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Johannesburg - There are about 18 million South African adults who are in need of one form of further education or another, Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande said on Wednesday.
"There is no dustbin to throw any living human beings," he told those at the South West Gauteng College in Molapo, Soweto.
He said there was a saying in isiZulu: "There is a door for those who pass and those who fail.”
"We are burying FET colleges [today], some of them were gloried high schools," he said.
He announced that the department had officially taken over the running of further educations colleges across the country.
They would be renamed technical and vocational education and training (TVET) centres and would include the adult education centres (AEC).
"We have expanded the TVET colleges in number [of students] from 300 000 in 2010, we are now at 800 000."
'Flexible' system
The department wanted to break the dominant thinking that the only way for one to succeed in life was to pass matric, enrol at a university and graduate with a degree.
"We must be a department that must build a larger more flexible post-school system. We are not saying universities are not important, but there are other options.
"This transfer will ensure that we absorb the hundreds of thousands of youngsters who are sitting at home because they did not go to university."
He said the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) had already provided R2.2bn to the 50 TVET colleges across the country.
"We want to build a learning nation, from cradle to the grave. This is a very important milestone."
Expansion
The department would also expand the academic options available to students and was in the process of training lecturers.
"We must broaden offerings and raise the level and standard of education."
Nzimande said no entry requirements would be needed for one to enrol at the colleges.
"There will be no entry requirements for community colleges. If you have never been to school we must teach you from where you are to where you want to go.
"That will be a proper adult education and training [system]".
