Nzimande defends practice of RPL at universities

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The Higher Education Minister, Dr Blade Nzimande, has defended the practice of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) to allow people to study advanced degrees at university.

This follows the decision of the University of Fort Hare to deregister Eastern Cape Premier, Oscar Mabuyane. It is alleged that Mabuyane was registered for a master’s degree even though he did not possess an honours degree.

Nzimande says if there is wrongdoing, it should be dealt with. However, he says that in principle, Recognition of Prior Learning is not to be tempered with.

Briefing the portfolio committee on Higher Education on various problems at universities, Nzimande said it was ignorance that led some people to challenge this practice.

“If you have, you have been a trade union leader, you have been a member of parliament, such that you had a junior degree, or you don’t have a junior degree, but when you were assessed for RPL, it concluded that actually you do have a NQF level 7.”

Meanwhile, the Minister, expressed frustration at the length of time the SIU is taking to investigate maladministration at the University of Fort Hare.

Nzimande says it is not right that the SIU goes into an institution and stays there forever. He says the longer it takes, the more there are suspicions that untoward things are happening.

Nzimande told Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Higher Education that he will soon be visiting the university to engage further on the challenges it is facing.

He says he will insist that the Vice Chancellor, Prof Sakhela Buhlungu, who has previously refused to meet with him, be at the meeting.

“I want to go back there and look at what you are doing with the situation, as they had promised. And I will have to tell the council that the VC has to be there because he is a member of the council. Now, some people say you are fighting the VC, and so on. There are a lot of problems at Fort Hare, including their inability to spend the money we have given them.”

Nzimande closely watching developments at Fort Hare: