Introduction
The Free State provincial government has developed a well-earned reputation for its commitment to improve the quality of basic education in accordance with the proclaimed priority outcomes of government. Education facilities are available at primary, secondary and tertiary level. Our education facilities include;
- Primary and secondary schools throughout the Free State, including farm schools in rural areas
- Further Education and Training Facilities, including the Flavius Mareka FET College with campuses in Sasolburg, Mphohadi and Kroonstad, Goldfields FET College with its Tosa and Welkom campuses, Maluti FET College with its main campus in Phuthaditjhaba and seven other campuses and Motheo FET College with campuses in Bloemfontein and ThabaNchu and
- The University of the Free State (Bloemfontein and QwaQwa campuses) and the Central University of Technology (Bloemfontein and Welkom campuses)
University of the Free State (Bloemfontein and QwaQwa campuses)
The University of the Free State (UFS) with its Main Campus in Bloemfontein, the judicial capital of South Africa and in the heart of the country, is one of the oldest South African institutions of higher learning. Our two other campuses are the vibrant Qwaqwa Campus in the Eastern Free State and the smaller South Campus in Bloemfontein.
The university is a multicultural, parallel-medium (English and Afrikaans) institution with a history intertwined with that of the Free State and South Africa and, to a growing extent, Africa and the rest of the world. A full range of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees and diplomas are offered in seven faculties to more than 33 000 students, of which 28 186 students are studying on the Bloemfontein Campus, 874 on the South Campus and 4 260 on the Qwaqwa Campus. A total of 2 900 staff members are working on all three campuses. The faculties are:
- Economic and Management Sciences
- Education
- Health Sciences
- Humanities
- Law
- Natural and Agricultural Sciences
- Theology
The University is committed to becoming:
- a world-class, engaged university of excellence and innovation and place of scholarship for South Africa and Africa;
- an equitable, diverse, non-racial, non-sexist, multicultural, multilingual university where everyone will experience a sense of belonging and achievement;
- a learning organisation where institutional culture, structures and processes are continuously scrutinised and redesigned to remain optimally fit for purpose; and
- an institution that treasures diversity as a source of strength and quality.
For more information visit www.ufs.ac.za
Central University of Technology (Bloemfontein and Welkom campuses)
Central University of Technology, Free State (CUT) is the foremost higher education institution in the heartland of South Africa, dedicated to quality education and training in science, engineering and technology. Over the past 30 years the CUT has developed into a leading institution able to take its place in the national as well as international higher education landscape.
CUT, then still known as the Technikon Free State, opened its doors in 1981 with 285 students enrolled in mainly secretarial, art and design programmes. This year the university boasts more than 11 000 students who have decided to make CUT their academic partner in earning a qualification and gaining appropriate experiential training. With the restructuring of the higher education landscape a few years ago, CUT embraced its new status as a university of technology and thus positioned itself to succeed as such. On 26 March 2004 the former Technikon Free State officially exchanged its “technikon” status for a tailor-made identity when its new name was published in the Government Gazette – a name that is a true reflection of what the university stands for: Central University of Technology, Free State.
CUT offers a wide range of qualifications in its four faculties, namely the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, the Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, and the Faculty of Management Sciences, and the Faculty of Humanities. The Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology houses the School of Civil Engineering and Built Environment, the School of Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering, the School of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mathematics, the School of Information Technology.
The Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, in turn, consists of the School of Health Technology and the School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, while the Faculty of Management Sciences offers learning programmes in the School for Entrepreneurship and Business Development, the School of Accounting, the School of Government Management, and the School of Tourism, Hospitality and Sport. CUT’s newly established (2010) Faculty of Humanities consists of the School of Design Technology and Visual Art, the School of Jewellery Design, the School of Teacher Education, and the School of Communication Sciences. CUT also commands respect with its relevant research. Units/Centres such as the:
- Centre for Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing (CRPM);
- Technology Station and the Fablab are widely recognised for the research conducted;
- Unit for Applied Food Safety and Biotechnology (UAFSB);
- Centre for Environment, Community and Industrial Development (CECID);
- Centre for Health Sciences (cover HIV/Aids research);
- Catchment Management Information Systems, and the
- Sleep Laboratory.
CUT is also the only University of Technology accepted to be a full member of the newly-established National Medical Device Innovation Platform (MDIP). A Postgraduate School was also established to develop and manage research at postgraduate level. The university is aware of the fact that not everyone has the privilege to study at the main campus on a full-time basis. Therefore, selected learning programmes are offered at the regional learning centres in Welkom and Kimberley. An exciting development was CUT’s incorporation of the Welkom campus of Vista University on 2 January 2004. Learning programmes in Kimberly are offered in conjunction with the Northern Cape Higher Education Institute. Through the utilisation of modern technology, some learning programmes can also be pursued electronically via the internet. In this way CUT is living up to its status and reputation as a university of technology.
CUT has a new Vision and strategic trajectory for the year 2020, and the Vision statement is “By 2020, Central University of Technology, Free State, shall be an engaged university that focuses on producing quality social and technological innovations in socio-economic developments, primarily in the Central region of South Africa”. CUT remains committed to the core values of customer service, integrity, diversity, innovation and excellence, as well as the institutions transformation agenda. This year, the institution is celebrating its 30th year of technological innovation – soaring to 2020 and our new Vision. This milestone is a reflection of the university’s pursuit of quality education and academic excellence. In our efforts to educate, teach and train our students with the aid of world class technology, we will also focus on those values we hold dear, namely customer service, excellence, innovation, integrity and diversity.
Visit www.cut.ac.za for more information on CUT.
Further Education and Training (FET) Colleges in the Free Sate
The Department of Education is responsible to provide Further Education and Training (FET) at public FET colleges in accordance with the Further Education and Training Colleges Act (Act 16/2006), ), inclusive of provisions of the FETC Amendment Act, 2010 The Free State has just over 14 000 students at four further education and training (FET) colleges, taught by 400 lecturers. The following FET Colleges can be found in the Free State;
- Maluti FET College with its main campus in Phuthaditjhaba
- Flavius Mareka FET College with three campuses at Sasolburg, Kroonstad and Mphohadi
- Motheo FET College that operates in Bloemfontein and ThabaNchu
- Goldfields FET College operates from two campuses namely the Tosa campus and the Welkom campus with satellite campuses in Virginia and Theunissen.
Bursaries
The Free State Provincial Government is committed to help needy students obtain higher education, while also addressing the lack of scarce skills in the province. Funding is made available every year for Free State students studying any of the scarce skill professions at higher education institutions throughout the country. The bursary funds tuition fees, accommodation and stationery needs for students who meet the necessary requirements.The list of scare skills is reviewed on an annual basis, taking into account the input of the various provincial government departments. Scarce skills include – but may not be limited to; Agricultural SciencesChartered Accounting Civil Engineering Electric Engineering Environmental Sciences Information Communication and Technology Medicine Social Work Veterinary Sciences
Bursary holders are expected to work hard in their studies, complete their courses within the required time and return to work in the province. On completion of their studies, bursary holders will have to work in the Free State for the same number of years they were funded during their time of studying. Students’ performance is monitored jointly by the Department of Education and the Office of the Premier who are required to report to the Free State Executive Council. The Premier, Members of the Executive Council, Heads of Departments and other senior government officials undertake annual visits to tertiary institutions throughout the country to meet with bursary holders, other Free State based students as well as the management of the tertiary institutions. The Bursary Scheme is administered by the Free State Basic Education Department.
For more information about the Free State Bursary Scheme, contact the Free State Department of Basic Education at (051) 447 2764.