South African Government Agencies and Policy Documents and Speeches on Education

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        Department of Education
        Documents about Higher Education
        Speeches about Higher Education
        Council on Higher Education
        National Commission on Higher Education
        Other Government Education Agencies

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        Department of Education
        http://education.pwv.gov.za/
        Director - General: Dr. N. C. Manganyi
        Mail: Private Bag X895, Pretoria 0001
        Street Address: Sol Plaatje House, 123 Schoeman Street Pretoria 0002
        Tel: (012) 312-5911, Fax: (012) 325-6260

        Ministry of Education
        Minister: N. Pandor
        Mail: Private Bag X603, Pretoria 0001
        Street Address: Magister Building, 123 Schoeman Street, Pretoria 0002
        Tel: (012) 326-0126 Fax: (012) 323-5989
        OR: Mail: Private Bag, X9034 Cape Town, 8000 South Africa
        Tel: (021) 45-7350 Fax: (021) 461-4788


        The Department of Education website is rich in policy documents, speeches, media releases, legislation, special reports, and current issues. Some of these are selected and annotated below. See also documents by the Council on Higher Education.

        Documents about Higher Education
        The Higher Education Qualifications Framework: Draft for Discussion
        http://education.pwv.gov.za/content/documents/486.pdf
        Document from by the Ministry of Education dated July 2004 proposing a single national qualifications framework for universities and technikons to facilitate the comparability of qualifications across the system; includes five undergraduate qualification levels and four postgraduate levels.


        A New Funding Framework: How Government Grants Are Allocated to Public Higher Education Institutions
        http://education.pwv.gov.za/content/documents/405.pdf
        Document from the Ministry of Education dated 9 February 2004 describing new framework for government grants on a "three-year rolling basis" from 2004/05 to 2006/07; division of grant categories by institutional restructuring, National Student Financial Aid Scheme, teaching, research, and institutional factors (size and percentage of disadvantaged students).

        A New Institutional Landscape for Higher Education in South Africa
        http://education.pwv.gov.za/Policies%20and%20Reports/2002_Reports/new_institutional_landscape_he.htm
        Document from the Ministry of Education dated 30 May 2002 summarizing the national plan for institutional mergers of universities and technikons. A press release issued on the same day states that this proposal was approved by the Cabinet on 29 May 2002.

        The Transformation and Reconstruction of the Higher Education System
        http://education.pwv.gov.za/Policies%20and%20Reports/2002_Reports/transformation_and_reconstruction%20he.htm
        Document from the Ministry of Education dated 30 May 2002 that places the institutional mergers of universities and technikons in the context of the five key policy goals and strategic objectives of the National Plan for Higher Education approved by the Cabinet in February 2001.

        Press Statement by the Minister of Education, Professor Kader Asmal, MP, on the Transformation and Reconstruction of the Higher Education System
        http://education.pwv.gov.za/Media/Statements_2002/may02/he.htm
        Statement dated 30 May 2002. Explains the release and consideration of the "New Institutional Landscape . . ." document that summarizes the proposed mergers.

        The Restructuring of the Higher Education System in South Africa
        http://education.pwv.gov.za/Policies%20and%20Reports/2001_Report/Restructuring%20HE/Index.htm
        Report of the National Working Group to the Minister of Education. Report dated December 2001, released by Minister of Education on January 31, 2002. Contains detailed recommendations about reduction in the number of higher education institutions from 36 to 21 through mergers.

        National Plan for Higher Education
        http://education.pwv.gov.za/DoE_Sites/Higher_Education/National%20Plan%20-%20Final%20Draft.htm
        Ninety-page document released by the Ministry of Education on 5 March 2001 (dated February 2001)..

        List of Registered Higher Education Institutions http://education.pwv.gov.za/Doe_Sites/Higher_Education/Priv_HE_Inst/Reg_HE_Index.htm
        This regularly-updated document discussed the Department of Education's consideration of private institutions' requests for registration and lists institutions that have been registered with various status.

        Education White Paper 3: A Programme for the Transformation of Higher Education
        http://www.polity.org.za/govdocs/white_papers/highed.html
        A policy document of the Department of Education, 24 July 1997. Prepared following comments received on the Green Paper of December 1996.

        Green Paper on Higher Education Transformation
        http://www.polity.org.za/govdocs/green_papers/hegreenp.html
        A document for discussion and public comment by the Department of Education, December 1996.


        Higher Education Act, 1997
        http://education.pwv.gov.za/Legislation/1997/HE_Act.htm
        For the purpose of regulating higher education, establishing a Council on Higher Education, and others.

        Higher Education Amendment Act, 2000
        http://www.gov.za/gazette/acts/2000/a54-00.pdf
        Amends the Higher Education Act of 1997.

        Speeches about Higher Education

        Speeches by Minister of Education Naledi Pandor

        Africa Dialogue Lecture by the Minister of Education, Ms Naledi Pandor, MP, Centre for International Political Studies, University of Pretoria

        http://education.pwv.gov.za/index.asp?src=mvie&xsrc=724
        Speech delivered on 30 September 2004 concerning the progress of mergers and the roles of the Department of Education Merger Unit and the Ministerial Reference Group; characteristics of the new funding formula; addressing racism and gender inequality; and mismatch between the education of graduates and the jobs available to them.

        Address by the Minister of Education, Naledi Pandor, MP, at the World at UCT Festival, University of Cape Town

        http://education.pwv.gov.za/index.asp?src=mvie&xsrc=655
        Speech delivered on 3 August 2004 concerning the agenda of gender equity and the empowerment of women in higher education.

        Speeches by Minister of Education Kader Asmal

        Speech by the Minister of Education, Professor Kader Asmal, MP at the Council on Higher Education 3rd Consultative Conference

        http://education.pwv.gov.za/Media/Speeches_2001/Nov01/che.htm
        Policy speech delivered on 29 November 2001 at the Kopanong Conference Centre, Benoni concerning the contribution of higher education to economic, social and intellectual development; the Africa-wide New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD); quality of higher education; and the national plan for restructuring higher education.

        Address by the Minister of Education, Professor Kader Asmal, MP at the Launch of the National Plan for Higher Education
        http://education.pwv.gov.za/Media/Speeches_2001/March01/Nat_Plan_HE.htm
        Speech delivered at Sol Plaatje House, Pretoria on Monday, 5 March 2001 about release of major new policy plan on higher education. (The full document is available under "Documents.")

        Keynote Address by the Minister of Education, Professor Kader Asmal, at the Second Annual Consultative Conference of the Council on Higher Education
        http://education.pwv.gov.za/Media/Speeches_2000/Nov_2000/second_annual_consultative_confe.htm
        Speech delivered at Benoni, 23 November 2000 with a focus on the challenges of higher education transformation, a critical assessment of the notion of virtual universities, and the intersection of quality, redress, and the multiplicity of goals for equity.

        Speech by the Minister of Education, Professor Kader Asmal, MP, Minister of Education at the National Association of Distance Education Awards Ceremony for Courseware Development - 3 October 2000
        http://education.pwv.gov.za/Media/Speeches_2000/Aug_2000/nadeosa.htm
        Speech delivered at the SA College of Teacher Education at Groenkloof, Pretoria on 21 August 2000. Discusses views about open education, distance education, and the role of information and communication technologies in education, in the context of the need for an integrated model of providing education.

        Keynote Address by Professor Kader Asmal, Minister of Education, at the 1st Annual Convention on Further Education and Training
        http://education.pwv.gov.za/Media/Speeches_2000/October00/annual_fet_convention1.htm

        Speech delivered at Sandton Convention Centre, Wednesday 18 October 2000.

        Speech by the Minister of Education, Professor Kader Asmal, at the Conference of the Association of Vice-chancellors of the Historically Disadvantaged Tertiary Institutions in south Africa (ASAHDI) on Issues in Higher Education: Imperatives of Equity and Redress
        http://education.pwv.gov.za/Media/Speeches_2000/October00/ASAHDI.htm
        Speech delivered at Sandton Convention Centre, Friday 20 October 2000.

        Address by Professor Kader Asmal, MP, Introducing the Higher Education Amendment Bill in the National Assembly
        http://education.pwv.gov.za/Media/Speeches_2000/April_2000/Global_Univ_Cape.htm
        Speech delivered at Sandton Convention Centre, Friday 20 October 2000.

        "Towards the Global University II: Redefining Excellence in the Third Millennium"
        http://education.pwv.gov.za/Media/Speeches_2000/April_2000/global_Univ_Cape.htm
        Keynote Address by the Minister of Education, Professor Kader Asmal, MP at the Opening Session of a Conference held at Lord Charles Hotel, Somerset West, 17 April 2000. Addresses role of transnational universities in South Africa and their impact on public higher education institutions and quality education. Discusses current moratorium by the South African Department of Education on new partnerships between public and private higher education institutions in South Africa, many of which involve transnational institutions.

        Council on Higher Education
        Council on Higher Education
        http://www.che.org.za

        The Council on Higher Education (CHE) is an independent statutory body established in May 1998. It advises the Minister of Education on higher education policy issues and has executive responsibility for quality assurance, though its Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC). Has numerous reports and articles online.

        "Towards a New Higher Education Landscape: Meeting the Equity, Quality and Social Development Imperatives of South Africa in the 21st Century"
        http://education.pwv.gov.za/DoE_Sites/Higher_Education/CHE/CHE_Report30June2000.htm

        Report of the Council on Higher Education by the Shape and Size of Higher Education Task Team. 30 June 2000 report proposes reorienting the purposes and mission of the universities and technikons, combining some and redirecting others. It ends with examples of possible specific combinations of institutions.

        Annual Reports of Council on Higher Education
        http://education.pwv.gov.za/che/annrep/default.htm
        Reports are available for 1998/1999 and 1999/2000.

        CHE Consultative Conference, 23-24 November 2000
        http://education.pwv.gov.za/che/consultconf/default.htm
        Includes two reports available on-line:

        "Business-University Partnerships for Economic Development" by the Centre for Development and Enterprise, based on the CDE publication: The Future of South African Universities: What role for business? (Part 2) Round Table series no. 4, September 2000; and

        "The Emergence of Private Higher Education in South Africa: Key Issues and Challenges" by Mahlubi Mabizela, George Subotzky, and Beverley Thaver of the Education Policy Unit, University of Western Cape.

        CHE Consultative Conference, 29-30 November 1999
        Five discussion documents are available on-line on South African higher education at the beginning of the new millennium: Realities, problems and challenges; The size and shape of the South African higher education system: Critical considerations; Higher education governance; Quality assurance in higher education; and Higher Education Funding (present and new approaches).

        Implementation of a System for Quality Assurance in Higher Education
        http://education.pwv.gov.za/che/heqc/default.htm
        Contains reports and founding document.

        National Commission on Higher Education

        National Commission on Higher Education (NCHE)
        NCHE was appointed by President Mandela is to investigate all aspects of higher education and make appropriate policy recommendations and to advise the Minister of Education. NCHE submitted its final report in August 1996.

        An Overview of a New Policy Framework For Higher Education Transformation
        http://www.polity.org.za/html/govdocs/policy/educ.html
        Report of the National Commission on Higher Education to the Minister of Education, 22 August 1996.

        Other Government Education Agencies
        CSIR (formerly known as the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research)
        http://www.csir.co.za
        PO Box 395, Pretoria 0001
        Meiring Naude Road, Brummeria, Pretoria 0001
        Tel: (012) 841-2911, Fax: (012) 349-1153

        CSIR is a scientific and technological research, development, and implementation organization.

        Human Sciences Research Council
        http://hsrc.ac.za
        Private Bag X41, Pretoria 0001
        134 Pretorius Street, Pretoria 0002
        Tel: (012) 302-2999, Fax: (012)326-5362

        The HSRC operates research activities and funding activities that are large-scale, policy-relevant, social-scientific projects for government, non-governmental organizations, and international development agencies.

        National Research Foundation (NRF)
        http://www.nrf.ac.za
        PO Box 2600, Pretoria 0001
        Tel: 12-481-4000, Fax: 12-349-1179
        E-mail info@nrf.ac.za

        The National Research Foundation is the main South African government agency that provides grants for research, research capacity building, and research facilities. It incorporates the programs of the former Centre for Science Development (CSD) and Foundation for Research and Development (FRD).

        South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA)
        http://www.saqa.org.za
        Postnet Suite 248, Private Bag X06, Waterkloof 0145
        Tel: (012) 346-5553, Fax: (012) 346-5812
        E-mail:saqainfo@saqa.org.za

        SAQA is a body of 29 members appointed by the ministers of Education and Labour. It is charged with developing and implementing a National Qualifications Framework to create an integrated system for recording learner achievements.

        South African Science Councils
        http://www.csir.co.za/plsql/ptl0002/PTL0002_PGE045_SCOUNCIL

        Links to eight Science Councils concerning research on agriculture, geoscience, mineral technology, human science, medicine, and others.

           
        South African Home Page
        African Studies Center

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        African Studies Center, Michigan State University - http://www.africa.msu.edu/SAHiEdcn.htm
        Any questions or comments, please contact africa@msu.edu
         Last Updated: October 2004