governing teacher education colleges in south africa

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central in determining the subsidy structure. Third, they had to have physical facilities
sufficient to promote and sustain flexibility and a range of programmes to provide quality
primary and secondary teachers in all specialist fields required in schools in Gauteng.
Fourth, they had to have the necessary infrastructure for high quality teacher education.
The four colleges could amalgamate with other colleges and recruit academic,
administrative and support services staff for the existing college personnel in Gauteng to
meet the requirements. 7
The second process entailed the integration of the remaining teacher education colleges
into higher education sector. The report of the National Commission on Higher Education
stated that:
South Africa’s colleges of education, nursing and agriculture should be
incorporated into existing universities and technikons as faculties or
schools, or constituent parts thereof. College diploma and certificates
programmes should become university/technikon diploma and
certificate programmes, and college staff and students should become
university/technikon staff and students. 8
Details on integration were spelt out in a document sent to stakeholders by the national
Departmet of Education: The incorporation of colleges of education into the higher
education sector: a framework for implementation. Two routes were stated through which a
college of education could enter the higher education sector: through a merger with a
university or technikon or through recognition of a college of education as an institution of
higher education, deemed to have met the criteria for this status, by the Minister of
Education. The process of integration has been slow. However, JCE and N.K.P. have
started negotiations for integration with the faculties of education of Wits University and
Pretoria University respectively. There are indications that the East Rand College may
merge with the School of Education of the Rand Afrikaans University. Since its early days,
JCE in particular has been associated to Wits University through a “Scheme of Association”
and franchise agreement in which components of university degrees (B Prim Ed) and
diplomas are taught by college staff for the university. Wits University has always served on
the governance structures of the college and university representatives have made a
significant contribution to the academic development of courses at the college. Through this
association, JCE has managed to improve the quality of its programmes and its institutional
capacity in dealing with curriculum, and teaching and learning issues. Compared to the
7 Proposals for the development and reconstruction of initial teacher education in Gauteng.
Prepared for the M.E.C. for Education of Gauteng Province, Mrs Mary Metcalfe. Johannesburg October
1996, p.1.
8
NCHE, Discussion Document - A Framework for Transformation (Pretoria, April 1996), p.60.
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