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Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act, 2003 (Act No. 53 of 2003)

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Chartered Accountancy Charter

Section D : Challenges

17. Present and Future Activities

17.4 Challenges and Identified Strategies

17.4.1 Education

(c) Postgraduate and QE level

 

Challenges

Strategy

Programmes

Measures
• Poor throughput pass percentages at undergraduate and postgraduate levels amongst black students (mainly due to socio-economic problems)
• Poor pass percentage achieved by black entrants in the QE
• Perceived lack of transparency of the whole examination process (i.e. the setting, marking and adjudication of the QE)
• A focus primarily on technical skills, which leaves students unprepared for the life skills in their professional lives
• Many historically black institutions are still unable to achieve accrediation
• CTA (postgraduate level study) standards vary considerably
• A lack of funding leads to many black students studying on a part-time basis. This in turn means that they take longer to obtain a tertiary qualification
• Lack of an effective learning model — many students work hard, but not effectively
• Lack of mentoring and monitoring contribute to a high dropout level and poor throughput pass percentages
• To widen the scope of tertiary education to include life skill training and socio-economic coping mechanisms
• To attain uniformity of standards among all tertiary institutions
• To improve the provision of bursaries for the development of black CAs
• To provide more and better supervision with regard to bursaries
• To provide support mechanisms for black students at tertiary level, financially and particularly socially
• To ensure that (black) students are aware of all career and training opportunities at not just the bigger firms but also small and medium firms and all accredited training organisations
• To ensure, by means of the current education programmes and working with tertiary institutions, that black pass percentages in the QE equate to or are better than their white counterparts
• To introduce a formal education programme for repeat black QE candidates
• To publicise and communicate the marking and adjudication process
• To involve more black CAs in the setting, marking and adjudication process of the QE
• CTA/QE project 2005/6
• CTA/QE project 2004
• Thuthuka Small Practices Project 2006 to 2009 (Approved in 2005)
• University of Fort Hare Postgraduate Project 2006 (Approved in 2005)
• University of Johannesburg Postgraduate Project 2006 (Approved in 2005)
• Increased number of students entering tertiary institutions studying towards CA(SA)
• Students numbers that are representative of the population demographics both with regard to gender and race
• Pass percentages of all race and gender groups are equal