Pandor punts science training

© Cathy Yeulet – 123RF.com

"We would like greater support to the providers to students in higher education and TVETs [technical and vocational education and training]. Those who can contribute should, but the poor should not have to be made to meet the costs of higher education," Pandor told the fees commission in Pretoria.

Pandor said R60bn in loans and bursaries had been made available for needy students from all races, which saw student enrolments in higher education increase to more than 1-million in 2015 from 495,348 in 1994. TVET enrolments went up threefold from 345,566 in 2010 to 800,000 in 2015.

"This is significant because the skill sets needed are in technical colleges," she said.

The minister said there were significant gaps for scarce skills and these needed to be incentivised to expand numbers in those fields.

She was concerned that the current debate focused on undergraduates and neglected the postgraduate sector.