Revised figures show a ‘significant increase’
Diane Parker, the deputy director general for university education in the department of higher education, said a mid-term review of the enrolment targets for 2017 to 2019 was conducted this year.
“Institutions were requested to amend and revise targets to ensure sustainability and quality graduate output. The projected 196 391 firsttime entering students enrolled in 2017 is based on revised enrolment figures provided by institutions.”
The revised figures show a 16.7% increase in first-year students over the two-year period to 2017, which was a significant increase.
“The original targets were clearly unrealistic and were based on assumptions that did not include the challenges that the system had experienced over the past two years. This mid-term review process resulted in amended figures to the ministerial statement on student enrolment planning for 2014-2015 until 2019-2020 but this does not represent a decrease in the growth of the first-time spaces.”
Commenting on the projected total student population increasing by only 5 169 next year, she said this had to do with the mid-term review, which resulted in amended figures for 2017 to 2019.
She said the revised target for enrolment in 2017 of 1 041 100 was lower than the originally proposed target of 1 053 420.
“It must be recognised that projected enrolments are not actual enrolments and therefore adjusting them to be more realistic does not mean a decrease in enrolments.”
She said one of the principles of the review process was to reprioritise enrolments to meet the strategic priorities of the country. “This resulted in an increase proposed in scarce skills areas and a decrease in other areas.”
Parker confirmed that enrolments at technical and vocational education and training colleges would be capped at 710 535 for the next three years because of fiscal constraints.
She said no additional funding was provided for in the 2017-2018 medium-term budget policy statement and the medium-term expenditure framework. — Prega Govender