Governing technical and vocational education and training: Efficiency and accountability in the form and function of college councils

Abstract

The councils that govern technical and vocational education and training (TVET) colleges add a local layer of authority to the governance hierarchy of vocational education. The councils are made up of internal stakeholders and ministerial appointees and are meant to oversee the efficient and effective delivery of training and to provide accountability for college operations. This study investigated whether the form of this governance model matches its function. The study draws its findings from a survey of 300 council members in 48 colleges and from interviews with the principals, chairpersons and academic board representatives of nine colleges. Based on our findings, we argue that college councils have considerable responsibilities but that the structure, operational procedures and capacity of the councils are not sufficiently capable of carrying the weight of these responsibilities. This is evident in the confusing lines of accountability, from meetings that do not drive strategy and from a deficiency of industry experts serving on councils. Thus college councils add another layer of accountability to TVET colleges without necessarily contributing to their institutional development.