Education and training

Nelson Mandela University has a new Medical School.

Sector Insight

Nelson Mandela University’s Missionvale Campus is now registered to offer the MBChB (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) qualification.

This brings to 10 the number of medical schools in South Africa and is the province’s second, with Walter Sisulu University being the other academic medical facility in the province. The registration by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) was a lengthy process, covering contracts and agreements with various other bodies, the curriculum, infrastructure, equipment and staff requirements.

Two new cerebral palsy centres have been established, at the Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital and the Cecilia Makiwane Hospital.

A R50-million science centre, named after Albertina Nontsikelelo Sisulu, has been built in Cofimvaba. The centre will enhance the teaching of maths, science and technology and further widen career choices of students.

The national Accelerated School Infrastructure Delivery Initiative (ASIDI) allocated 298 schools to the province and, as of February 2022, 168 schools (56%) had been completed.

St George’s Preparatory School, founded in 1936 and located opposite the famous cricket ground in Gqeberha, has become the latest addition to the private Curro group of schools. The acquisition doubles Curro’s presence in the province, with the centrally-based preparatory school joining Westbrook Curro, which is located in the Westbrook Estate off the old Cape Road in the city’s western suburbs.

The Eastern Cape has eight Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) colleges, most of which have more than one campus: Buffalo City, Port Elizabeth, Lovedale, King Hintsa, Ingwe, King Sabata Dalinyebo, Ikhala and Eastcape Midlands College. An amount of R569million will be spent on building four new TVET campuses to expand

Online Resources

Eastern Cape Department of Education: www.ecdoe.gov.za Technology Innovation Agency: www.tia.org.za the accessibility of these colleges. These new facilities are two new Ikhala TVET College campuses (Sterkspruit and Maletswai), a new Eastcape Midlands campus in Graaff-Reinet and a new Ingwe TVET college campus in Ngqungqushe (Lusikisiki).

The National Department of Higher Education and Training has been investing heavily in student accommodation in the province. This programme has seen an additional 2 000 beds added at the Nelson Mandela University in Gqeberha, 2 047 student beds at the University of Fort Hare, 3 000 beds at Walter Sisulu University and 1 000 beds at King Hintsa TVET College.

Rhodes University has a strong reputation for research, which has been enhanced by the addition of the Biotechnology Innovation Centre.

The University of Fort Hare is leading three innovative studies into biogas, including a project investigating compressed biogas for public transport. The South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI) is working with Fort Hare on biodigesters for households.

Walter Sisulu University (WSU) and the University of South Africa (Unisa) offer vocational training (diplomas) and academic programmes (degrees). ■