops South Africa in 10 subjects in global rankings appeared first on Inside Education..

By Charmaine Ndlela

The Soshanguve Engineering School of Specialisation has partnered with the Shoprite Foundation to launch a practical agriculture project aimed at equipping students with essential farming and sustainability skills.

The new school vegetable garden features two horticultural tunnels and a sustainable borehole, offering Grade 9 students a hands-on learning environment for agricultural science and sustainable farming. 

The facilities were officially launched at the school on Tuesday.

ALSO READ: NYDA, NEF commit R100m to fund youth-owned businesses 

Forty Grade 9 learners will use the tunnels for training in soil science, crop rotation, compost production, irrigation, and pest and weed control.

The Soshanguve expansion follows Shoprite Foundation’s first horticultural tunnel project at Oosrand Commerce and Entrepreneurship School of Specialisation, where about 5 000 units of produce have been harvested over the past two years for the school’s feeding scheme and sale to the surrounding community. More than 1 700 learners have received agricultural training.  

MarketPlace Academy, the Foundation’s implementation partner, also trains educators as facilitators and supports the addition of an accredited plant production part-qualification to the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS), giving learners the opportunity to leave school with practical skills in addition to their matric qualification

“Learners already study agriculture at school, but an accredited plant production part-qualification also requires practical work,” CEO of MarketPlace Academy Chantyl Mulder said. 

“The tunnels give them a place to do that work. That means they can leave school with matric and a recognised qualification that gives them a first step into the industry.”

School principal Mashiane Tladi said the project represents a new chapter for a school that has built its reputation around engineering, automotive studies and innovation.

Speaking at the launch, Tladi highlighted the transformation of the school over the years, saying it had gone from recording a 35% matric pass rate in 2017 to achieving a 100% pass rate in 2025.

He said the school had also improved its bachelor pass rate from 47% to 67%.

“[S]teadily, together, we are going to make sure that we lift the flag,” Tladi said.

He said learners were also participating in engineering, STEM, coding and robotics projects.

ALSO READ: Denel apprentices demand unpaid stipends as NSF weighs alternative payment process

The school has also produced projects that have competed internationally, including a solar-powered train and an electric vehicle.

He said learners had travelled to China and other countries for competitions and partnerships, while others were preparing for upcoming STEM competitions.

“We are a willing team. Excellence is our motto,” he said.

Tladi said the horticultural tunnels could help change how learners and the community view agriculture.

He said the school wanted the project to grow beyond simply producing vegetables for its own use.

“We are aiming big. We are looking forward to growing this vegetable garden to an extent that it also benefits not only the school but also the community.”

He said the school hoped learners would eventually see agriculture as an entrepreneurial opportunity.

“We are looking forward to expanding to other vegetable gardens so that our learners can also use this as an opportunity for entrepreneurship and take it as a business,” he said.

He said agriculture could also become a career option for learners who had previously not considered entering the sector.

The school hopes to share the skills and technology developed through the project with neighbouring schools.

Shoprite Foundation director Maude Modise said the initiative was designed to give learners practical skills that could help them beyond school.

She said young people needed exposure to skills that could give them greater opportunities in the job market, while also opening doors to entrepreneurship.

“Gone are the days where we only knew that we wanted to go into higher education. These days one needs to hone in on practical skills that actually give you more leverage in terms of applying for the job market,” Modise said.

Modise said the project could serve three purposes: skills development, supporting school feeding and creating fundraising opportunities.

“You cannot always rely on donors to come and give you money. This is a way for the school to actually generate its own funds,” she said.

The vegetables grown by learners could also supplement the school feeding programme.

Modise said the practical experience was important because learners could see the entire process of food production rather than only learning about it in a classroom.

“You learn in class that this is how you grow a crop. You plant it, you water it, and then you harvest. But the practical implication of it is actually a totally different way,” she said.

A Grade 10 learner, Puleng Mchunu, said that the project has already changed the way she thinks about food production and waste.

Mchunu said learners had been exploring ways of collecting vegetables and bottled water while reducing waste.

She said the garden could also help the school reduce its reliance on buying vegetables for its cafeteria.

“What I’ve learned is that there are many ways we can take care of our vegetables. Growing our vegetables can help us decrease waste from school,” Mchunu said.

ALSO READ: Gwarube: education reform must outlast political battles

She said the project showed learners that agriculture could be used to solve practical problems within the school and community.

“At the engineering school, what we need is a manual to solve problems. So we are finding this as a way to solve food problems and stop wasting most of the income from our food,” she said.

While Mchunu was still unsure whether she would pursue agriculture as a career after matric, she said the experience had made her more open to the possibility.

“When I went to the greenhouse, I saw food. It was amazing. You just feel calm and relaxed, so I might consider it,” she said.

INSIDE EDUCATION

The post Soshanguve learners turn to farming as school expands practical skills training appeared first on Inside Education..

By Charmaine Ndlela

Dozens of Denel Technical Academy (DTA) apprentices staged a protest at the Denel facility in Kempton Park on Monday, demanding answers about months of delayed and incomplete stipend payments.

The apprentices also demanded clarity over outstanding accommodation and transport payments, as well as their registration with the Transport Education Training Authority (TETA).

The National Skills Fund (NSF) acknowledged that payment problems remained and said it was looking for an “alternative mechanism” to pay learners whose attendance records were missing.

Over 700 learners are enrolled in an NSF-funded skills development programme through DTA, where they are being trained in aircraft and engineering-related trades, including Aircraft Avionics, Aircraft Mechanic, Fitter, Structural Worker, Electrician, Fitter and Turner and Welding.

The programme forms part of a sizeable publicly funded training initiative. The NSF previously said about R354 million had been approved for programmes administered by Phila Jordan Capital (PJC), including aviation and artisan training, with R156.5 million having been disbursed at the time the fund provided an update on the project.

Learners told Inside Education that payment problems had persisted for months, with some receiving only a fraction of their stipends and others claiming they had not been paid for certain months.

They said the delays had left some struggling to afford food and toiletries, while others faced uncertainty over accommodation.

One trainee, who asked not to be named, said learners from various provinces were particularly affected.

The trainee said some learners had also faced threats of eviction because accommodation payments were allegedly outstanding.

“We are terrified and scared of possible eviction because the rent is due,” she said.

Addressing the apprentices, the NSF Deputy Director for Regional Skills Development Monitoring and project manager, Londiwe Twumasi, said that the NSF was aware of the “difficulties” learners were facing.

She said the Fund was, however, bound by its internal processes and could not simply process stipends without evidence of attendance.

“We are bound by these processes that we cannot process when there is no evidence of attendance,” Twumasi said.

She said that the lack of attendance registers had become a challenge because some learners could not attend training due to circumstances beyond their control, including transport disruptions.

“Really, we cannot penalise them, whereas it was never their fault,” she said.

Twumasi said NSF management had escalated the matter to the Director-General of the Department of Higher Education and Training, who is the accounting authority of the Fund, because an alternative payment mechanism was needed.

“We have to now bring in the Director-General of the department. There has to be a submission to him that, DG, as an accounting officer, we have this dilemma,” she said.

According to Twumasi, the submission asks how the department can pay learners who did not attend during a particular period and therefore do not have attendance registers, while taking into account the circumstances that prevented them from attending.

She said the DG had instructed the NSF to find an alternative solution.

“But unfortunately for me, standing here, I have not been given permission to talk about that alternative,” Twumasi said.

She assured learners that the proposed solution was intended to allow them to receive their outstanding payments without putting the department at risk of breaching its financial and audit requirements.

Twumasi said the NSF had already made the proposal to the DG, but the submission was still being considered.

“It has to be done, but it must be done in the right way,” she said.

Twumasi said the NSF could not simply bypass its procedures because it had previously experienced problems after paying learners without sufficient supporting documentation.

She said that in an earlier NSF project, learners were paid despite the absence of attendance records.

The matter later became an audit finding after the DG sampled learners and requested documentation to verify the payments.

“We found that there was no attendance, but we paid a stipend. Now it’s an audit finding,” Twumasi said.

The NSF was then required to recover the money from the service provider.

“So we cannot repeat a mistake. Now that we’ve learned from the first one, now we have to find a way of dealing with the issue,” she said.

She acknowledged that learners had already been waiting for answers for several months.

“We are very much aware of how much this issue is affecting you,” she said.

The apprentices said they had received different amounts despite being part of the same programme.

One trainee said some learners received as little as R300, while others received between R1,600 and R3,000.

“We got our stipends on Friday whereas they promised to pay us on 17 August. Students taking classes at Denel got their stipends before us, while we are all funded by NSF from one group,” she said.

Another learner said the outstanding May and June payments remained a major concern.

“We demand our May and June stipends because it’s been six months now without them saying anything about it,” the learner said.

According to the trainee, the programme provides for an overall amount of R8,500 per apprentice, with R3,000 allocated to the learner for food and the remainder intended to cover costs such as accommodation and transport.

The learners said the failure to receive the full amounts had placed significant financial pressure on them.

Some also said they had left jobs to join the apprenticeship programme because they believed it would provide them with a pathway into the aviation and engineering sectors.

“Some of us left real jobs only to come here and suffer,” one trainee said.

The payment problems follow the NSF’s termination of its Memorandum of Agreement with PJC in May.

The Fund said at the time that it had ended the agreement because of repeated contractual non-compliance, learner welfare concerns, governance failures and concerns about the management and use of public funds.

The NSF said it had previously engaged with PJC over concerns relating to the implementation of the programme.

Among the issues raised was the relocation of learners between Johannesburg and Pretoria without prior consultation or approval from the NSF.

The Fund also raised concerns about delayed or non-payment of transport and accommodation service providers, which it said had disrupted the programme and affected learners.

PJC disputed the NSF’s version of events. The company rejected allegations of financial mismanagement and maintained that the relocation of learners had been discussed with the NSF. The Fund disputed that claim.

Denel was subsequently brought into the intervention aimed at rescuing the programme and allowing the 761 learners to continue their training.

According to information provided to Inside Education, contracts signed with learners were backdated to April to cover a period during which outstanding stipend payments had accumulated.

The NSF said the arrangement was intended to provide contractual cover for learners who had already been participating in the programme.

Denel said the process of absorbing a large number of additional learners had created administrative challenges.

A Denel technical representative, speaking on behalf of general manager Zandile Dotwana, who was not present during the one-on-one engagement with Inside Education, said the organisation had to load hundreds of additional learners onto its system after becoming involved in the programme.

The representative said Denel already had about 250 learners on its system or database but later had to process information for more than 700 additional learners manually.

“So, on the system that we had not worked those numbers, we now need to load the additional students onto our system, on a manual basis, which is something that we haven’t been doing. So the turnaround time becomes a serious matter,” the representative said.

Denel also said it had experienced problems with the information supplied by the service provider.

“Because the service provider did not give us the comprehensive information that we were supposed to receive, that affects the payment in August,” the representative said.

Denel said it had planned to make payments the previous Friday, but technical problems with its payment system caused further delays.

“This system that we load payment on had glitches,” the representative said.

The organisation acknowledged that communication with learners had also not been adequate.

“Our communication needs to be improved,” the representative said.

“And that’s what we plan to do after this discussion — having better communication with the students so that they are aware of the actions that we take.”

Some apprentices have also raised concerns about their registration with TETA, which they fear could disrupt their apprenticeship records, eligibility for trade testing and eventual certification as artisans.

Under the artisan training system, the relevant Sector Education and Training Authority plays a role in apprenticeship registration and the trade-test process, while successful candidates ultimately receive trade certification through the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations.

Learners placed at South African Airways Technical (SAAT) Hamba Nathi and Alpha have raised concerns about their registration status.

One trainee said some apprentices placed at SAAT were worried that their TETA registration had not yet been finalised.

“We are not even registered under TETA because Denel is refusing to pay South African Airways,” she said.

Denel acknowledged that the affected learners had not yet been registered with TETA but said the registration process had started.

The company said the outstanding registration matters would be resolved before the apprentices complete their qualifications.

Denel said it was working to ensure that the learners’ registration with TETA would not prevent them from completing their training or obtaining the necessary qualifications.

Some trainees said learners would prefer the NSF to pay them directly rather than relying on third parties to administer their stipends.

“We demand Denel to do things according to the law and according to what is written in the contract. Also, pay us on time,” one said.

INSIDE EDUCATION

The post Denel apprentices demand unpaid stipends as NSF weighs alternative payment process appeared first on Inside Education..