UMP Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Thenjiwe Meyiwa, convened the first meeting of provincial post-school education leaders to identify common priorities and explore practical ways for institutions to work together.
The engagement brought together representatives of public and private institutions to share experiences, discuss challenges and consider a coordinated approach to improving the student experience.
Professor Meyiwa emphasised the importance of collaboration over competition, highlighting the need to establish shared benchmarks, exchange best practices and develop practical responses to issues affecting students across the province.
Participating institutions included Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) Mbombela Campus, Eduvos, MANCOSA, Rosebank International Mbombela Campus, Ehlanzeni TVET College, Nkangala TVET College and Gert Sibande TVET College.
Addressing Shared Challenges Affecting Students
Discussions focused on identifying the social, economic and societal challenges that can affect students' wellbeing. Delegates highlighted student safety, gender-based violence and food insecurity as common concerns, which require coordinated attention, alongside the need to create opportunities for entrepreneurship and youth development.
“We are committed to finding collective solutions to address the social and economic issues faced by our students,” said Professor Meyiwa, stressing the responsibility of institutional leaders to work together to find collective responses to the problems.
“As leaders and principals of our institutions, we have to identify the problems affecting our students and develop measures to deal with safety issues to ensure that we head campuses free of gender-based violence and take good care of student wellbeing,” she said.
Collaboration Over Competition
The meeting also provided an opportunity for institutions to learn from one another rather than develop responses to similar challenges independently. By sharing experiences and identifying common priorities, the participating institutions aim to strengthen their ability to respond to issues affecting students across the province.
Head of Rosebank International College (Mbombela Campus), Ms Bongi Ilunga, added, “We needed to meet as heads of higher education institutions. One thing we’ve discovered is that we’re more collaborators than competitors.
We have identified shared interests, particularly in student wellness, student safety and gender-based violence, which are common threats for institutions. Food security is also another social ill. Given these challenges, we believe working together will benefit our students.”
TUT Mbombela Campus Rector, Dr Ndiadivha Sikhweni, also emphasised the value of collaboration, noting that institutions in and around Mbombela share common interests and face similar challenges.
“Partnering as post-schools will enable us to collectively address and resolve challenges experienced by students living around the province. These engagements will also create opportunities for our students, ease social burdens and therefore develop well-rounded individuals,” Dr Sikhweni said.
Nkangala TVET College Acting Deputy Principal: Academics, Mr Siyabulela Ndlala, expressed optimism about the collaboration's potential impact, particularly in entrepreneurship development, an important area of cooperation, noting its potential to equip students to establish and grow businesses.
“Entrepreneurship development is crucial in making sure that our students can develop and grow future businesses. We are looking forward to making an impact together for our students who are our youth and future,” he said.
Establishing a Basis for Continued Cooperation
The meeting concluded with several proposed resolutions intended to provide a basis for ongoing collaboration. These included holding regular meetings, benchmarking key priorities, sharing experiences and tracking progress on matters identified by the institutions.
Delegates also proposed working more closely with surrounding communities, recognising that local communities have insight into the social challenges affecting young people in and around Mbombela.
The discussions focused on developing a framework for post-school institutions in Mbombela to collaborate on common challenges, share best practices, and identify solutions that benefit students across both the public and private post-school education sectors.
Through continued engagement, the participating institutions aim to build on their shared interests and coordinate their efforts to address student safety, wellness, food insecurity and youth development.
Story supplied. Pictures by JB Creative Cinema. Copyright © UMP.