The role of Technical Vocational Education and Training Colleges (TVET) in higher education teaching: a higher education provided at basic education standard

The paper investigates the role of Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET) Colleges in the provision of higher education in South Africa. The Technical Vocational Education Training Colleges are classified with universities as providers of higher education in South Africa’s education system under the Post School Education and Training (PSET) system. The status of a Technical Vocational Education Training College as an institution of higher learning is very questionable, however, many scholars do not prefer to enter that terrain of the argument. In this paper I argue that the TVET colleges do not seem to clearly fit the profile of institutions, offering higher education in South Africa. Higher education institutions, such as Traditional universities, Universities of Technology and Private universities, have certain standards of competencies, adhered to promote students to the next level of knowledge, which are similar, but highly different from TVET colleges’ promotion standards. The TVET Colleges are governed primarily through the Continuing Education Act, while the Universities are governed through the Higher Education Act 101 of 1997, which is a clear separation of their educational mandates. The paper argues that TVET Colleges are not institutions of higher learning and are not capable of providing education at the level of higher learning, considering the academic competencies in the sector and the level of knowledge, expected to be produced. They are indeed self-styled Basic education institutions, operating wrongfully as institutions of higher learning in the South African Higher education band. The paper concludes that if TVET colleges are to be transformed into institutions of higher learning, all standards of competencies of both students and staff will have to be overhauled to fit the level of expertise to produce a higher education graduate, fitting the standard of an independent graduate.