Blade Nzimande gets serious about workers’ education

 Report on the visit by Dr Blade Nzimande, Minister of Higher Education and Training, to Ditsela on 4th May 2010.

The Minister of Higher Education and Training (HET), Dr Blade Nzimande, and a delegation from the ministry of HET attended an education strategy meeting at Ditsela House on 04 May 2010. The purpose of this meeting was to ascertain how Ditsela together with the DHET could improve current worker education structures as well as formulate a future education strategy.

The proposed agenda for the Minister’s visit included the need to prioritise workers’ education within the current education system, the proposal for the establishment of a national council for workers’ education and an endowed chair in workers’ education (labour studies); the incorporation of a system of ‘recognition of prior learning’; the question of departmental funding for Ditsela’s current provincial programmes and future programmes of the Ditsela Advanced National Labour Education Programme (DANLEP).

Of particular importance and interest during the Minister’s visit was his encouragement for the establishment of a national council on workers’ education. Additionally, he acknowledged the importance of workers’ education and suggested that Ditsela, along with neighboring LSO’s come together and produce valuable suggestions and contributions to the NSD3 working document.

• Funding
  The Minister flagged the National Skills Fund as an area of departmental concern. Funding applications, such as Ditsela’s, have been held up in the bureaucratic structures of the current NSF. The Ministry is looking into formulating solutions to strengthen and professionalise the NSF system and would encourage Ditsela to not only resubmit their funding proposals but also contribute to the NSD3 working document.

  While this proposal is being processed the Minister did indicate that funding for the Provincial Education Strategy and to run the DANLEP courses must be supported by the NSF. Ditsela was instructed to engage directly with the DHET on this matter.

  Additionally, the Minister drew attention to the creation of the new social development sector within the current SETA structures. This will become another avenue through which Ditsela can apply for supplementary funds.

• NSD3
  The Minister formally requested Ditsela to submit contributions to the NSD3 working document. Workers’ education must be made a priority within the education system.
• Workers’ Education
  National Council for Promotion and Advancement of Workers Education The Minister noted Ditsela’s request to establish a national council for workers’ education. He agreed that there should be a representative body, which is able to voice the education needs of workers.
• Endowed Chair of Workers Education
  Ditsela has recently entered into discussions with UJ and UWC to ascertain the possibility of the establishment of an endowed chair in workers’ education and labour studies within the university. The minister welcomes these initiatives as necessary and will support this and engage with the ministry for science and technology
• Engagement with FET colleges
  The Minister noted the suggestion put forward by Ditsela for a feasibility study into the possibility of transforming Ditsela into a registered FET college. After receiving SETA accreditation for the Trade Union Practises Qualification (TUPQ), Ditsela is in a position to offer academic and training support to other LSO’s and FET colleges in this field of learning.
• RPL
  Ditsela welcomes any initiative by SAQA to develop national institutions for the advancement of RPL. The Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) is in the process of addressing the issue of recognising prior learning (RPL). Ditsela is encouraged to create a space to begin engagement with the council.

  The ministry was also concerned with the discontinuation of Ditsela’s core skills programme which included a writing course and dealt with tools on effective reading.. While Ditsela has the capacity to run courses of this nature, it will have to look into the problems of national access and internal resources. Another possibility is to use the already established Peer Educator Programme (PEP) as a vehicle to disseminate these core and fundamental skills.

• Collaboration with Labour Institutes
  The labour movement needs to create a strategy for future growth and expansion. The vehicle for this growth is education. The various labour education institutions need to come together to formalise a working relationship. Ditsela has noted the need for an information sharing and planning session to take place between South African workers’ education institutions. Labour education institutions as a collective must conduct research into what the educational needs of workers are, and work collectively to realise these needs.