Transcript Education and Skills Development – A Demand Side Perspective

Education and Skills Development –
A Demand Side Perspective
12th National Business Conference
October 14 – 17, 2012
Montwedi Mphathi
Outline
• Background of Education and Skills
Development
• Main Issues with Regards to Education and
Skills Development
• Other Institutional Reforms Needed
• The Human Resource Development Council
(HRDC)
Background - Investment in Education
• Government spend on education has
increased rapidly to a high level (+P8bn)
• Largest share of Govt. expenditure at 20-25%
• Education expenditure compares favourably
with other countries
• Skills produced do not match those of
countries with comparable spend
Selected Countries’ Spend on Education as a % of GDP (2009)
10,000
9,000
8,000
7,000
6,000
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
0
Recurrent
Development
Source: World Bank
Percentage Spend on Education[1]
26.0%
24.0%
22.0%
20.0%
18.0%
16.0%
14.0%
12.0%
2012/13 Budget
2011/'12 Revised
2010/11 Revised
2009/10
2008/09
2007/08
2006/07
2005/06
2004/05
2003/04
2002/03
2001/02
2000/01
1999/00
1998/99
1997/98
1996/97
1995/96
1994/95
1993/94
1992/93
1991/92
1990/91
1989/90
1988/89
1987/88
1986/87
1985/86
Note that education (and health) spending undertaken by local authorities is not included in the education total.
[1]
1984/85
1983/84
Source: BoB – BFS / MFDP
Selected Countries' Spend on Education as % of GDP (2009)
Cuba
13.1%
Moldova
9.5%
Denmark
8.7%
Namibia
8.3%
Cyprus
7.9%
Iceland
7.8%
Botswana
7.8%
Sweden
7.3%
United Kingdom
5.6%
South Africa
5.5%
United States
5.4%
Ghana
5.3%
Australia
5.1%
Mauritius
0.0%
3.1%
2.0%
4.0%
6.0%
8.0%
10.0%
12.0%
14.0%
Source: World Bank
KEI Rank and % GDP Education Spend
10.0
14.0%
9.0
12.0%
10.0%
7.0
KEI Score
6.0
8.0%
5.0
6.0%
4.0
3.0
4.0%
% GDP Education Spend
8.0
2.0
2.0%
1.0
0.0
0.0%
2012 KEI
%GDP 2009
Source: World Bank
Background - Education Reforms
•
•
•
•
National Commission on Education of 1977
2nd National Commission on Education of 1992
Revised National Policy on Education of 1994
National Human Resource Development
Strategy 2009
Major Issues – poor ROI
• General decline in quality of education v/s
general improvement in private education
• Despite the expenditure and efforts to
improve – skills shortage remain prevalent
• Products of education system not market
ready
– Theoretical knowledge fine but practical lacking
– Further training required before they can
contribute
Major Issues – Supply/demand
disconnect
• Supply side not aligned to satisfy demand
– Sponsorships not based on current or anticipated
demand
– The private sector needs left out due to lack of
consultation
– Courses developed independent of demand side
• Diploma in Mechanical Engineering
– Collaboration – UB Mining Section and BCM
• Mining Engineering Diploma
Major Issues – slow response to
changes
• Emerging developments slow to be
mainstreamed
– ICT studies at secondary school level still weak
Major Issues – Poor implementation
• Recommendations for reforms in most cases
partially implemented
– A recent survey of the vocational training facilities
(part of HRDC work) found that the following
challenges:
• New equipment for training was still in the boxes unopened due to lack of knowledge to use
• Where equipment broke down, it stayed unrepaired for
long period
• Teachers lacked practical skills
Other Institutional Reforms Needed
• Automatic Promotion Policy
– Automatic promotion throughout the grades until
PSLE
– Learners who fail to grasp concepts become an
increasing burden to teachers
– Quality suffers as learning pace adjusted to the
slowest learners
Other Institutional Reforms Needed
• ‘D’ grade regarded as a pass at PSLE
– Functionally innumerate and illiterate
– The ‘D’ passes drop the standard at a junior
secondary school
– This category makes the majority that does not go
onto senior school
• At best can only be labourers, but have complex that
they have a high school education therefore deserve
better jobs
Other Institutional Reforms Needed
• Teaching too theoretical
– Make industrial experience a pre-requisite for
teaching at tertiary institutions which provide
skills directly to the market.
– Set up industrial secondments for incumbents
Other Institutional Reforms Needed
• Internship programme
– Should take place during the vacations
incorporating project work as part of the
requirement for graduation.
• Interns are exposed to the work environment early
• Employers have opportunity to impart practical skills
Workplace Skills Development
• Training and development
– Performance improvement
– Succession planning
• Talent management to support business
strategy
HRDC
• Collaborative work done so far with the
Minerals and Energy and Water Sector
indicates the HRDC is on the right path
• The HRDC structure and objectives are sound
but a weakness may be in the split
implementation responsibility
– Has implementation responsibility for overall HR
planning ,TE and workplace learning with the rest
left for MoESD