DHET urged to prioritise delivery, accountability and public communication

The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) has been urged to demonstrate tangible improvements in performance, strengthen accountability and ensure that students and communities receive timely and accurate information about education and training opportunities.

The Chairperson of Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training, Tebogo Letsie, made the call during the department's presentation of its first- and second-quarter performance reports for the 2026/27 financial year on Wednesday. 

The meeting marked the maiden appearance of Acting Director-General Nadia Starr before the committee since assuming the position.

Letsie urged the department to focus on addressing areas of underperformance through measurable action rather than becoming preoccupied with explaining missed targets and implementation challenges.

Letsie also emphasised the importance of effective public communication, particularly in ensuring that students, prospective students and communities have access to accurate and accessible information to make informed decisions about study opportunities, funding, skills development and career pathways.

He called on the department's newly appointed Head of Communication, Cornelius Monama, to strengthen its communication efforts and ensure relevant information reaches the people who need it.

Letsie congratulated Starr on her appointment as Acting Director-General and expressed hope that her tenure would mark a turning point in the performance of the Department and the broader post-school education and training sector. 

"The department must focus on the work, demonstrate measurable improvements and take responsibility for addressing areas of underperformance. Parliament expects action and results, not explanations for failure.

“Equally important is communication that empowers students and communities with the information they need to make informed decisions about their education, training and future," Letsie said.

In her presentation, Starr outlined progress across the department's programmes, highlighting interventions aimed at expanding access to education and training, strengthening institutional capacity and making the post-school education and training system more responsive to the country's skills needs.

In the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector, the department trained 639 college council members against a target of 150, while 201 TVET lecturers obtained formal qualifications.

All applications processed for new occupational programmes are also quality-assured. 

In skills development, all 21 Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) were assessed as having credible Sector Skills Plans. The average turnaround time for qualifying trade test applications was 25 days, against a target of 30 days. 

The University Education programme achieved all its planned second-quarter targets, with progress reported in strengthening university governance, advancing teacher education policy and supporting emerging academics, doctoral scholars and student entrepreneurship.

The Community Education and Training Programme also recorded progress in promoting adult literacy and lifelong learning. Adult Literacy and Empowerment Campaigns were launched in Qonce and Polokwane. 

Through partnerships with the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) and SENTECH, digital access was extended to 44 community learning sites, in addition to 707 centres connected through colleges. 

The department reported expenditure of R96.69 billion, representing 64.8% of its annual allocation of R149.2 billion by 30 September 2026. 

The expenditure included transfers supporting universities, the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), TVET and community education colleges, as well as skills development institutions.

Starr acknowledged that departmental performance remains uneven, with some targets not achieved. She outlined corrective interventions to address implementation bottlenecks, strengthen governance, improve procurement processes and reinforce performance monitoring and accountability.

The engagement highlighted the need for the department to translate reported progress into measurable improvements in the delivery of post-school education and training opportunities.

It also reinforced the importance of ensuring that students and prospective students are kept informed about available opportunities, funding support and skills development pathways as government works towards a more inclusive and responsive post-school education and training system. – SAnews.gov.za
 

Source: Original report at SAnews.gov.za.