The challenges of transformation in higher education and ... challenges of... · The challenges of transformation in higher education and training institutions in South Africa Page

Saleem Badat 2010

The challenges of transformation in higher education and training institutions in South Africa


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The challenges of transformation in higher education and training institutions in South Africa Page 3

Contents

Introduction 4

The paper 4

Context 4

Achievements 7

Issues and challenges 9

1. Mediating competing goals 9

2. Post-school education 10

3. Differentiationanddiversity 12

4. Thediversepurposesofhighereducation 16

5. Adequatestatefunding 18

6. Intellectual spaces 19

7. Currentpostgraduateoutputs 20

8. Creatinganewgenerationofacademics 24

9. Remunerationofacademics 29

10.Access,opportunityandsuccessinhighereducation 30

Conclusion 35

Bibliography 37

Summary of key points and recommendations 40

Rankingofinterventions 40

Issues and challenges 41

Discussions 53Conclusion 56


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Introduction

This paper, commissioned by the Development Bank of SouthernAfrica, responds to the Bank’s

request:

• For‘adiagnosisandanalysisofthekeyissuesonChallengesofTransformationinHigherEducationandTrainingInstitutionsinSouthAfrica,includingachievementstodate’.

• To‘developandrankrecommendationsandinterventionsforthemedium-term(2020) tolongterm(2030).Thesecouldbeinterventionsthatdonotrequirepolicy,budgetand

legislativechangesandissuesthatrequirenewsystemdesignandpolicies’.

The paper

1. Brieflysetsoutthecontextofpost-1994SouthAfricanhighereducation,includingthewide-

rangingimperativesandgoalsthattheSouthAfricanConstitutionof1996andthe1997

HigherEducationAct and White Paperdirecthighereducationtorealiseinandthroughhigher

education.

2. Identifiestheachievementsofthepast16years,evenifsomeofthesehavetobequalified.

3. Setsoutandanalysesthekeyissuesandchallengesthatcontinuetoconfrontthestateand

highereducationinstitutions,beginningwithcertainpolicyandmacroissuesandthereafter

specificissuesrelatedtoaccess,opportunityandsuccessinhighereducation.

4. Advancesmedium-term(2020)andlong-term(2030)recommendationsandinterventions,

andranks/prioritisestherecommendationsandinterventions.

Context

InSouthAfrica, social inequalitieswere embedded and reflected in all spheres of social life, as a

productofthesystemicexclusionofblacksandwomenundercolonialismandapartheid.Thehigher

educationsystemwasnoexception.Social,politicalandeconomicdiscriminationand inequalities

ofaclass,race,gender, institutionalandspatialnatureprofoundlyshaped,andcontinuetoshape,

SouthAfricanhighereducation.Giventhis,SouthAfrica’snewdemocraticgovernmentcommitted

itselfin1994totransforminghighereducationaswellastheinheritedapartheidsocialandeconomic

structureandinstitutionalisinganewsocialorder.

Post-1994, there has been a wide array of transformation-oriented initiatives seeking to effect

institutional change. These have included the definition of the purposes and goals of higher

education;extensivepolicyresearch,policyformulation,adoption,andimplementationintheareas

of governance, funding, academic structure and programmes and quality assurance; the enactment


ofnew lawsand regulations;andmajor restructuringand reconfigurationof thehighereducation

institutional landscape and of institutions.These initiatives have often tested the capacities and

capabilitiesof the stateandhighereducation institutionsandhaveaffected thepace,natureand

outcomesofchange.

The South African Constitution of 1996 and the 1997 Act and White Paper directed the state

andinstitutionstorealiseprofoundandwide-rangingimperativesandgoals inandthroughhigher

education. It was assumed that their progressive substantive realisation would contribute

immeasurablytothetransformationanddevelopmentofhighereducationandsociety.

The Constitution committed the state and institutions to the assertion of the values of human

dignity, the achievement of equality, and the advancement of non-sexism and non-racialism and

thehumanrightsandfreedomsthattheBill of Rightsproclaims;andto“respect,protect,promote

and fulfil the rights” embodied in the Bill of Rights (Republic of South Africa, 1996). The Higher

Education Actdeclaredthedesirabilityofcreating“asinglecoordinatedhighereducationsystem”,

restructuring and transforming “programmes and institutions to respond better to the human

resource,economicanddevelopmentneeds”SouthAfrica,redressing“pastdiscrimination”,ensuring

“representivityandequalaccess”andcontributing“totheadvancementofallformsofknowledge

andscholarship,inkeepingwithinternationalstandardsofacademicquality”.The Actalsoproclaimed

that it was “desirable for higher education institutions to enjoy freedom and autonomy in their

relationship with the State within the context of public accountability and the national need for

advancedskillsandscientificknowledge”(1997).

The White Paper identifiedvarioussocialpurposesthathighereducationwasintendedtoserve:

• Tomobilise“humantalentandpotentialthroughlifelonglearning”(DoE,1997,1.12), and“providethelabourmarket,inaknowledge-drivenandknowledge-dependentsociety,withtheever-changinghigh-levelcompetenciesandexpertisenecessaryforthegrowthand

prosperityofamoderneconomy”(ibid:1.3)

• Toundertakethe“production,acquisitionandapplicationofnewknowledge”and“contribute

tothecreation,sharingandevaluationofknowledge”(ibid:1.12,1.3)

• To“addressthedevelopmentneedsofsociety”and“theproblemsandchallengesofthe

broaderAfricancontext”(DoE,1997:1.3,1.4)

• Tocontribute“tothesocial…culturalandintellectuallifeofarapidlychangingsociety”,

socialise“enlightened,responsibleandconstructivelycriticalcitizens”and“helplaythe

foundationsofacriticalcivilsociety,withacultureofpublicdebateandtolerance”

(ibid:1.12,1.3,1.4)


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In essence, the social purposes resonatewith the core roles of higher educationof disseminating

knowledgeandproducingcriticalgraduates,producingandapplyingknowledge through research

anddevelopmentactivitiesandcontributing toeconomicandsocialdevelopmentanddemocracy

throughlearningandteaching,researchandcommunityengagement.

Concomitantly,andaspartofthe“vision…ofatransformed,democratic,non-racialandnon-sexistsystemofhighereducation”(DoE,1997:1.14),highereducationwascalledupontoadvancespecificgoals.Theseincluded:

• “Increasedandbroadenedparticipation”,includinggreater“accessforblack,women, disabledandmaturestudents”and“equityofaccessandfairchancesofsuccesstoall… whileeradicatingallformsofunfairdiscriminationandadvancingredressforpastinequalities”(DoE,1997:1.13,1.14).

• Restructuringof“thehighereducationsystemanditsinstitutionstomeettheneedsofanincreasinglytechnologically-orientedeconomy”andto“delivertherequisiteresearch, thehighlytrainedpeopleandtheknowledgetoequipadevelopingsocietywiththecapacity toaddressnationalneedsandtoparticipateinarapidlychangingandcompetitiveglobalcontext”(ibid:1.13).

• “Toconceptualise(and)plan…highereducationinSouthAfricaasasingle,coordinated system”,“ensurediversityinitsorganisationalformandintheinstitutionallandscape”, “diversifythesystemintermsofthemixofinstitutionalmissionsandprogrammesthat willberequiredtomeetnationalandregionalneedsinsocial,culturalandeconomicdevelopment”,and“offsetpressuresforhomogenisation”(DoE,1997:1.27,2.37).

• To“supportademocraticethosandacultureofhumanrightsbyeducationalprogrammes andpracticesconducivetocriticaldiscourseandcreativethinking,culturaltolerance,and acommoncommitmenttoahumane,non-racistandnon-sexistsocialorder”(ibid:1.13).

• To“createanenablinginstitutionalenvironmentandculturethatissensitivetoandaffirmsdiversity,promotesreconciliationandrespectforhumanlife,protectsthedignityofindividualsfromracialandsexualharassment,andrejectsallotherformsofviolentbehaviour”(ibid:1.13).

• “Toimprovethequalityofteachingandlearningthroughoutthesystemand,inparticular toensurethatcurriculaareresponsivetothenationalandregionalcontext”,andtopromote qualityandqualityassurancethroughtheaccreditationofprogrammes,programmeevaluationsand institutional audits (ibid:1.27).

• “Todevelopandimplementfundingmechanisms…insupportofthegoalsofthenational highereducationplan”(DoE,1997:1.27).

In pursuing the defined social purposes and goals, theWhite Paper clearly and explicitly statedthe principles and values thathad tobeembodiedandalsopromotedbyhighereducation.


These were: equity and redress, quality, development, democratisation, academic freedom,institutional autonomy, effectiveness and efficiency, and public accountability (DoE, 1997:1.18-1.25).

The key levers for transforming higher education were to be national and institution-level planning,

fundingandqualityassurance.

In the context of a commitment to societal reconstruction and development programme to

which higher education was expected to make a significant contribution, the higher education

transformationagendawasnecessarilyextensiveinscopeandalsofundamentalinnature.Ofcourse,

suchatransformationagendahadconsiderablefinancialandpersonpowerimplications,whichwould

unavoidablyshapethetrajectory,dynamismandpaceofinstitutionalchange.

Achievements

Therehavebeenanumberofachievementsduringthepast16years,evenifsomeofthese,aswillbenotedlater,havetobequalified.

1. A comprehensive agenda and policy framework for higher education, as explicated in variouspolicydocuments,hasbeendefined,evenifthenatureofthetransformationagendaandcertainelements require ongoing critical debate. The progressive realisation of this agenda has thepotentialtocreateahighereducationsystemthatiscongruentwiththecoreprinciplesofsocialequityandredress,socialjustice,democracyanddevelopment.

2. The foundations havebeen laid for a newhigher education landscape constitutedby a single,coordinated and differentiated system encompassing universities, universities of technology,comprehensive institutions, contact and distance institutions and various kinds of colleges. The attendant institutional restructuring has provided the opportunity to reconfigure the higher education system in a principled and imaginative way, more suited to the needs of ademocracyandall itscitizensincontrasttotheracistandexclusionaryimperativesthatshapedlargepartsoftheapartheidsystem.

3. There has been increased and broadened participation within higher education to advancesocialequityandmeeteconomicandsocialdevelopmentneeds,acrucialgoalgiventhelegacyofdisadvantageofblackandwomenSouthAfricans,especiallyofworkingclassandruralpoororigins.

Studentenrolmentshavegrownfrom473000 in1993tosome799388 in2008.Therehasalsobeenanextensivederacialisationofthestudentbody,overallandatmanyinstitutions.Whereasin 1993 African students constituted 40% (191 000), and black students 52% of the studentbody, in 2008 theymade up 64.4% (514 370) and over 75% respectively of overall enrolments (CHE,2004;DHET,2009).


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Therehasalsobeencommendableprogressintermsofgenderequity.Whereaswomenstudentsmadeup43% (202000outof473000)ofenrolments in1993,by2008 theyconstituted56.3% (450584outof799388)ofthestudentbody(CHE,2004;DHET,2009).

4. InrelationtotheNational Plangoalof40%enrolmentsinhumanitiesandsocialsciences(HSS),30% in business and commerce (BC) and 30% in science engineering, and technology (SET), there have also been shifts as desired – from 57%HSS:24%BC:19%SET in 1993 to 43%HSS:29%BC:28%SETin2008(MoE,2001;CHE,2004;DHET,2009).

5. IsolatedfromtherestofAfricaandtheworldmoregenerally,democracyasbroughtawelcomeinternationalisation of the student body and also, although to a more limited extent, of theacademicworkforce.

Internationalstudentenrolments increased from14124 in1995 to51224 in2005,constitutingabout7%ofthetotalstudentbody.StudentsfromtheSouthAfricanDevelopmentCommunitybloc increased from 7 497 in 1995 to 35 725 in 2005. Students from other African countries increasedfrom1769in1995to7586in2005.Studentsfromtherestoftheworldtotalled7913 in 2005.

6. Withrespecttoteaching-learning, researchandcommunityengagement, inanumberofareasof learning and teaching, institutions offer academic programmes that produce high qualitygraduates with knowledge, competencies and skills to practice occupations and professionslocallyandanywhereintheworld.Variousareasofresearcharecharacterisedbyexcellenceand the generation of high quality fundamental and applied knowledge for scientific publishing inlocal and internationalpublications, for economicand socialdevelopmentand innovation, and for public policy. In a variety of areas, there are also important and innovative communityengagementinitiativesthatlinkacademicsandstudentsandcommunities.

7 A national quality assurance framework and infrastructure has been established and policies,mechanisms and initiatives with respect to institutional audit, programme accreditation and qualitypromotionandcapacitydevelopmenthavebeenimplementedsince2004.Thesedevelopmentshave significantly raised theprofileofquality issuesacross the sector, andhave linkednotions of quality in teaching and learning, research and community engagement to the goals andpurposes of higher education transformation. There has also been a concomitant emerginginstitutionalisationofqualitymanagementwithininstitutions.

8. Anewmoregoal-oriented,performance-related funding frameworkhasbeen instituted,andaNationalStudentFinancialAidScheme(NSFAS)hasbeensuccessfullyestablishedandexpandedasameansofeffectingsocialredressforpoorstudents.

9. Following theconstitutionalprovision for theexistenceofprivatehighereducation institutionson condition that they did not discriminate on the grounds of race, registeredwith the state,


and maintained standards that were not inferior to those at comparable public institutions, asmallprivatehighereducationsectorhascomeintoexistence.Criteriathatprivateinstitutionsneedtomeettoachieveuniversitystatusareinplace.

Overall,partsofSouthAfricanhighereducationdisplayconsiderablestrengthsandmuchpromise withrespecttoknowledgeproductionanddissemination,tocontributingtosocialequity,toeconomicand social development and democracy, and to the development needs of the SouthernAfrican regionandtheAfricancontinent.

Issues and challenges

Notwithstandingsomesignificantachievements,anumberofkeyissuesandchallengescontinuetoconfrontthestateandhighereducationinstitutions.

Thepaperfirst identifiescertainpolicyandmacro issuesthatrequireattentionandthendiscussesspecific issuesrelatedtothefundamentally important issuesofaccess,opportunityandsuccess inhighereducation.

1. Mediating competing goals

Therehasbeenanintractabletensionbetweenanumberofvaluesandgoalsofhighereducation.

Forexample,totheextentthatgovernmentanduniversitieshavesoughttopursuesocialequityandredressandqualityinhighereducationsimultaneously,difficultpoliticalandsocialdilemmas,choicesand decisions have arisen, especially in the context of inadequate public finances and academicdevelopmentinitiativestosupportunder-preparedstudents,whotendtobelargelyblackand/orofworkingclassorruralpoorsocialorigins.

Anexclusiveconcentrationonsocialequityandredresswithoutadequatepublicfundingandacademicdevelopment initiatives to support under-prepared students has negative implications for quality,compromisestheproductionofhighqualitygraduateswiththerequisiteknowledge,competenciesand skills, and adversely affects economic development. Conversely, an exclusive focus on economicdevelopmentandqualityand‘standards’,(especiallywhenconsideredtobetimelessandinvariantand attached to a single, a-historical and universalmodel of higher education) results in equalitybeingretardedordelayedwith limitederosionoftheracialandgendercharacterofthehigh-leveloccupationalstructure.

Thisexample(otherscanbeprovided)illustratesthatthetransformationagendainhighereducationembodiesparadoxes,insofarasgovernmentandinstitutionsseektopursuesimultaneouslyanumberofvaluesandgoalsthatareintensionwithoneanother.Theparadoxesnecessarilyraisesocialandpolitical dilemmas, difficult choices and the question of possible trade-offsbetween values, goals andstrategies.


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Ithasbeenpointedoutthatwhenconfrontedwithanintractabletensionbetweendearlyheldgoalsandvalues–various‘simplifyingmanoeuvres’arepossible.Onesimplifyingmanoeuvreistorefuse toaccepttheexistenceofadilemma.Asecond is toelevateonevalueorgoalaboveallothersmakingthis thevalueintermsofwhichallchoicesandpoliciesaretobemade.Athirdsimplifyingmanoeuvreistorankvaluesandgoalsinadvancesothatifthereisaconflictbetweenthemonewilltakeprecedence. Inthelattertwocases,theeffectistoprivilegeonevalueorgoalaboveanother(Morrow,1997).

Recommendation

Itshouldbeacceptedthatforgoodpoliticalandsocialreasons,values,goalsandstrategiesthatarein tension need tobepursuedsimultaneously.Paradoxeshavetobecreativelyaddressedandpoliciesandstrategieshavetobedevisedthatcansatisfymultipleimperatives,balance competing goals and enablethepursuitofequallydesirablegoals.

To the extent that certain conditions, including inadequate financial resources, make trade-offsnecessaryandresultinparticularchoicesanddecisionsatDHETandinstitutionallevels,thereshouldbeopenacknowledgementofthebasisofsuchchoicesanddecisionsandcommunicationbetweenvariousconstituenciesinthisregard.

2. Post-school education

In2008,therewere874680studentsatSouthAfricanhighereducationinstitutions,799490atpublicinstitutionsand75190atprivateinstitutions.Therewere640166studentsatfurthereducationandtrainingcolleges,520235atpublicinstitutionsand147901atprivateinstitutions

Simultaneously,asthetablebelowindicates,therewereatotalof2781185peoplebetweentheagesof18-24thatwereneitherinemployment,norateducationortraininginstitutions:

Table 1: People between the ages of 18-24 not in employment, education or training

Qualifications Numbers

Bachelorsdegree/Masters/PhD 11 552

Grade12plusdiploma/certificate 72 588

Grade12withexemption 98 335

Grade12withoutexemption 598 657

Grade10andlessthanGrade12 990 794

LessthanGrade10 1 009 259

Total 2 781 185

Source:Cloeteed.,2009

Thesefiguresclearlyhighlightthechallengesofpost-schooleducationandtraining.


Ashasbeennoted, ‘thefinding that41.6%of the18-24year-oldsarenot ineducationor training,noraretheyemployed, isnotonlyaneducationalproblem,butconstitutesasocialandeconomicdisaster’ (Cloete ed., 2009:43). There is clearly a growing need for expanding opportunities for post-schooleducationandtraining,forpost-secondaryeducationandforhighereducation.

The National Plan for Higher Education set the target of a 20% participation rate by 2011/2016. Theparticipation rate,whichwas 15% in 2001, has only increasedby 1%by 2008,which has negativeconsequencesforeconomicandsocialdevelopment.

The Department of Higher Education andTraining (DHET) is seeking to incorporate an increaseadditional100000studentswithinhighereducation, inacontext inwhichthecapacitiesofpublicuniversitiesarealreadystretched.Concomitantly,thereisapressingneedforenhancingpassratesandgraduationratesandalsoenhancingthequalityofthegraduatesofmanyinstitutions.

Allof these issuesmeanthat it isvitally importanttogiveurgentandconsideredattentiontotheexpansionofpost-schooleducation,includinghighereducation,andtothespectrumofpost-schoolinstitutionsthatarerequiredinrelationtoeconomicandsocialdevelopmentneeds.

Recommendation

There is a critical and immediate need to reconceptualise and clarify the scope, structure andlandscapeofthepost-schoolsystemandinstitutionsaswellastoexpandopportunitiesforhighquality post-schooleducationandtraining.

Asanewlycreatedministrythathasresponsibilityforpost-schooleducation,theMinistryofHigherEducationandTraining(HE&T)providesthewelcomeopportunitytobothconsiderthese issues ina systemic and integratedmanner and to lead a process of reconceptualisation, clarification andintervention.

Suchaprocess shouldalsoclarify thepurposesand rolesofhighereducation institutionsvis-à-visfurther education and training colleges and other possible post-school institutions, and addresstheneed foranexpansionofhighereducationopportunities inorder to realise thegoalofa20%participationrateinhighereducation.

The reconceptualisation of the scope, structure and landscape of post-school institutions willalmost certainly require legislative andpolicy changes, the possible redirectionof available funds (theNationalSkillsLevyfunds)andtheinvestmentofnewfunds.

The expansion of opportunities in higher educationwill require injections of new funds into both theNationalStudentFinancialAidSchemeandhighereducationinstitutions.


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3. Differentiation and diversity

Athirdkeyissueisthepolicygoaloftheestablishmentofanational,coordinatedanddifferentiatedhighereducationsystem

In1994,thehighereducationsectorcomprisedof21publicuniversities,15technikons,120collegesofeducationand24nursingand11agriculturalcolleges.By2001allthecollegesofeducationwereeitherclosedorincorporatedintotheuniversitiesandtechnikons.

The 1997 White Papermadeclearthat“animportanttaskinplanningandmanagingasinglenationalco-ordinated system was to ensure diversity in its organisational form and in the institutionallandscape,andoffsetpressures forhomogenisation”,and“todiversify thesystem in termsof the mixof institutionalmissionsandprogrammes thatwill be required tomeetnational and regionalneedsinsocial,culturalandeconomicdevelopment”(DoE,1997:2.37,1.27).

FouryearslatertheNational Planreaffirmeditscommitmenttothesegoals:to‘achievingdiversityin the SouthAfrican higher education system’, and ‘to diversify the system in terms of the mix of institutional missions and programmes that will be required to meet national and regionalneedsinsocial,culturalandeconomicdevelopment’.TheDepartmentofEducation(DoE)setitself thestrategicobjectiveofensuring‘diversityintheorganisationalformandinstitutionallandscapeofthehighereducationsystemthroughmissionandprogrammedifferentiation’whichwouldbe‘basedonthetypeandrangeofqualificationsoffered’(MoE,2001:49).

Since then there have been two elements in the creation of a new differentiated institutionallandscape.Onehasbeeninstitutionalrestructuringwhichreducedtheprecious36highereducationinstitutionsto23throughmergersandincorporationsbasedonvariouscriteria.Theresultwasthepresent landscape of 11 universities, six comprehensive universities (one distance) and six universitiesof technology.Two institutes of higher education were created, as facilities through which particularacademic programmes of the existing universities could be provided in provinces that did not have universities. The other has been the negotiation of the academic offerings of institutions,in termsofwhich institutionsare restricted tospecificapprovedundergraduateandpostgraduatequalificationsandprogrammes,mustseekstateapprovalfortheofferingofnewqualificationsandreceivequalityaccreditationfromtheCHE.

The institutional restructuring that occurred after 2001 provided the opportunity to reconfigure thehighereducation systemso that itwasmore suited to theneedsof adevelopingdemocracy. While various challenges remain, the foundations have been laid for a new higher educationlandscape.

Nonetheless, differentiation has been and remains a difficult, contentious and challenging policy issueforanumberofreasons(seeBadat,2009).


Historicallytheapartheidhighereducationsystemwasdifferentiatedanddiversifiedalonglinesof‘race’andethnicity,resultingintheadvantaginginvariouswaysofthehistoricallywhiteinstitutionsandthedisadvantagingofthehistoricallyblackinstitutions.

Inthiscontexttherewerelegitimateconcernsamonghistoricallyblackinstitutionsthatapolicyofdifferentiationanddiversitypost-1994couldcontinuethehistoricalpatternsofthedisadvantagingof black institutions and the advantaging of the historically white institutions, especially if therewere an absenceof strategiesof institutional redress and institutional developmental trajectoriesforhistoricallyblack institutionsasawayofaddressing theapartheid legacy,andtoenable theseinstitutionstotakeonnewsocialandeducationalroles.

If there is an in-principle opposition to differentiation and diversity and a South African highereducation institutional landscape comprising of differentiated and diverse universities, thiswouldruncountertothethrustofpost-1994highereducationpolicyandwillrequireonthepartofHigherEducationSouthAfricamajorpolicyengagementandnegotiationswithgovernment.

The history of higher education should not, however, obscure the immense contribution that adifferentiated and diverse higher education system can make to the new socio-economic andeducational goals and objectives of democratic SouthAfrica.The economic and social needs of SouthAfrica are highly varied and diverse, and a responsive higher education system requires a diverse spectrumof institutions.There is no virtue in homogeneitywhere everyhigher educationinstitutionseekstobethesameanddothesamething,andallaspiretobea(‘research’)university.

Asnoted,therehavebeentwoelementsinthecreationofanewinstitutionallandscape:institutional restructuringthroughdifferentformsofcombinationofpreviousinstitutions,andthenegotiationof new academic qualification and programme mixes forinstitutions.

The creation of a new institutional landscape has, therefore, needed to proceed at two levelssimultaneously.Ontheonehand,ithasrequiredthecreationofnewinstitutionalidentitiesthroughthedevelopmentofnewinstitutionalmissions,socialandeducationalroles,academicqualificationand programme mixes, and organisational forms, structures and practices as appropriate for different institutions.Ontheotherhand,thecomplexityoftherestructuringcouldnotendsimplywith new identities for institutions. It has also needed to confront the historical burden ofSouthAfrican higher education: namely apartheid institutionalised inequities which translated into a‘system’ofinstitutionscharacterisedbyeducational,financial,materialandgeographicaladvantageanddisadvantage.

Itmaybethecasethatonthepartofhistoricallyblackuniversitiesthereisnoin-principleoppositiontodifferentiation,but legitimateconcerns regarding the implicationsof its implementation in theabsenceofclearpolicysignals regardingdevelopmental trajectories,compoundedbytheabsence ofsignificantnewfundsforhighereducation.


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Indeed, the problem until very recently has been that the creation of effective developmentaltrajectories for all higher education institutions, and especially the historically disadvantaged, hasencountered inadequatefinancial supporton thepartofgovernment.This isnotwithstanding the provision ofmerger and recapitalisation funding and a new funding formula that introducedaspectsofinstitutionalredressfunding.

Inthiscontext,differentiationanddiversityhave,notsurprisingly,beenconsideredbyuniversities asfinanciallyazero-sumgame,withalmostcertainwinnersandlosers.

However,withtherecentDoEallocationstouniversitiesofR2.0billion(2008-2010)andR3.1billion(2011-2013) for capital infrastructure and ‘efficiency’ interventions it is evident thatdifferentiationneednotbeazero-sumgame.

Newfundscanhelpmakepossible the implementationofapolicyofdifferentiationanddiversity,in which universities through negotiation with the DoE pursue specific institutionalmissions andrelated qualifications and programmes and institutional development trajectories (related to theirvalues,shapeandsize,infrastructuredevelopmentneeds,strengthsandshortcomings),withoutanynecessaryfinancialdisadvantagingofhistoricallyblackinstitutions.

Ofcourse,itcouldbearguedbyhistoricallyblackuniversities(andothersthatperceivethemselvesto be disadvantaged in one or other way) that there is on their part no in-principle objection todifferentiation; simply that until the needs (identified and quantified in terms of their negotiatedmissions and qualifications and programmes) of historically black universities and those thatviewthemselvesasdisadvantagedaremet,anyandallnew funds forhighereducationshouldbe allocated to these institutions.

Inthiscase,theissueisnotdifferentiationasmuchasitisabout:(a)institutionalredress,or(b)thebalance between financial support for institutional development trajectories of historically blackuniversitiesandthosethatviewthemselvesasdisadvantaged,andsupportalsofordevelopmentaltrajectories forhistoricallywhiteuniversities, to theextent that theseuniversities require supportif they are, in a differentiated and diverse higher education system, to contribute optimally tosocialequityandredressandtheeconomicandsocialdevelopmentneedsofSouthAfricaandthecontinent.

Thecreationofadifferentiatedanddiverse institutional landscape isunlikelytosucceedunlessall theseissuesareeffectivelyaddressed.Itremainstobeseenwhetherthestatewillpursuedifferentiationanddiversityexplicitlyandopenlyonaplannedsystemic leveloropt todosoat the levelof individualinstitutionsusingtheleversofplanningandfundingandqualityassurance.

The institutional restructuring of higher education and a new landscapewas intended to ‘lay thefoundation for an equitable, sustainable and productive higher education system that will be of


highqualityandcontributeeffectivelyandefficientlytothehumanresource,skills,knowledgeandresearchneedsofSouthAfrica’(MoE,2001:16)

However,while institutional restructuring is anecessary condition of the transformation ofSouthAfricanhighereducation it isnotasufficient condition.Other concomitant initiativesare required to give effect to higher education transformation and realise its contribution to social equity and theeconomic,social,culturalandintellectualdevelopmentneedsandgoalsofSouthAfrica.

It should be noted that there is ample evidence that, notwithstanding contestation arounddifferentiation, a policy of differentiation has been in implementation by both the old DoE and the Department of Science and Technology through the use of various allocation and fundingmechanisms. Indeed, the higher education system is, de facto, highly differentiated and there is alsoconsiderablediversityinmissions.

Recommendation

Norestructuringofthehighereducationsystemcansucceedunlesstheaboveissuesareaddressedseriously.Takingintoaccountinstitutionalhistoriesaswellasenvisagednewsocialandeducationalrolesitisimperativetocreatetheconditionsandopportunitiesandprovidethenecessaryresourcesfor developmental trajectories for all higher education institutions, and especially the historicallydisadvantaged.Thecapacities,capabilitiesandinstitutionalprofilesofhighereducationinstitutionsarenotfixed.Allofthesecanbedevelopedovertimeandservevitalsocialneeds.

TheDHETshould facilitateanopenandseriousdiscussionwithuniversitiesandHigherEducationSouthAfricaontheissue of anational,coordinatedanddifferentiatedanddiversehighereducationsystemwithaviewtosettlingthis issue.Thediscussionshould includetheDepartmentofScience andTechnology.

Such a debate should include questions such as:

• Are‘differentiation’and‘diversity’oneandthesamething?

• Iftheyaredifferent,whatarethedifferences?

• Ifthereisarelationshipbetween‘differentiation’and‘diversity’,howaretheyrelated?

• Doesapolicythatseekstopromotetheexistenceofa‘diversity’ofinstitutionsnecessarilyrequire‘differentiation’?

• Can‘diversity’onlybeachieved‘throughmissionandprogrammedifferentiation…basedon thetypeandrangeofqualificationsoffered’orarethereotherwaystoachievediversity?

• Whatmightbeotherwaystoachieve‘diversity?

• Adifferentiatedsystemalsorequiresmechanismsforarticulationbetweendifferentinstitutionstofacilitatestudentandacademicmobility.Arethereadequatemechanismsofarticulationintheseregards?


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• Doesthecurrentfundingframeworkpromotedifferentiationordoesitinsteadleadtoisomorphism?

4. The diverse purposes of higher education

Locating higher education within a larger process of “political democratisation, economicreconstruction and development, and redistributive social policies aimed at equity” (White Paper, 1997:1.7), theWhite Paper emphasised a ‘thick’ notion of the responsiveness of higher education thatincorporateditswidersocialpurposes.

Increasingly,however,thetrendhasbeentoapproachhighereducationandinvestments inuniversitiesfromtheperspective largelyof thepromotionofeconomicgrowthand thepreparationof students forthelabourmarketandasproductiveworkersfortheeconomy.

AsmuchasthepreviousMinistryofEducationmaintainedamulti-facetedconceptionofthevalueandpurposesofhighereducation,thediscourseofotherstatedepartments,variouseducationandtrainingagenciesandsectionsofbusinesshasrevolvedaroundthesupposedlackofresponsivenessof universities to the needs of the economy, the alleged mismatch between graduates and the needsoftheprivateandpublicsectorsandthedemandforagreaterfocuson‘skills’.Thisdevelopmenthasitsrootsinvariousconditions.

Higher education must cultivate the knowledge, competencies and skills that enable graduatesto contribute to economic development, since such development can facilitate initiatives gearedtowards greater social equality and social development. In many cases there is also a need forextensive restructuring of qualifications and programmes tomake curriculamore congruentwith theknowledge,expertiseandskillsneedsofachangingeconomy.

However,itcannotbeassumedthatifacountryproduceshighqualitygraduates,especially,inthenatural science, engineering and technology fields this will automatically have a profound effect ontheeconomy.The formationofprofessionals throughhighereducation isa necessary condition foreconomicgrowthanddevelopment, innovationandglobalcompetitiveness,but isnotasufficient condition.Thecontributionofgraduatesisalsodependentontheinstitutionaleconomicenvironmentoutside of higher education– in particular, industrial policy, the availability of investment capital andventurecapitalandtheopennessandreceptivityofstateenterprisesandthebusinesssector.There shouldalsobenopretence that, in termsof ahigher education response to labourmarketneeds,it isasimplemattertoestablishtheknowledge,skills,competenciesandattitudesthatarerequiredbytheeconomyandsocietygenerallyandbyitsdifferentconstituentpartsspecifically.

An instrumentalapproachtohighereducationwhichreduces itsvalueto itsefficacyforeconomicgrowth, and calls that higher education should prioritise professional, vocational and career-focusedqualificationsandprogrammesandemphasise ‘skills’development is todenude itof itsconsiderablywidersocialvalueandfunctions.


Forone,highereducationhas intrinsic significanceasanengagementbetweendedicatedacademicsand students around humanity’s intellectual, cultural and scientific inheritances (in the form of books,art,pictures,music,artefacts),andaroundourhistoricalandcontemporaryunderstandings,viewsandbeliefsregardingournaturalandsocialworlds.

For another, higher education also has immense social and political value.As Nussbaum argues,education is intimately connected to the idea of democratic citizenship and the “cultivation ofhumanity”(2006:5).Nussbaumstatesthat“threecapacities,aboveall,areessentialtothecultivationofhumanity”(ibid:5).“Firstisthecapacityforcriticalexaminationofoneselfandone’straditions’….Training this capacity requiresdeveloping the capacity to reason logically, to testwhatone readsor says for consistency of reasoning, correctness of fact, and accuracy of judgement” (ibid:5). The “cultivation of humanity” also requires students to see themselves “as human beings boundto all other human beings by ties of recognition and concern” – which necessitates knowledgeandunderstandingofdifferentculturesand“ofdifferencesofgender, race,andsexuality” (ibid:6).Third, it is,however,morethan“factualknowledge”that is required.Alsonecessary is”theability tothinkwhatitmightbeliketobeintheshoesofapersondifferentfromoneself,tobeanintelligentreaderof thatperson’s story, and tounderstand theemotionsandwishesanddesires that someonesoplacedmighthave”(Nussbaum,2006:6-7).Finally,highereducationalsohasprofoundvalueforthepromotionofhealthandwellbeing,theassertionandpursuitofsocialandhumanrights,activedemocraticparticipationandcriticalcitizenship.

Here, it isalso important tonotethat, today, thecompetition forandconcentrationoneconomicadvantagemeans that certain kindsof knowledgeand research, especially thatgeneratedby thenatural, medical and business sciences and engineering are privileged. The Ministry of Science andTechnology’sdiscourseofthe‘nationalsystemofinnovation’hasalsotendedtoreducescienceto the natural and biological sciences and to privilege these sciences However, as Mkandawireargues,“attemptstoimproveAfrica’sprospectsbyfocusingonscientificadvancesandthebenefits accruingfromthemhavealltoooftenoverlookedtheimportantperspectiveswhichthehumanitiesandsocialsciencesafford”and“it isvitalthatthesocialsciencesandhumanitiesaregrantedtheirrightfulplace…ifAfrica’sdevelopmentchallengesaretobefullyandproperlyaddressed”(2009:vii).

As an instanceof the relativemarginalisationof thearts, social sciences andhumanities, studentenrolments in languagestudies,andespeciallyAfrican languagesstudies,atmanyuniversitiesaredecliningwithconsequences for thepromotionofmultilingualism.There is todayalsoadearthofcriticalrigorousscholarshiponkeysocialquestionsthatarevitaltoSouthAfrica’sfuture.Thereasonsfor this include the lackofaffirmationon thepartofgovernment, the state,andother importantsocialactorsofthevalueofcriticalscholarship;inadequatefundingofsuchscholarship,asopposedto narrow domain-specific ‘policy’ research; the tendency to define policy-oriented research as theonly‘relevant’research;themigrationofcriticalscholarsfromuniversitiestootherinstitutionsandintoconsultancypolicy-orientedresearch,andanincreaseinthevolumeofteachingandcontractresearch,withaconcomitantdeclineincriticalscholarship.


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Recommendation

Inthefaceofattemptsbyvariousactorstoreducehighereducationresponsivenesstoresponsivenessto the economy and the labour market, the Ministry of HE&T should be unequivocal about thediversepurposesthathighereducationmustserveandmustpromotesuchadiversityofpurposes.ThiswouldbeincongruencewithboththeWhitePaperonhighereducationandthereportoftheMinisterialCommitteeonProgresstowardsTransformationandSocialCohesionandtheEliminationofDiscriminationinPublicHigherEducationInstitutions.

The HE&T Ministry must also give concerted attention to the protection of African languages studies at universities as a vital elementof thepromotionofmultilingualismandmoregenerally,safeguardingthearts,humanitiesandsocialsciences.

The HE&T Ministry should lobby the Ministry of Science and Technology to ensure that there are adequate investments in arts, humanities and social sciences research in general and criticalscholarshipinparticularandforpostgraduatescholarshipsandfellowshipsinthesefields.

5. Adequate state funding

An enabling policy framework that encompasses thoughtful state supervision, effective steering,predictability, continuity and consistency in policy is vitally necessary for higher education to realise its social purposes and goals. However, while an enabling policy framework is vitally important,itisonitsownnotenough.Suchaframeworkmustbealsosupportedandreinforcedbyadequatestatefunding,otherwisethepromiseofhighereducationwillbeunderminedbyfinancialconstraints.

Forexample, theHigherEducationandTrainingMinistry’scommitmentsto increasingenrolmentsandparticipationratesandtoaccess,equityandredressmaybehandicappedbytheinadequacyofthestatebudgetdevotedtohighereducation.Similarly,equityofopportunityandtheenhancementofqualitymayberetardedbytheabsenceoforlimitedfundingforprogrammesofacademicstaff andstudentacademicdevelopmentatinstitutions.

Recommendation

Itisincreasinglyclearthatpublicfundingofhighereducationisinadequateinthefaceofthelegacyofpastinequitiesandthenewdemandsonandexpectationsofuniversities.Atleastthreeareasofhighereducationareinneedofeitheradditionalfundingordedicatednewfunding:

• Intermsofthecurrenthighereducationfundingframework,theblockgrantcomponent offundingtouniversities

• TheNSFASinordertoprovideequityofaccess.opportunityandoutcomesfortalented studentsfromindigentandlowermiddleclassfamilies


• Earmarkedfundingfor:highqualityacademicdevelopmentinitiativestoenhanceequityofopportunityandoutcome;curriculuminnovation,renewalandtransformationtoenhance thecapabilitiesofinstitutionstomeetthegraduateneedsoftheeconomyandsociety; producingthenextgenerationofacademics,andtheprotectionofAfricanlanguagestudies andthepromotionofmultilingualism

Theinfrastructurefundingthathasbeenprovidedtouniversitiessince2008foracademicbuildings,studentaccommodationandscientificequipmenthasbeenawelcomecontribution,andtoensureeffectiveandlong-termplanningtheremustbecertainty,consistencyandcontinuityoffundingonthebasisofclearandtransparentcriteria.

Atthesametime,andinthefaceoftheinfrastructurechallenges,theextenttowhichsuchfundscanbecreativelyleveragedtoprovidemorefundingforuniversitiesshouldbeexplored.

6. Intellectual spaces

To effectively undertake its diverse educational and social purposes, a university must have acommitment“tothespiritoftruth”(Graham,2005:163),andmustpossessacademicfreedomandinstitutionalautonomy.

However,while academic freedomand institutional autonomy are necessary conditions, they are alsorightsinwhichdutiesinhere(Jonathan,2006).

In the SouthAfrican context, wemust recognise, asAndré duToit urges, “the legacies of intellectualcolonisation and racialisation as threats to academic freedom” (2000); and that “thepowers conferredbyacademicfreedomgohandinhandwithsubstantivedutiestoderacialiseanddecoloniseintellectualspaces”(Bentleyetal,2006).

Highereducationholdsthepromiseofcontributingtosocial justice,developmentanddemocraticcitizenship.Yet, this promise often remains unrealised and instead universities frequently continue tobe a powerful mechanism of social exclusion and injustice, through both their own internal thinking, structures,culturesandpracticesandtheirexternalconditioningbythewidersociety.

Thisregimeofsocialexclusionextendswellbeyondissuesofaccessandadmissionstouniversities.It includes the questions of the opportunities for intellectual, social and citizenship developmentand for success. It extends to the issues of institutional and academic cultures, and largely ignoredepistemologicalandontologicalissuesassociatedwithlearningandteaching,curriculumdevelopmentandpedagogicalpractice.Itfurtherextendstotheveryideasandconceptionsofthepurposesandrolesofuniversities.


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Recommendation

• Anyseriousagendaofinclusioninhighereducationentailsthedutyofusing‘thepowersconferredbyacademicfreedom’tosubstantivelydecolonise,deracialise,demasculanise anddegenderourinherited‘intellectualspaces’.

• Itmeanscreatingthespaceforthefloweringofotherepistemologies,ontologies,methodologies,issuesandquestionsotherthanthosethathavedominated,perhaps evensuffocated,intellectualandscholarlythoughtandwriting.

• Whiletherehavebeenvariouschangesrelatedtocurriculum,insufficientattentionhas beengiventoissuesthatinclude:Howhavethedominantdiscoursesthatcharacterise theintellectualspaceofhighereducationdevelopedandbeenreproducedhistorically?

• Whataretheimplicationsofthedominantdiscoursesforsocialinclusionandsocialjustice inhighereducation,fortheaffirmationandpromotionofhumandignityandrights,socialcohesionandrespectfordifferenceanddiversity,irrespectiveof‘race’,class,gender, nationality,homelanguageandsexualorientation?

• Whataretheprevailingconceptionsofepistemologyandontologyandtowhatextenthavethesebeenorarebeingderacialised,degenderedanddecolonised.Thereisoftenreference toprovidingstudentswithepistemologicalaccessratherthanjustphysicalaccess,butto whichepistemologies?

• Howdothedominantwiderculturesofhighereducationaffectstudentlearning,progress andsuccessandsocialequityandredress?

• Similarly,howdothesedominantwiderculturesalsoaffectthedevelopmentandretention ofanewgenerationofacademicsthatmustalso,inthelightofthecurrentsocialcomposition ofacademics,beincreasinglywomenandblack?

• Finally,howpermeableisthecurrentlyconstructedsocialspaceofhighereducationtoa criticalreflexivity,learningandinnovationandinstitutionalchange?

7. Current postgraduate outputs

In2007SouthAfricanuniversitiesenrolledalmost60000postgraduatehonoursstudents,over43000mastersstudentsandjustover10000doctoralstudents.Inthesameyear,therewere7516masters(3442 researchmasters)and1274doctoralgraduates. In2008, theoutputofdoctoralgraduateddecreasedto1181(Mouton,2010).

Postgraduate student enrolments andoutputs are lowand sorely inadequate in relation toSouthAfrica’seconomicandsocialdevelopmentneeds.Theyalsoconstrainthetransformationofthesocialcompositionofthenewgenerationofacademics.Whiletherehavebeenadvances,whiteandmaleMastersandDoctoralgraduatescontinuetopredominate.In2005Whitestudentsconstituted52%of


Mastersgraduatesand59%ofDoctoralgraduates.Malestudentsmadeup55%ofMastersgraduatesand56%ofDoctoral graduates. In2008,45%ofdoctoralgraduateswereblackand41%women,meaningthattheyareconsiderablyunder-representedatthislevel.Furthermore,womengraduatescontinuedtobeconcentratedinthehumanitiesandsocialsciencefields(CHE,2008:32).

The mean age of Masters graduates was 34 years and that of Doctoral graduates was 40 years (CHE,2008:36).Doctoralgraduationratesareacauseforconcern.Thenationalbenchmarkgraduationrateis20%butthenationalaverageisonly11%.

It should also be noted that only 32% of university academics possess doctorates, which acts asanother constraint on significantly enhancing the output of doctoral graduates. Academic staff with doctorates at the 12 SouthAfrica universities that producemost of SouthAfrica’s doctoralgraduatesandscientificpublicationsrangefrom20%to59%.

Turning to specifically doctoral level study,Table 5 below illustrates student enrolments between 1994 and 2007.

Table 5: Doctoral enrolments by ‘race’ and gender, 1994-2007

Year Enrolments

Men Women White Black Total

1994 3 436 1 488 4 137 787 4 924

% 69.8 30.2 84.0 16.0 100

2000 3 958 2 435 3 993 2 400 6 393

% 61.9 38.1 62.5 37.5 100

2007 5 772 4 230 4 751 5 251 10 002

% 57.7 42.3 47.5 52.5 100

Thereareanumberofsalientpointsrelatedtodoctoralstudentenrolments:

• Whiledoctoralstudentenrolmentshavemorethandoubledbetween1994and2007,relativetooveralluniversityenrolments(1.3%)andtotalpostgraduateenrolments(8.8%),doctoralenrolmentsarelowandinadequateforSouthAfrica’seconomicandsocialdevelopmentneeds

• Whilethepreviouspoorparticipationofblackandwomenstudentsindoctoralstudyunderapartheidhasimprovedtremendouslyunderdemocracy,giventhatblacksconstitute91% oftheSouthAfricanpopulation,blackparticipationremainssignificantlylowrelativeto whitestudentparticipation.Theparticipationofwomenalsoremainslowgiventhatwomenmakeup51%ofthepopulationsandconstitutealmost55%ofundergraduateenrolments


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• Themeanageoffirstenrolmentsfordoctoralstudyis38years

• Themajorityofenrolmentsfordoctoralstudyareini)theHumanitiesandSocialSciences, andii)NaturalandAgriculturalSciences,withthelowestenrolmentsiniii)HealthSciences andiv)Engineering

• In2005,ofatotalof2692firstenrolmentsfordoctoralstudy,26%wereinternational students–37%fromSouthernAfricanDevelopmentCommunity(SADC)countries,37% fromtherestofAfrica,10%fromEuropeand16%fromtherestoftheworld

• TheHonoursandMastersstudentsenrolments,however,indicatethereispotentialfor alargerdoctoralstudentenrolment

Table6belowillustratesdoctoralgraduatesbetween1994and2007.

Table 6: Doctoral graduates by ‘race’ and gender, 1994-2007

Year Graduates

Men Women White Black Total

1994 518 219 666 71 737

% 70.3 29.7 90.4 9.6 100

2000 572 400 674 298 972

% 58.8 41.2 69.3 30.7 100

2007 742 529 691 580 1271

% 58.4 41.6 54.4 45.6 100

Keyissuesrelatedtodoctoralgraduationsarethefollowing:

• InrelationtoitseconomicandsocialdevelopmentneedsSouthAfricaproducesan extremelysmallnumberofdoctoralgraduates.

• In2003,SouthAfricaproducedonly23doctoralgraduatespermillionofpopulation, comparedto43byBrazil,157bySouthKoreaandalmost200byAustralia.

• Whiletheproportionsofwomenandblackgraduateshaveincreasedsignificantly theyremainlowrelativetomenandwhitegraduates.

• In2005,25%ofdoctoralgraduateswereinternationalstudents;ofthese,69%were fromtherestofAfrica–32%fromSADCcountriesandother37%fromotherAfrican countries,15%fromEuropeand16%fromtherestoftheworld(CHE,2008:40,42).

• Themajorityofdoctoralgraduatesareini)theHumanitiesandSocialSciences, andii)NaturalandAgriculturalSciences,withthefewestiniii)HealthSciences andiv)Engineering.


• Thenationalbenchmarkdoctoralgraduationrateis20%butthenationalaverageisonly11%.

• Averagetimetocompletionis4.7years-whichissimilartointernationalcompletionsrates.

• ThemeanageofDoctoralgraduatesis40years(CHE,2008:36).Ifthisisthenorminthecaseofgraduatesenteringacademiccareers,thishastobeamatterofconcernwithrespecttothedevelopmentofacademiccapabilitiesandresearchproductivity.

TheNationalResearchFoundation’s2007South African PhD Projectseekstodoublethenumberofdoctoral graduates by 2015,while theDepartment ofScience andTechnologywishes to increasedoctoralgraduatesfive-foldby2018.Theseambitionsarewelcome,buttherearevariousconstraintsthatwillhavetobeovercome.

Recommendation

Currentpostgraduateenrolmentsandgraduateoutputsarelowandinadequateandmustbeimproved tosupportSouthAfrica’seconomicandsocialdevelopmentneeds.

The participation of black andwomenSouthAfricans at postgraduate level needs to be significantlyenhancedsoastogiveeffecttoredressandsocialequityforhistoricallydisadvantagedsocialgroups.

Oneconstraintisthatthefundingmadeavailableforpostgraduatestudy(especiallyfull-timestudy)throughtheNationalResearchFoundation,andthesizeoftheawardsthatarecurrentlyprovidedthrough the National Research Foundation, are both severely inadequate. If South Africa is to accelerate economic and social development as well as ensure greater opportunities for andparticipation by black students from indigent backgrounds in postgraduate study it must investsignificantlymorefundinginpostgraduateandespeciallydoctorallevelstudy.

AtmanySouthAfricanuniversities theavailabilityandqualityof research infrastructure, facilities,and equipment is a constraint on the enrolment and production of doctoral graduates.This is so evenatthe12ofthe23universitiesthatproduce95%ofdoctoralgraduates(7universitiesproduce74%) and also the bulk of peer-reviewed scientific publications. The fact of a select number ofuniversities producing the overwhelming number and proportion of both doctoral graduates andalsopeer-reviewedscientificpublicationsraisestheissueofwhetheralluniversitiesnecessarilymustundertakedoctoraleducationandmoregenerallypostgraduateeducation.

The challenge of the enhancement of institutional capacities is, however, not confined to nor

should be reduced to infrastructure, facilities, and equipment. It also relates to the capacities to

expand and mount new doctoral programmes, the management of doctoral education, the

managementofresearchandthemobilisationoffundingfordoctoralstudiesandstudents.Inthese

regards,there isgreatscopefor internationaldonorsupportandinter-universitycollaborationand

cooperation of an institutional development nature.Of course, the nature, terms and conditions


Page 24

of such support and collaboration and cooperation are important issues. Ideally, for various good

reasons,thereshouldbeaSouth-Southorintra-Africandimensiontothebuildingoftheinstitutional

capacitiesofAfricanuniversities.

As a consequence of apartheid, knowledge production in South Africa has been predominantly

thepreserveofwhitemen.Thedemocratisationofknowledgerequiresspecialmeasuresto induct

previously excluded social groups such as black and women South Africans into the production

anddisseminationofknowledge.

Special attention must also be paid to improving the proportion of academics with doctoral

qualificationsthroughadedicatedprogrammeandsupport.

However, it cannot be assumed that academicswith doctorateswill be accomplished supervisors

of doctoral students.Attention has to be given to equipping academics to supervise effectively –

possibly through formal development programmes, mentoring and experience in co-supervising

alongside experienced supervisors.More effective supervision could also contribute to improving

graduationrates.

Anotherconstrainthasbeenthelackofanyrealconfluencebetweenthinking,policyandplanningin

theDepartmentofScienceandTechnologyandthepreviousDepartmentofEducation.Ifimportant

goalsaretonotbecompromised,itisvitalthattherebeaneffectiveconfluenceinthedomainsof

postgraduatefundingandsupportandresearchbetweenthenewMinistryofHigherEducationand

theMinistryofScienceandTechnology.

8. Creating a new generation of academics

InSouthAfrica, racismandpatriarchywerekey featuresof colonialismandapartheidandshaped

allareasofsociallife,includinghighereducation.Inthespecificdomainoftheacademicworkforce,

the consequence was a racialisation and gendering which bequeathed South Africa with a

predominantlywhiteandmaleacademicworkforce.Post-1994, inaccordancewithnewconstitutional

and social imperatives and higher education goals and policies, South African universities have

neededtoadvanceredress and social equity for black and women South Africans.

At thesametime,as the resultof the interplayofvarious factors, ithasbecomeclear thatSouth

Africanuniversitiesalsoneedtogiveseriousattentiontoproducing and retaining a new generation

of academics.

It is necessary to emphasise the simultaneity of these two tasks. A preoccupation with simply

reproducing a new generation of academics without any concomitant and purposeful attention

to redress and social equity for black and women South Africans is likely to largely reproduce


theinequalitiesthatcharacterisedapartheidhighereducation.Theoveralltask,therefore,isto produce

and retain a new generation of academics and simultaneously transform the historical social composition

of the academic work force.

Thereis,however,anadditionalimportanttask.Ifthesubstantivetransformationanddevelopment

of SouthAfrica’s universities and the enhancement of their academic capabilities are indeed key

national goals, this necessarily hasprofound implications for thecharacter of thenewgeneration

ofacademicsthathastobeproduced.

Thecorollary is thatanewgenerationof academicsmustnotonlybe increasingly constitutedby

blacks and women South Africans, but must also possess the intellectual and academic capabilities

related to teachingand learning, researchand community engagement that are anecessary condition

fortransforminganddevelopingSouthAfrica’suniversities.

In 1994, asTable 1 below indicates, academics atSouthAfricanuniversitieswereoverwhelmingly

white(83%)andmale(69%).

Table 2: Permanent instruction staff at all South African universities by ‘race’ and gender, 19941

‘Race’ Male % Male Female % Female Total % Total

African – – – – 1048 10

Coloured – – – – 312 3

Indian – – – – 384 4

White – – – – 8520 83

Total 7 051 68.7 3 217 31.3 10 267 100

ThesheerinequalityofrepresentationishighlightedbythefactthatalthoughBlackSouthAfricans

(African,Colouredand Indian) constituted some89%of thepopulation, they comprisedonly 17%

of academics at South African universities. The under-representation of Africans was especially

severe:althoughcomprisingalmost80%ofthepopulation,theyconstitutedonly10%oftheacademic

workforce.Similarly,whilewomenmadeupjustover50%ofthepopulation,theycomprisedonly

31%oftheacademicworkforceofSouthAfricanuniversities.

1 ThedatadoesnotincludetheuniversitiesofNorthWest,TranskeiandVenda.


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Table3belowillustratesthesituationthatprevailedsometwelveyearslater.

Table 3: Permanent instruction staff at all South African universities by ‘race’ and gender, 2006

‘Race’ Male % Male Female % Female Total % Total

African 2 440 15% 1 476 9% 3 916 24

Coloured 455 3% 368 2% 823 5

Indian 755 5% 590 4% 1 345 9

White 5 629 35% 4 351 27% 9 980 62

Total 9 279 58% 6 785 42% 16 064 100

While, by 2006, the academic work force remained predominantly white (62%) andmale (58%), therewere significant advances in the representation of black (from 17% to 38%), and especiallyAfricanSouthAfricans(from10%to24%),andwomen(from31%to42%).

Overall, however, the inequalities remained stark.While black South Africans comprised almost 91% of the population they made up only 38% of academics; African South Africans although makingup some80%of thepopulationenjoyedonly a 24% representation in the academicworkforce,and women, who comprised 51% of the population, made up only 42% of academics (Statistics SouthAfrica,2008).

Itmustbeappreciated that this illustrates thesocial compositionofacademicsat the levelof theuniversity system in general. Prior to 1994, SouthAfrican universities were reserved for specific‘race’ groups. Notwithstanding extensive changes in the institutional landscape and policy, thecharacterisation of SouthAfrican universities as ‘historically black’ and ‘historically white’ retains somevalidity.Inthisregard,itisimportanttonotethatin2005blackacademicscomprisedbetween12%and90%oftheacademicworkforceofuniversitiesandwomenacademicscomprised28%to 52% (DoE, 2006).The differential representation of black academics at universities is related, ofcourse,totheracialisedhistoryofSouthAfrica’suniversitiesandexemplifiesthespecificchallenge ofthederacialisationoftheacademicworkforceofthe‘historicallywhite’universities.

Iftheaboveindicatesthesocialequitychallenge,Table4belowindicatesanotherdimensionofthechallengeofreproducinganewgenerationofacademics.

On thebasis of the current retirement ageof 65, in the comingdecadeover 4 000or some27% ofacademicswill retireandneed tobe replaced. In so farasprofessorsandassociateprofessors, who constitute themost highly qualified andexperiencedacademics, are concerned, almost 50% areduetoretire.


Table 4: Permanent instruction staff at all South African universities by rank, age and gender, 20062

Professor Associate Professor Senior Lecturer Lecturer Junior Lecturer

Age M F M F M F M F M F

Under25 – – – – – – 1 2 – 1

25 - 34 2 – 9 5 142 136 546 625 186 220

35 - 44 93 35 213 127 689 576 1 223 1 203 161 162

45 - 54 521 202 542 246 907 579 839 888 54 102

55 - 59 478 84 284 103 395 244 267 288 19 34

60 - 62 298 42 143 50 185 93 103 98 11 5

63 - 65 190 29 73 25 107 53 52 41 2 2

66 - 69 101 8 31 10 42 10 19 20 4 4

Over70 19 2 2 – 3 – 5 – 3 1

Total 1 702 402 1 297 566 2 470 1 691 3 055 3 165 440 531

55 + 1 086 165 533 188 732 400 446 447 40 46

55+(%) 63.8 41.0 41.1 33.2 29.6 23.7 14.6 14.1 9.1 8.7

Total male and female

2 104 1 863 4 161 6 220 971

55 + 1 251 721 1 132 893 86

55+(%) 59.4 38.7 27.2 14.4 8.9

55 + 1 972 2 025 –

55+(%) 49.7 19.5 –

Total 15 319

55 + 4 083

55+(%) 26.7%

Thesecategoriesarealsothemostproductiveresearchers.Moregenerally,academicsovertheageof50haveincreasinglycometobearresponsibilityofpublishing.Thus,whereasin199020%of(research)articleswere published by scientists over 50 years old, by “2000 nearly 50%of publicationswereauthoredbyscientistsovertheageof50”(COHORT,2004:14).Thus,thenewgenerationofacademicswillalsoneedtobeequippedtodischargetheresponsibilityofconductingresearchandpublishing, sothattheknowledgeneedsofSouthAfricaareeffectivelymet.

2 Thisexcludesthosestaffbelowtherankofjuniorlecturer(144),andotherswhoserankwasundesignated(601).Thetotalacademicworkforce was16064ofwhich9279weremalesand6785werefemales.


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Therearealsoanumberofotherchallenges:

• Apartfromretireesneedingtobereplaced,itisalsonecessarytotakeintoaccountthe additionalacademicsthatwillberequirediftheuniversitysystemexpands,asenvisaged bythe2001NationalPlanforHigherEducation,fromthecurrentgrossparticipationrate of16%tothatof20%by2011or2016

• ThecurrentoutputsofMastersandDoctoralgraduatesalsoconstrainthetransformation ofthesocialcompositionofthenewgenerationofacademics

• Thequalificationsandexpertiseofacademicsmakethemrelativelymobileandacertainproportionwillinevitablybecontinuouslylosttothepublicandprivatesectors,andto emigration

• ThelegislationrelatedtoemploymentequityinSouthAfricawasrecentlyamended todefineonlyblackandwomenSouthAfricansas‘designatedgroups’thatmaybethe beneficiariesofemploymentequity.

Recommendation

Withrespecttothecurrentsocialcompositionoftheacademiclabourforceandemploymentequity,SouthAfrica has an immediate and serious challenge. It is also evident that with regard to thereproductionofanewgenerationofacademicsthereisaloomingandseriouschallenge.

Thereshouldbenodoubtsabouttheurgencyofproducinganewgenerationofacademicsthatisnotonly increasinglyconstitutedbyblacksandwomenSouthAfricans,butwhichalsopossesstheintellectual and academic capabilities related to teaching and learning, research and communityengagement(asnecessaryconditionsfortransforminganddevelopingSouthAfrica’suniversities).

A failure to invest in and cultivate a new generation of high quality academics will have far-reaching consequences. Redress and social equity and the pace and extent of the deracialisationanddegenderingof theacademicwork forcewill benegatively affected.Thequalityof academicprovisionwillbeincreasinglydebilitatedbythedearthofhighqualityacademics,withconsequencesfor the capabilities of universities to produce high quality graduates and knowledge.The goal oftransforming and developing South African universities, including enhancing their teaching andresearch capabilities,will alsobe compromised. Finally, the ability of universities to contribute todevelopmentanddemocracythroughanewgenerationofoutstandingscholarsthatarecommittedtocriticalandindependentscholarshipandsocialjusticewillbehampered.

Therearepioneeringinitiativesandthereisaccumulatedknowledge,expertiseandexperiencerelatedtodevelopinganewgenerationofacademicsthatcanandmustbecalledupontosupportfurtherinitiativesandamoresystemicresponse.


HESA has established a Working Group to develop a carefully considered and costed national

programme (including values and principles, goals, framework, strategies and mechanisms) for

buildinganewgenerationofSouthAfricanacademics,andespeciallyblackandwomenacademics.

ItisvitallyimportantthattheHE&TMinistryengagewiththeHESAproposalandmobilisededicating

fundingforbuildinganewgenerationofacademics.

Whiletheemploymentof ‘suitablyqualified’3blackandwomenSouthAfricansmustbeprioritised,

and there is the danger of a ‘brain drain’ that denudes otherAfrican countries of highly qualified

graduates to the benefit of SouthAfrica and its universities, the SouthAfrican state is strongly

ill-advisedtoplaceconstraintsontheemploymentofacademics fromotherAfricancountriesand

elsewhere as they have a vital contribution to make to the transformation and development of

SouthAfricanuniversities.

9. Remuneration of academics

SouthAfricanacademicsareinadequatelyremuneratedrelativetooccupationsinthepublic(state,

public enterprises and science councils) sector and private sector that require similar levels of

qualificationsandexpertise.Theremunerationdifferentialsbetweenuniversitiesandthepublicand

privatesectorsaresignificantandhavebeenwidening.Consequently,thepublicandprivatesectors

wieldapowerfulpulloncurrentacademicsandonMastersandDoctoralgraduates. Italsomeans

thatthere isaminimalflowofpotentialacademicsfromtheprivateandpublicsectorstouniversities,

tothedetrimentofuniversitiesandeconomyandsociety.Further, fromtheperspectivesofsocial

equityandthetransformationofuniversities,universitiesarealsodeniedthecontributionsoffirst

generationblackgraduates fromworkingclassandruralpoororigins,giventheopportunitycosts

(lowerincomesandsupportoffamilies)thathavetobebornebythesegraduates.

Recommendation

Theimprovementofpublicsubsidiestoattractoutstandinggraduatestotheacademicprofessionand

moregenerallyfacilitatetherecruitmentandretentionofacademicsthroughadequateremuneration

isvitalforthefuturewellbeingandcontributionofuniversities.

TheHR&TMinistryandHESAneedtoactinconcertinthisregardandataskteamshouldbeestablished

toaddressprinciples,mechanismsandtimelinesfortheimprovementofacademicremuneration.

3 Tousethephraseemployedbyemploymentequitylegislation.


Page 30

10. Access, opportunity and success in higher education

a) African and Coloured participation rates

Althoughblackstudentenrolmentshaveincreasedsince1994,thegrossparticipationrateofblack,

andespeciallyAfricanandColoured,SouthAfricanscontinuestobeconsiderablylowerthanforwhite

SouthAfricans.

Table 7: Participation rates by ‘race’

‘Race’Participation rate

1993 2005

Africans 9 12

Coloureds 13 12

Indians 40 51

Whites 70 60

Overall 17 16

Source:CHE,2004:62;Scottetal,2007:10

In 2001 the National Plan for Higher Educationestimatedthegrossparticipationtobe15%andset

a target of 20% gross participation rate by 2011/2016 (MoE, 2001). Clearly, there has been only

a minimal improvement in the overall gross participation rate and severe inequities continue to

exist intheparticipationratesofAfricanandColouredSouthAfricansrelativetoWhiteand Indian

South Africans. Indeed, “given that the participation is expressed as gross rates and includes

appreciablenumbersofmaturestudents–wellunder12%ofthe(African)andColoured20-24age

groups are participating in higher education (it) must be a cause of concern, for political, social

and economic reasons, if the sector is not able to accommodate a higher and more equitable

proportion”ofthosesocialgroupsthathavebeenhistoricallydisadvantagedandunder-represented

inhighereducation(Scott,etal,2007:11).

Recommendation

ItisnecessarytogiveespecialattentiontoimprovingtheparticipationratesofAfricanandColoured

students.Ontheonehand,thisisdependentonimprovingconditionsinschooling.Ontheotherhand,

ithighlightsthattheNationalStudentFinancialAidSchemeneedstobefundedmoreadequately

sothatAfricanandColouredstudentscanbesupportedtoaccesshighereducation.


b) Continued under-representation of blacks and women

Whiletherehasbeensignificantprogressintherepresentationofbothblack,andespeciallyAfrican,

and women students in higher education, this progress nonetheless masks inequities in their

distribution across institutions, qualification levels and academic programmes. Large numbers of

Africanstudentscontinuetobeconcentrated indistanceeducation,andbothAfricanandwomen

studentscontinuetobeunder-representedinscience,engineeringandtechnologyandbusinessand

commerceprogrammes.

Recommendation

Constantattentionshouldbegiventotherepresentationofblackandwomenstudents at specific

institutions and qualification levels and in particular academic programmes. Carefully designed

interventionsneedtobecratedtoensureimprovementsinrepresentationinareaswhereblackand

womenstudentscontinuetobeunder-represented.

c) Improvement of pass and graduation rates

Judging by drop-out, throughput and graduation rates a substantial improvement in equity of

opportunity and outcomes for black students remains to be achieved. Contact undergraduate

successratesshould,accordingtotheDepartmentofEducation(DoE,2006b),be80%“ifreasonable

graduationratesaretobeachieved”.Instead,theyrangefrom59%to80%withanaverageof75%.

White student success rates in 2005were 85%,whileAfrican student rateswere 70%.TheDoE’s

targetforthroughputrates“isaminimumof20%whichwouldimplyafinalcohortgraduationrate

ofabout65%”(ibid.).Instead,throughputratesfor2000-2004werebetween13%and14%,andthe

cohortgraduationratewas45%in2004,withanoveralldrop-outrateof45%(ibid).

A recent study notes that “the major racial disparities in completion rates in undergraduate

programmes,togetherwiththeparticularlyhighattritionratesofblackstudentsacrosstheboard,

havetheeffectofnegatingmuchofthegrowthinblackaccessthathasbeenachieved.Takingaccount

of theblackparticipation rate, theoverall attrition rateofover50%and thebelow-averageblack

completionrates,itcanbeconcludedthatthesectoriscateringsuccessfullyforunder5%oftheblack

(andColoured)age-group”(Scottetal2007).

Theconclusionsareclear:“thishascentralsignificancefordevelopmentaswellassocialinclusion”,

and“equityofoutcomesistheoverarchingchallenge”(ibid). Clearly,ifhighereducationinstitutions

“aretocontributetoamoreequitableSouthAfricansociety,thenaccessandsuccessmustbeimproved

forblack(andparticularlyblackworkingclass)studentswho,byvirtueoftheirpreviousexperiences,

havenotbeeninductedintodominantwaysofconstructingknowledge”(Boughey,2008).


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There is, however, a further and important conclusion, namely that the under-performance ofblackstudents“willnotchangespontaneously.Decisiveactionneedstobetakeninkeyaspectsof theeducationalprocess–andatkeypointsoftheeducational‘pipeline’–tofacilitatepositivechangeinoutcomes”(Scottetal,2007:20).Itisarguedthat“suchkeypointsoccurparticularlyattheinterfacebetweenmajor phases of the system: between general education and FET, for example, as well as between FET and higher education, and, increasingly significantly, between undergraduate and postgraduate studies….(C)ontinuity in the system as a whole is necessary for improving graduate outcomes,withoutwhichmeeting national developmental needswill continue to be anelusivegoal”(ibid.).

The enhancement of academic capabilities includes adequate public funding for academicdevelopmentinitiatives.Equityofopportunityandoutcomesisconstrainedbyinadequatefundingtoaddressunder-preparedness(conceptual,knowledge,academicliteracyandnumeracy)forhighereducationprogrammesofespeciallyindigentstudents.

Recommendation

Inthelightofunacceptablypoorcurrentpassandgraduationratesandhighdropoutrates:

• theenhancementoftheacademiccapabilitiesofuniversities,andspecificallyacademics,and

• rigorouslyconceptualisedanddesignedhighqualityacademicdevelopmentprogrammestosupportacademicsandstudents

areurgentandimportanttasksinordertoensureequityofopportunityandoutcome,especiallyforstudentsofworking-classandruralpoorsocialorigins.

There is accumulated knowledge, expertise and experience at some universities related to thedesignandimplementationofhighqualityacademicdevelopmentprogrammesandmoregenerallyenhancing the learning and teaching capabilities of academics and universities. This should beharnessed,expandedandputtoworkforthebenefitofalluniversities.

d) Academic infrastructure

Concomitantwiththebuildingofacademiccapabilitiesisensuringthatinstitutionsareprovidedthenecessary capacities in terms of infrastructure and equipment for effective learning and teaching andtheproductionofhighqualitygraduates.

Recommendation

The infrastructure funding that has been provided to universities since 2008 must be continued

inordertoeffectivelycapacitateuniversitiesintermsofinfrastructureandequipment.


e) Funding

Onereasonfortheveryhighrateofdropoutsamongblackstudentsisalmostcertainlyinadequatestatefundingintheformsofscholarships,bursariesandloans.AlthoughtheNationalStudentFinancialAid Scheme (NSFAS), which operates on a means-test basis, has been successfully established andconsiderable fundinghasbeenallocatedtopromoteredress for indigentstudents, theoverallamounts allocated fall far short for providing effective support for all eligible students in need. Thishighlights the realityof the interconnectionof raceand class– equityof access for students(largely black) fromworking class and impoverished rural social backgrounds will continue to beseverely compromisedunless there is agreater commitmentofpublic funding forfinancial aid toindigent students.

Recommendation

ItmustbehopedthattherecommendationsarisingoutoftherecentreviewofNSFASwilleffectivelyaddressthechallengesofthegreaterfundingthatisrequiredforNSFASandespeciallythelevelofsupportthatwillbemadeavailabletoindigentstudents.

f) Learning and teaching and curriculum

Theextenttowhichthereexistatallinstitutionsacademicallysupportiveculturesthatpromotehigherlearning,caterforthevariedlearningneedsofadiversestudentbodythroughwell-conceptualised,designed and implemented academic programmes and academic development initiatives, andmechanismstopromoteandassurequalityaremootissues.Animportantrecentstudyarguesthat“systemicresponsesareessentialforimprovingtheeducationaloutcomes”,andthat

necessary conditions for substantial improvement include: the reform of core curriculumframeworks;enhancingthestatusofteachingandbuildingeducationalexpertise…toenablethedevelopmentandimplementationofteachingapproachesthatwillbeeffectiveincateringforstudentdiversity;andclarifyingandstrengtheningaccountabilityforeducationaloutcomes(Scottetal,2007:73).

Thisraisessharplytheacademiccapabilitiesofuniversities.

Atthesametime,separatefromacademiccapabilities,itisnecessarytoemphasisethecontinuedunder-developed institutional capacities of historically black institutions. Providing access to andadmitting students from largely rural poor and working class families, adequate state support isrequiredtoensurethattheseinstitutionsarefullycapacitatedtoadvanceequityofopportunityandoutcomes.


Page 34

Recommendation

Adequate public funding is necessary to enhance the capacities and academic capabilities ofuniversitieswithrespecttoteachingandlearning.

However,theshortcomingsofuniversitieswithrespecttothequantityandqualityofgraduatesthatareproducedmaynotberootedentirely in inadequatepublicfunding;that istosay,suchfunding isanecessaryconditionbutisnotasufficientcondition.

The extent to which there is on the part of universities and academics a willingness to addressimportantlearningandteachingcurriculum,andpedagogicalissueshastobehonestlyconfronted.

g) Institutional cultures

Institutional cultures, especially at historically white institutions, could in differing ways and to

varying degrees compromise equity of opportunity and outcomes.The specific histories of these

institutions, lingering racist and sexist conduct, privileges associated with social class, English as

the language of tuition and administration, the overwhelming predominance ofwhite academics

and administrators and male academics, the concomitant under-representation of black and

women academics and role-models, and the continuing challenge of building respect for and

appreciation of diversity and difference could all combine to reproduce institutional cultures that

are experienced by black, women, and working class and rural poor students as discomforting,

alienating,exclusionaryanddisempowering.

Thishaspossiblenegativeconsequencesforequityofopportunityandoutcomesforthesestudents.

Even if equity of opportunity and outcome are not unduly compromised, the overall educational

andsocialexperienceofsuchstudentsmaybediminished.Thereproductionandlimitederosionof

class-based,racialisedandgenderedinstitutionalculturesalsoobstructtheforgingofgreatersocial

cohesion.

André duToit links institutional culture to academic freedom. He notes ‘that the enemy’ in the

forms of colonial and racial discourses ‘has been within the gates all the time’, and endangers

‘empowering intellectual discourse communities’. ‘Ongoing transformation of the institutional

culture’isthereforeanecessaryconditionofacademicfreedom(duToit,2000:103).

Recommendation

The transformation programmes of historically white universitiesmust given specific attention to and

encompass the systematic and progressive transformation of institutional cultures, in congruence

withconstitutionalidealsandvalues.


Thetasksaretouproothistoricalculturaltraditionsandpracticesthatimpedethedevelopmentof

moreopen,vibrant,democraticandinclusiveintellectualandinstitutionalcultures,torespect,affirm

andembracetherichdiversityofthepeoplethattodayconstituteandmustincreasinglyconstitute

historicallywhiteuniversities,andtopurposefullycreateandinstitutionaliseculturesthatembrace

differenceanddiversity,andseestheseasstrengthsandpowerfulwellspringsforpersonal,intellectual

andinstitutionaldevelopment.

h) South African schooling

Finally,thepaceofsocialequityandredressinhighereducationcontinuestobeseverelyconstrained

byconditionsinSouthAfricanschooling.

Despitealmostuniversalformalparticipationinschooling,SouthAfrica’sschoolsevincesignificant

problems related to drop outs, retention, progression and successful completion. As has been

noted, “the simple reality is that enrolment is not the same as attendance and attendance does

not imply learning” (Sayed,2007:8).SouthAfricanschool studentsperformextremelypoorlyona

rangeofinternationalassessmenttests,intermsofwhich“65%ofschoolleavers…arefunctionally

illiterate”(ibid.:6).

Onemeasureoftheformidablechallengeisthatcurrently10%ofsome7000secondaryschools–

independent schools and public schools previously reserved forwhite students– produce 60%ofall senior certificate endorsements (the entrance requirement to higher education).Another 10%

ofmainly historically black schools produce a further 20% of all senior certificate endorsements.

Thus, 80% of senior certificate endorsements are generated by 20% of secondary schools, while

theremaining80%ofsecondaryschoolsproduceapaltry20%ofseniorcertificateendorsements.

Itisclearthatafundamentalchallengeistoimprovethequalityofeducationandschools.

Recommendation

Ultimately, improvedaccessandoutcomesinhighereducation,especiallyforblackSouthAfricans

and in the fields of science, engineering and technology, is strongly dependent on significant

improvementsinthequalityofSouthAfricanschooling.

Conclusion

Inasmuchastherehasbeensignificant institutionalchangeinhighereducationsince1994,there

has been no “total, rapid and sweeping displacement” of structures, institutions, policies and

practices (Wolpe, 1992:16). It is also arguablewhether there couldbe, given thepost-1994policy

choicesoftheANC,theconstraintsofthenegotiatedpoliticalsettlementinSouthAfrica,andvarious

otherconjuncturalconditionsandpressures.Nonetheless,duringthepast16yearstherehavebeen


Page 36

“amultitudeofchangesthathavetransformedhighereducationinSouthAfrica”(Jansen,2004:293)

and “while continuities remain, the higher education system does not represent the distortion,

upheavalandfragmentationthatmarkedthesectoratthestartofthe1990s”(ibid.).

Insummary,changeinpost-1994SouthAfricanhighereducationhasbeencharacterised:

• Byrelative stasisincertainareas,suchasthedecolonisation,deracialisationanddegendering

ofinheritedintellectualspacesandthenurturingofanewgenerationofacademicswhoare

increasinglyblackandwomen,andbygreatfluidityinotherareas,suchasthecomposition

ofthestudentbody.

• Byruptures and discontinuitieswiththepastresultinginarecastingofhighereducationvalues,

goalsandpoliciesandtheemergenceofanewinstitutionallandscapeandconfigurationof

publicuniversities;andbycontinuitiesininstitutionsandconditions–suchasinstitutional

cultures;greateraccessandsuccessforstudentsfromthecapitalistandmiddleclasses;

andlimitedchangeinthesocialcompositionofacademics.Thus,in2008,blackacademics

constitutedonly43%ofthetotalacademicstaffofover15000.Womenacademics,whomade

up46%ofacademics,continuedtobeconcentratedatthelowerlevelsoftheacademic

hierarchy.Asaresult“theknowledgeproducersinhighereducationremainlargelywhiteand

male”(Jansen,2004:311)andtherehasbeenlittledemocratisationofknowledgeproduction.

• Byconservationofinstitutionsaswellasbythedissolution,restructuringandreconstruction

ofinstitutionsandinstitutionaltypes.

• By“smallandgradualchanges(and)large-scalechanges”(Jansen,2004:293),andbymodest

improvements,moresubstantialreformsanddeepertransformations,asinthecaseofthe

emergenceofnewinstitutionallandscape.

• Bypoliciesthathavesoughttoproactivelysignal,direct,facilitateandregulate,andbypolicies

thathavefollowedandattemptedtorespondtochangesalreadyintrainwithinthesystem

and institutions.

• Bypoliciesthathaveservedas“politicalsymbolism”inthatatparticularmomentspolicy

development“hingedlargelyonthesymbolismratherthanthesubstanceofchangein

education”orwas“limitedtothesymbolismofpolicyproductionratherthanthedetailsof

policyimplementation”(Jansen,2001:41,43),andbypoliciesthathavebeenofasubstantive,

distributive,redistributive,materialandproceduralnature(deClerq,1997).

• Bysuccessesaswellasbyfailuresandshortcomingsinpolicy,planning,strategyand

implementation.


• Byattemptsonthepartofgovernmentandinstitutionstoaddressambiguitiesinpolicy

andpracticeandalsoresolveprofoundparadoxesandtheirattendantsocialdilemmas,

resultinginantinomiesinpolicyoutcomes,difficulttrade-offsandtheprivilegingof

somegoalsandthesacrificingofothers.

O’Donnel and Schmitter (1986) have written of transitions in terms of the “numerous surprises

anddifficultdilemmas”,of“elementsofaccidentandunpredictability,ofcrucialdecisionstakenin

a hurry”…, of actors “facing insolvable ethical dilemmas and ideological confusions, of dramatic

turningpointsreachedandpassedwithoutanunderstandingoftheirfuturesignificance”.

Thiscouldalsobeanaptcharacterisationofthenatureofchangethusfarinpost-1994SouthAfrican

highereducation.

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Page 40

Summary of key points and recommendations

Ranking of interventions

Achievements

Therehavebeenanumberofachievementsduring thepast sixteenyears,even if someof these,

aswillbenotedlater,havetobequalified.

1. A comprehensive agenda and policy framework for higher education, as explicated in various

policydocuments,hasbeendefined.

2. The foundations havebeen laid for a newhigher education landscape constitutedby a single,

coordinated and differentiated system encompassing universities, universities of technology,

comprehensiveinstitutions,contactanddistanceinstitutionsandvariouskindsofcolleges.

3. Therehasbeenincreasedandbroadenedparticipationwithinhighereducationtoadvancesocial

equityandmeeteconomicandsocialdevelopmentneeds.

4. InrelationtotheNational Plangoalof40%enrolmentsinHumanitiesandSocialSciences(HSS),

30%inBusinessandCommerce(BC)and30%inScienceEngineering,andTechnology(SET),there

havealsobeenshiftsasdesired.

5. IsolatedfromtherestofAfricaandtheworldmoregenerally,democracyhasbroughtawelcome

internationalisation of the student body and also, although to a more limited extent, of the

academicworkforce.

6. A national quality assurance framework and infrastructure has been established and policies,

mechanisms and initiatives with respect to institutional audit, programme accreditation and

qualitypromotionandcapacitydevelopmenthavebeenimplemented.

7. Anewmoregoal-oriented,performance-related funding frameworkhasbeen instituted,anda

NationalStudentFinancialAidScheme(NSFAS)hasbeensuccessfullyestablishedasameansof

effectingsocialredressforpoorstudents.

8. Asmallprivatehighereducationsectorhascomeintoexistence.Criteriathatprivateinstitutions

needtomeettoachieveuniversitystatusareinplace.

Overall,partsofSouthAfricanhighereducationdisplayconsiderablestrengthsandmuchpromise

with respect toknowledgeproductionanddissemination, tocontributingtosocialequity, toeconomic

and social development and democracy, and to the development needs of the SouthernAfrican

regionandtheAfricancontinent.


Issues and challenges

1. Mediating competing goals

Therehasbeenanintractabletensionbetweenanumberofvaluesandgoalsofhighereducation.

Forexample,totheextentthatgovernmentanduniversitieshavesoughttopursuesocialequityand

redressandqualityinhighereducationsimultaneously,difficultpoliticalandsocialdilemmas,choices

and decisions have arisen, especially in the context of inadequate public finances and academic

developmentinitiativestosupportunderpreparedstudents,whotendtobelargelyblackandorof

workingclassorruralpoorsocialorigins.

Recommendation

Itshouldbeacceptedthatforgoodpoliticalandsocialreasons,values,goalsandstrategiesthatare

in tension need tobepursuedsimultaneously.Paradoxeshavetobecreativelyaddressedandpolicies

andstrategieshavetobedevisedthatcansatisfymultipleimperatives,balance competing goals and

enablethepursuitofequallydesirablegoals.

2. Post-school education

‘Thefindingthat41.6%ofthe18-24year-oldsarenotineducationortraining,noraretheyemployed,

is not only an educational problem, but constitutes a social and economic disaster’ (Cloete ed.,

2009:43).There is clearly a growing need for expanding opportunities for post-school education

andtraining,forpost-secondaryeducationandforhighereducation.

Allof these issuesmeanthat it isvitally importanttogiveurgentandconsideredattentiontothe

expansionofpost-schooleducation,includinghighereducation,andtothespectrumofpost-school

institutionsthatarerequiredinrelationtoeconomicandsocialdevelopmentneeds.

Recommendation

There is a critical and immediate need to reconceptualise and clarify the scope, structure and

landscape of the post-school system and institutions aswell as to expand opportunities for high

qualitypost-schooleducationandtraining.

Suchaprocess shouldalsoclarify thepurposesand rolesofhighereducation institutionsvis-à-vis

further education and training colleges and other possible post-school institutions, and address

theneed foranexpansionofhighereducationopportunities inorder to realise thegoalofa20%

participationrateinhighereducation.


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3. Differentiation and diversity

Akeyissueisthepolicygoaloftheestablishmentofanational,coordinatedanddifferentiatedhigher

educationsystem.

Nonetheless,differentiationhasbeenandremainsadifficult,contentiousandchallengingpolicyissue

foranumberofreasons(seeBadat,2009).

The history of higher education should not, however, obscure the immense contribution that a

differentiated and diverse higher education system can make to the new socio-economic and

educational goals and objectives of democratic SouthAfrica.The economic and social needs of

SouthAfrica are highly varied and diverse, and a responsive higher education system requires a

diverse spectrumof institutions.There is no virtue in homogeneitywhere everyhigher education

institutionseekstobethesameanddothesamething,andallaspiretobea(‘research’)university.

The creationof adifferentiatedanddiverse institutional landscape is unlikely to succeedunless a

numberofkeyissuesareeffectivelyaddressed.

Recommendation

TheDHETshould facilitateanopenandseriousdiscussionwithuniversitiesandHigherEducationSouthAfricaontheissue of anational,coordinatedanddifferentiatedanddiversehighereducationsystemwithaviewtosettlingthisissue.

Suchadebateshouldincludequestionssuchas:

• Are‘differentiation’and‘diversity’oneandthesamething?

• Doesapolicythatseekstopromotetheexistenceofa‘diversity’ofinstitutionsnecessarilyrequire‘differentiation’?

• Adifferentiatedsystemalsorequiresmechanismsforarticulationbetweendifferent institutionstofacilitatestudentandacademicmobility.Arethereadequatemechanisms ofarticulationintheseregards?

• Doesthecurrentfundingframeworkpromotedifferentiationordoesitinsteadlead toisomorphism?

4. The diverse purposes of higher education

Locatinghighereducationwithinalargerprocessof“politicaldemocratisation,economicreconstruction and development, and redistributive social policies aimed at equity” (White Paper, 1997:1.7), the


White Paper emphasiseda ‘thick’notionof the responsivenessofhighereducation that incorporated itswidersocialpurposes.

Increasingly,however,thetrendhasbeentoapproachhighereducationandinvestmentsinuniversitiesfrom the perspective largely of the promotion of economic growth and the preparation of students forthelabourmarketandasproductiveworkersfortheeconomy.

Recommendation

In the faceof attemptsbyvariousactors to reducehighereducation responsiveness to responsivenessto theeconomyand the labourmarket, theMinistryofHE&Tshouldbeunequivocalabout thediversepurposesthathighereducationmustserveandmustpromotesuchadiversityofpurposes.

The HE&T Ministry must also give concerted attention to the protection of African languages studies at universities as a vital elementof thepromotionofmultilingualismandmoregenerally,safeguardingthearts,humanitiesandsocialsciences.

5. Adequate state funding

An enabling policy framework that encompasses thoughtful state supervision, effective steering,predictability,continuityandconsistencyinpolicyisvitallynecessaryforhighereducationtorealiseitssocialpurposesandgoals.However,whileanenablingpolicyframeworkisvitallyimportant,itisonitsownnotenough.Suchaframeworkmustbealsosupportedandreinforcedbyadequatestatefunding,otherwisethepromiseofhighereducationwillbeunderminedbyfinancialconstraints.

Recommendation

It is increasingly clear that public funding of higher education is inadequate in the face of the legacyofpast inequitiesandthenewdemandsonandexpectationsofuniversities. At least threeareasofhighereducationareinneedofeitheradditionalfundingordedicatednewfunding:

• Intermsofthecurrenthighereducationfundingframework,theblockgrantcomponent

offundingtouniversities

• TheNSFASinordertoprovideequityofaccess.opportunityandoutcomesfortalented

studentsfromindigentandlowermiddleclassfamilies

• Earmarkedfundingfor:highqualityacademicdevelopmentinitiativestoenhanceequity

ofopportunityandoutcome;curriculuminnovation,renewalandtransformationtoenhance

thecapabilitiesofinstitutionstomeetthegraduateneedsoftheeconomyandsociety;

producingthenextgenerationofacademics,andtheprotectionofAfricanlanguagestudies

andthepromotionofmultilingualism


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6. Intellectual spaces

IntheSouthAfricancontext,wemustrecognise,asAndréduToiturges,“thelegaciesofintellectualcolonisation and racialisation as threats to academic freedom” (2000); and that “the powers conferred by academic freedom go hand in hand with substantive duties to deracialise and decoloniseintellectualspaces”(Bentleyetal,2006).

Highereducationholdsthepromiseofcontributingtosocial justice,developmentanddemocraticcitizenship.Yet,thispromiseoftenremainsunrealisedand insteaduniversitiesfrequentlycontinue to be a powerful mechanism of social exclusion and injustice, through both their own internal thinking,structures,culturesandpracticesandtheirexternalconditioningbythewidersociety.

Recommendation

Anyseriousagendaofinclusioninhighereducationentailsthedutyofusing‘thepowersconferredby academic freedom’ to substantively decolonise, deracialise, demasculanise and degender ourinherited‘intellectualspaces’.

Itmeanscreatingthespaceforthefloweringofotherepistemologies,ontologies,methodologies,issuesandquestionsother than those thathavedominated,perhapseven suffocated, intellectual andscholarlythoughtandwriting.

7. Current postgraduate outputs

Postgraduate student enrolments andoutputs are lowand sorely inadequate in relation toSouthAfrica’s economic and social development needs. In 2008, 45%of doctoral graduateswere black and41%women,meaningthattheyareconsiderablyunder-representedatthislevel.Furthermore,womengraduatescontinuedtobeconcentratedinthehumanitiesandsocialsciencefields(CHE,2008:32).

It should also be noted that only 32% of university academics possess doctorates, which acts asanother constraint on significantly enhancing the output of doctoral graduates. Academic staff with doctorates at the 12 SouthAfrica universities that producemost of SouthAfrica’s doctoralgraduatesandscientificpublicationsrangefrom20%to59%.

Recommendation

IfSouthAfricaistoaccelerateeconomicandsocialdevelopmentaswellasensuregreateropportunitiesfor and participation by black students from indigent backgrounds in postgraduate study itmustinvestsignificantlymorefundinginpostgraduateandespeciallydoctorallevelstudy.

AtmanySouthAfricanuniversitiestheavailabilityandqualityofresearchinfrastructure,facilities,andequipmentisaconstraintontheenrolmentandproductionofdoctoralgraduates.


The challenge of the enhancement of institutional capacities also relates to the capacities to expand and mount new doctoral programmes, the management of doctoral education and themanagementofresearch.

The democratisation of knowledge requires special measures to induct previously excludedsocial groups such as black andwomenSouthAfricans into the production and dissemination ofknowledge.

Special attention must also be paid to improving the proportion of academics with doctoralqualificationsthroughadedicatedprogrammeandsupport.

Attentionhastobegiventoequippingacademicstosuperviseeffectivelythroughformaldevelopmentprogrammes,mentoringandexperienceinco-supervisingalongsideexperiencedsupervisors.

It isvitalthatthereisaneffectiveconfluenceinthedomainsofpostgraduatefundingandsupportandresearchbetweenthenewMinistryofHigherEducationandtheMinistryofScienceandTechnology.

8. Creating a new generation of academics

A new generation of academicsmust not only be increasingly constituted by blacks andwomen SouthAfricans, but must also possess the intellectual and academic capabilities related to teachingand learning, research and community engagement that are a necessary condition for transforming anddevelopingSouthAfrica’suniversities.

Inequalities remained stark.While blackSouthAfricans comprised almost 91% of the populationtheymadeuponly38%ofacademics;AfricanSouthAfricansalthoughmakingupsome80%ofthepopulationenjoyedonlya24%representationintheacademicworkforce,andwomen,whocomprised51%ofthepopulation,madeuponly42%ofacademics(StatisticsSouthAfrica,2008).

Onthebasisofthecurrentretirementageof65,inthecomingdecadeover4000orsome27%ofacademicswillretireandneedtobereplaced.Insofarasprofessorsandassociateprofessors,whoconstitutethemosthighlyqualifiedandexperiencedacademics,areconcerned,almost50%areduetoretire.Thesecategoriesarealsothemostproductiveresearchers.

Recommendation

Thereshouldbenodoubtsabouttheurgencyofproducinganewgenerationofacademicsthatisnotonly increasinglyconstitutedbyblacksandwomenSouthAfricans,butwhichalsopossesstheintellectual and academic capabilities related to teaching and learning, research and communityengagement.Afailuretoinvestinandcultivateanewgenerationofhighqualityacademicswillhave

far-reachingconsequences.


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Whiletheemploymentof ‘suitablyqualified’blackandwomenSouthAfricansmustbeprioritised,

and there is the danger of a ‘brain drain’ that denudes otherAfrican countries of highly qualified

graduates to the benefit of SouthAfrica and its universities, the SouthAfrican state is strongly

ill-advisedtoplaceconstraintsontheemploymentofacademics fromotherAfricancountriesand

elsewhere as they have a vital contribution to make to the transformation and development of

SouthAfricanuniversities.

9. Remuneration of academics

SouthAfricanacademicsareinadequatelyremuneratedrelativetooccupationsinthepublic(state,

public enterprises and science councils) sector and private sector that require similar levels of

qualificationsandexpertise.

Recommendation

The improvementofpublicsubsidiestoattractoutstandinggraduatestotheacademicprofessionand

moregenerally facilitate the recruitmentand retentionof academics throughadequate remuneration

isvitalforthefuturewellbeingandcontributionofuniversities.

TheHE&TMinistryandHESAneedtoactinconcertinthisregardandataskteamshouldbeestablished

toaddressprinciples,mechanismsandtimelinesfortheimprovementofacademicremuneration.

10. Access, opportunity and success in higher education

a) African and Coloured participation rates

Although black student enrolments have increased since 1994, the gross participation rate of

black,andespeciallyAfricanandColoured,SouthAfricanscontinuestobeconsiderablylowerthan

forwhiteSouthAfricans.

Recommendation

ItisnecessarytogiveespecialattentiontoimprovingtheparticipationratesofAfricanandColoured

students.On theonehand, this is dependenton improving conditions in schooling.On theother

hand,ithighlightsthattheNationalStudentFinancialAidSchemeneedstobefundedmoreadequately

sothatAfricanandColouredstudentscanbesupportedtoaccesshighereducation.

b) Continued under-representation of blacks and women

Whiletherehasbeensignificantprogressintherepresentationofbothblack,andespeciallyAfrican,and

women students in higher education, large numbers ofAfrican students continue to be concentrated


indistanceeducation,andbothAfricanandwomenstudentscontinue tobeunder-represented in

science,engineeringandtechnologyandbusinessandcommerceprogrammes.

Recommendation

Constantattentionshouldbegiventotherepresentationofblackandwomenstudents at specific

institutions and qualification levels and in particular academic programmes. Carefully designed

interventions need to be created to ensure improvements in representation in areaswhere black

andwomenstudentscontinuetobeunder-represented.

c) Improvement of pass and graduation rates

Judging by dropout, throughput and graduation rates a substantial improvement in equity of

opportunityandoutcomesforblackstudentsremainstobeachieved.

A recent study notes that “the major racial disparities in completion rates in undergraduate

programmes, together with the particularly high attrition rates of black students across the

board, have the effect of negatingmuch of the growth in black access that has been achieved”

(Scottetal2007).

Theconclusionsareclear:“thishascentralsignificancefordevelopmentaswellassocialinclusion”,

and “equityofoutcomes is theoverarching challenge” (ibid). Furthermore, theunderperformance

ofblackstudents“willnotchangespontaneously.Decisiveactionneedstobetakeninkeyaspects

of theeducationalprocess – andat keypointsof theeducational ‘pipeline’ – to facilitatepositive

changeinoutcomes”(Scottetal,2007:20).

The enhancement of academic capabilities includes adequate public funding for academic

developmentinitiatives.Equityofopportunityandoutcomesisconstrainedbyinadequatefunding

to address under-preparedness (conceptual, knowledge, academic literacy and numeracy) for higher

educationprogrammesofespeciallyindigentstudents.

Recommendation


• Theenhancementoftheacademiccapabilitiesofuniversities,andspecificallyacademics,and

• Rigorouslyconceptualisedanddesignedhighqualityacademicdevelopmentprogrammestosupportacademicsandstudents

areurgentandimportanttasksinordertoensureequityofopportunityandoutcome,especiallyfor

studentsofworking-classandruralpoorsocialorigins.


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d) Academic infrastructure

Concomitant with the building of academic capabilities is ensuring that institutions are provided

thenecessarycapacitiesintermsofinfrastructureandequipmentforeffectivelearningandteaching

andtheproductionofhighqualitygraduates.

Recommendation

The infrastructure fundingthathasbeenprovidedtouniversitiessince2008mustbecontinued in

ordertoeffectivelycapacitateuniversitiesintermsofinfrastructureandequipment.

e) Funding

Onereasonfortheveryhighrateofdropoutsamongblackstudentsisalmostcertainlyinadequate

statefundingintheformsofscholarships,bursariesandloans.

Recommendation

It must be hoped that the recommendations arising out of the recent review of NSFAS will

effectivelyaddressthechallengesofthegreaterfundingthat isrequiredforNSFASandespecially

thelevelofsupportthatwillbemadeavailabletoindigentstudents.

f) Learning and teaching and curriculum

Theextent towhichthereexistatall institutionsacademicallysupportivecultures thatpromotehigher

learning,caterforthevariedlearningneedsofadiversestudentbodythroughwell-conceptualised,

designed and implemented academic programmes and academic development initiatives, and

mechanisms to promote and assure quality are moot issues. An important recent study argues that

“systemicresponsesareessentialforimprovingtheeducationaloutcomes”(Scottetal,2007:73).

Thisraisessharplytheacademiccapabilitiesofuniversities.

Recommendation

Adequate public funding is necessary to enhance the capacities and academic capabilities of

universitieswithrespecttoteachingandlearning.

The extent to which there is on the part of universities and academics a willingness to address

importantlearningandteachingcurriculum,andpedagogicalissueshastobehonestlyconfronted.


g) Institutional cultures

Institutional cultures, especially at historically white institutions, could in differing ways and to

varyingdegreescompromiseequityofopportunityandoutcomes.Evenifequityofopportunityand

outcomearenotundulycompromised,theoveralleducationalandsocialexperienceofsuchstudents

maybediminished.The reproduction and limitederosionof class-based, racialised andgendered

institutionalculturesalsoobstructtheforgingofgreatersocialcohesion.

Recommendation

The transformationprogrammesof historicallywhite universitiesmustgiven specific attention to

andencompass thesystematicandprogressive transformationof institutionalcultures, incongruence

withconstitutionalidealsandvalues.

The tasks are to uproot historical cultural traditions and practices that impede the development

ofmore open, vibrant, democratic and inclusive intellectual and institutional cultures, to respect,

affirm and embrace the rich diversity of the people that today constitute andmust increasingly

constitutehistoricallywhiteuniversities,andtopurposefullycreateandinstitutionaliseculturesthat

embracedifferenceanddiversity,andseestheseasstrengthsandpowerfulwellspringsforpersonal,

intellectualandinstitutionaldevelopment.

h) South African schooling

Finally,thepaceofsocialequityandredressinhighereducationcontinuestobeseverelyconstrained

byconditionsinSouthAfricanschooling.

Recommendation

Ultimately, improvedaccessandoutcomesinhighereducation,especiallyforblackSouthAfricans

and in the fields of science, engineering and technology, is strongly dependent on significant

improvementsinthequalityofSouthAfricanschooling.


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Short-term interventions

Post-school education

Thereisacriticalandimmediateneedtoreconceptualiseandclarifythescope,structureandlandscapeofthe post-schoolsystemandinstitutionsaswellastoexpandopportunitiesforhighqualitypost-schooleducation andtraining.

Suchaprocessshouldalsoclarifythepurposesandrolesofhighereducationinstitutionsvis-à-visfurthereducation andtrainingcollegesandotherpossiblepost-schoolinstitutions,andaddresstheneedforanexpansionofhighereducationopportunitiesinordertorealisethegoalofa20%participationrateinhighereducation.

The diverse purposes of higher education

TheMinistryofHE&Tshouldbeunequivocalaboutthediversepurposesthathighereducationmustserveandmustpromotesuchadiversityofpurposes.

TheMinistrymustalsogiveconcertedattentiontotheprotectionofAfricanlanguagesstudiesatuniversitiesasa vitalelementofthepromotionofmultilingualismandmoregenerally,safeguardingthearts,humanitiesandsocialsciences.

Access, opportunity and success: Improvement of pass and graduation rates


•Theenhancementoftheacademiccapabilitiesofuniversities,andspecificallyacademics,and

•Rigorouslyconceptualisedanddesignedhighqualityacademicdevelopmentprogrammestosupportacademics andstudentsareurgentandimportanttasksinordertoensureequityofopportunityandoutcome,especiallyforstudentsofworking-classandruralpoorsocialorigins.

Access, opportunity and success: Learning and teaching and curriculum

Adequatepublicfundingisnecessarytoenhancethecapacitiesandacademiccapabilitiesofuniversitieswithrespect toteachingandlearning.

Theextenttowhichthereisonthepartofuniversitiesandacademicsawillingnesstoaddressimportantlearning andteachingcurriculum,andpedagogicalissueshastobehonestlyconfronted

Access, opportunity and success: Institutional cultures

Thetransformationprogrammesofhistoricallywhiteuniversitiesmustbegivenspecificattentiontoandencompass thesystematicandprogressivetransformationofinstitutionalcultures,incongruencewithconstitutionalideals andvalues.

Mediating competing goals

Itshouldbeacceptedthatforgoodpoliticalandsocialreasons,values,goalsandstrategiesthatareintension need tobepursuedsimultaneously.Paradoxeshavetobecreativelyaddressedandpoliciesandstrategieshave tobedevisedthatcansatisfymultipleimperatives,balancecompetinggoalsandenablethepursuitofequally desirablegoals.

Creating a new generation of academics

Thereisgreaturgencytoproduceanewgenerationofacademicsthatisincreasinglyconstitutedbyblacksand womenSouthAfricans,andpossesstheintellectualandacademiccapabilitiesrelatedtoteachingandlearning, researchandcommunityengagement.

Whiletheemploymentof‘suitablyqualified’blackandwomenSouthAfricansmustbeprioritised,theSouthAfricanstateisstronglyill-advisedtoplaceconstraintsontheemploymentofacademicsfromotherAfricancountriesandelsewhere.


Medium-term interventions

Adequate state funding

Threeareasofhighereducationareinneedofeitheradditionalfundingordedicatednewfunding:

•Theblockgrantcomponentoffundingtouniversities

•TheNSFASinordertoprovideequityofaccess.opportunityandoutcomesfortalentedstudentsfromindigent andlowermiddleclassfamilies

•Earmarkedfundingfor:highqualityacademicdevelopmentinitiativestoenhanceequityofopportunityand outcome;curriculuminnovation,renewalandtransformationtoenhancethecapabilitiesofinstitutionstomeetthegraduateneedsoftheeconomyandsociety;producingthenextgenerationofacademics,andtheprotection ofAfricanlanguagestudiesandthepromotionofmultilingualism

Current postgraduate outputs

IfSouthAfricaistoaccelerateeconomicandsocialdevelopmentaswellasensuregreateropportunitiesforblackstudentsfromindigentbackgroundsinpostgraduatestudyitmustinvestsignificantlymorefundinginpostgraduatestudy.

AtmanySouthAfricanuniversitiestheavailabilityandqualityofresearchinfrastructure,facilities,andequipmentis aconstraintontheenrolmentandproductionofdoctoralgraduates.

Thedemocratisationofknowledgerequiresspecialmeasurestoinductpreviouslyexcludedsocialgroupsintotheproductionanddisseminationofknowledge.

Specialattentionmustbepaidtoimprovingtheproportionofacademicswithdoctoralqualificationsthrough adedicatedprogrammeandsupport.

Attentionhastobegiventoequippingacademicstosuperviseeffectivelythroughformaldevelopmentprogrammes,mentoringandexperienceinco-supervisingalongsideexperiencedsupervisors.

Itisvitalthatthereisaneffectiveconfluenceinthedomainsofpostgraduatefundingandsupportandresearch betweenthenewMinistryofHigherEducationandtheMinistryofScienceandTechnology.

Intellectual spaces

Anyseriousagendaofinclusioninhighereducationentailsthedutyofusing‘thepowersconferredbyacademicfreedom’tosubstantivelydecolonise,deracialise,demasculaniseanddegenderourinherited‘intellectualspaces’, andtocreatethespaceforthefloweringofotherepistemologies,ontologies,methodologies,issuesandquestionsotherthanthosethathavedominatedintellectualandscholarlythoughtandwriting.

Remuneration of academics

Theimprovementofpublicsubsidiestoattractoutstandinggraduatestotheacademicprofessionandmoregenerallyfacilitatetherecruitmentandretentionofacademicsthroughadequateremunerationisvitalforthefuturewellbeingandcontributionofuniversities.

TheHE&TMinistryandHESAneedtoactinconcertinthisregardandataskteamshouldbeestablishedtoaddressprinciples,mechanismsandtimelinesfortheimprovementofacademicremuneration.

Access, opportunity and success: Academic infrastructure

Theinfrastructurefundingthathasbeenprovidedtouniversitiessince2008mustbecontinuedinordertoeffectivelycapacitateuniversitiesintermsofinfrastructureandequipment.

Differentiation and diversity

TheDHETshouldfacilitateanopenandseriousdiscussionwithuniversitiesandHigherEducationSouthAfrica on the issue of anational,coordinatedanddifferentiatedanddiversehighereducationsystemwithaviewto settling this issue.


Page 52

Long-term interventions

Access, opportunity and success: African and Coloured participation rates

ItisnecessarytogiveespecialattentiontoimprovingtheparticipationratesofAfricanandColouredstudents, throughimprovingconditionsinschoolingandadequatelyfundingtheNationalStudentFinancialAidScheme.

Access, opportunity and success: Continued under-representation of blacks and women

Constantattentionshouldbegiventotherepresentationofblackandwomenstudents at specificinstitutions andqualificationlevelsandinparticularacademicprogrammes.Carefullydesignedinterventionsneedtobe createdtoensureimprovementsinrepresentationinareaswhereblackandwomenstudentscontinuetobe under-represented.

Access, opportunity and success: South African schooling

Improvedaccessandoutcomesinhighereducation,especiallyforblackSouthAfricansandinthefieldsofscience,engineeringandtechnology,isstronglydependentonsignificantimprovementsinthequalityofSouthAfricanschooling.


Discussions

Apresentationbasedon thepaper prepared for theDBSA, “TheChallenges ofTransformation in

HigherEducationandTraining Institutions inSouthAfrica”(Badat,2010),wasmadeandextensive

discussionsfollowed.BriefadditionalpresentationsweremadeoninternationaltrendsinHEandon

distanceeducation.Thekeyissuesraisedincluded:

1. The road already travelled

ThepresenterremindedtheparticipantsofthecontextandagendasetbytheWhitePaperforHE.

It was noted that it is “a profound document”, still very relevant for the current period and that

its formulation provides additional insightswith every reading.A detailed paper authored by the

presenter entitled, “The Challenges of Transformation in Higher Education and Training Institutions

in South Africa”providesusefulinformationandsetsoutthe10mostimportantthingsthatneedto

bedoneintheshort-,medium-andlong-terminthatsector.Itprovidesanuancedandrankedsetof

short,mediumandlongterminterventionsrequiredintheperiodto2030.

Itwasemphasisedthat,therewasneedto“consolidate”astherewerelongtimehorizonstoeffect

changeintheHEsystem.Thatforconsolidation“certainty,continuityandconsistencyofpolicy”were

essential.Thatpoordecisionsanduncertaintycoulddebilitateand“unleashinstability”inthesector

wasemphasised.Thatdue to thevaryingabilitiesandcapacitiesacross institutions to respond to

changes,conditionsofdiscontinuityanduncertaintycouldbedestructivetosomeinstitutions.

In this regard itwasnotedthatone importantmatter thatneededattentionwastheorganisation

of theHEsector, toenabledialogueamongstplayersandwith theDHET.TheDHET iskeen fora

mechanismthatwillfacilitatedialogue.

2. Issues and interventions

Therewasconcurrenceamongtheparticipantsintheworkshopwiththeissuesraisedbythepaper

andthesetof interventionsproposed.Theparticipantsnotedthat in theshort term interventions

required decisions, planning and budgetingwhereas implementation and realisation of outcomes

were,bytheirnature,longerterm.Itwasnotedthatseveralissuesrequired“smartthinking”andthen

additionalbudgets.AnadditionalissueoverallwasthatofDistanceEducationandDistanceEducation

Institutions,whichmayofferopportunitiestobroadenaccessandtoenrichcurriculumofferings in

highereducationsubjecttocertain limitations.Thismodeofdeliveryseemstoberelativelyunder

exploited.

Keyissuesthatwerediscussedextensivelyincluded.


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3. Shape and size

It was noted that in 2007 the numbers of enrollments were in excess of 750 000 representing

aparticipation rateof 15.8%shortof thegoalof20%.Participants indicated that therewasneed

for clarity onwhatwasmeasured in gross participation rates,was it 20%of the age cohort or of

those who had gained appropriate passes in grade 12 for admission to institutions. Considering

the largenumberof youth requiringopportunities foreducation, trainingandemployment, some

consideredwhether theconfigurationof current institutionsneeded tobedeveloped to takecare

of new needs. Is there need for community colleges or other institutions/offerings in the landscape,

torealisethegoalofa20%grossparticipationrate?

ItwasnotedthatanauditiscurrentlyunderwayastheavailableFETfiguresareunreliable,itislikely

that25000 refers toenrollments in courses/programmeofferingsandnot theheadcountnumber

of students. In themainprogramme, theNCV, thenumberof students that completed theirfinal

(3rdyear)andwrotetheexaminationswasabout4000.

Itwasnotedthatapproximately30%ofenrollments inHEI’swereatUNISA,adistanceeducation

institution.Itwasfurthernotedthatsome“contact”institutionsalsohadlargenumbersofdistance

educationstudents.ForexamplePretoriaUniversityhas40000contactand20000distancestudents,

withincreasingnumbersatotheruniversities.

However,theissuesofcompletionofprogramsandgraduationatUNISAareamajorconcern.When

performancehas improved,doesdistanceeducationhave thepotential tobalanceaccess,quality

andcost?IthasthepotentialforgrowthasUNISAhasmadelessthat1%growthoversevenyears;

distanceeducationcancontributetoamoreblendedlearningenvironment(facetofaceanddistance)

which isthedirection institutionsneedtogo inthistechnologicalera; furthermoredistanceeducation

couldplayanimportantroleincontinuingprofessionaldevelopmentofschoolteachers.

4. Differentiation

Theparticipantsnotedthatthe“biggestelephantintheroom”istheissueofDifferentiation.Itwas noted that the DHET would need to take an initiative to make progress in the discussion ondifferentiation. Itwas stated that in comparison to 15 years ago there is a better climate for thisdiscussionandthatinfactsomeformofdifferentiationwasalreadytakingplacebasedonpasthistory,spatiallocationandexistingpatternsofcompetition.

It was noted that differentiation is an international phenomenon, where universities are makingchoicesbasedonavarietyofcriteria,forexamplelevelofambitioninreachandfocus:choicetobe alocal,regionalorglobalplayer;toberesearchorientatedorundergraduatefocused;toexcelinasinglefocusoronmultiplesubjects.Thisisreflectedintheenrollmentsofpostgraduatestoundergraduates


based on the focus of the institution.Within this space, interdepartmental/faculty/school, inter-institutionalcollaborationandpartnershipswithcompaniesandorganisationshasledtogrowthinthescaleofinstitutionsandtoimprovedperformance(e.g.research,profile)andspecialisation.

AparticipantsharedthattheUniversityofTechnologyintheFreeStatewastakingstepstobecomea “DevelopmentalUniversity”, with the intention of playing a role in its region of operation andprovince.

AnotherparticipantstatedthatasimilartypeofdiscussionwastakingplaceinrelationtoDevelopmentFinance Institutions;whichare required toarticulatemoreclearlywhat thecomparativeadvantageofeachinstitutionis,andtoindicatewhateachinstitutioncan/willdeliver.

Itwasnotedthatachangefromathreetofiveyearplanningcycle,wouldenablebetterplanningand an opportunity for the DHET to negotiate developmental trajectories with each institution. Theapplicationofqualityassurancesystems,andfundingandplanninginstrumentswereconsideredusefulmechanismsinthisregard.

Itwasnotedthatthishasmajorimplicationsfor:

• thefundingformulaandtheflexibilityitallows

• Thatinvestmentbasedongooddevelopmentaltrajectorieswithexcellentleadership couldyieldsubstantialandrapidgainsatinstitutions

• Thatdifferentiationwastobelocatedanddevelopedwithinacomprehensive,coordinated andintegratedsystemofhighereducation

5. Access, opportunity and success (efficiencies)

Itwasnotedthat,forincreasedsuccess,changeinatleastthefollowingwasrequired:

• Institutionalculturetomanagediversity.

• Thatadequatepublicfundingisnecessarytoimprovetheskillsandcapabilitiesofacademics withrespecttoappropriateteachingofcurriculum,improvedunderstandingofteachingandlearningdynamics,andrelatedpedagogicalapproaches.

• Appropriaterecognitionoflanguagesofteachingandlearning,andthatcapacitytoteachlanguageshasbeenlost.(inthisregarditwasnotedthatperhapsonlyRhodeshassomeexcellenceinalanguageandthatatgreatexpenseUNISAretainsasubstantial(70)staff capacitycurrentlycross-subsidisedbyotherprogrammes;thatifvariousinstitutionsacross thecountrytookresponsibilityforatleastonelanguagewithinitsprogrammemuchwill begained).


Page 56

• Thattosecuresuccessinthelongertermanewgenerationofacademicsneedstobe generatedwithagreatsenseofurgency(alreadyvaluabletimehasbeenlost).Thatthis willrequirepayingspecificattentiontoworkconditionsandbenefitssuchas:special premiumsbepaidinspecificdisciplines,improvedremunerationforacademics;good successionplanning;qualificationrequirementsfortenureofacademicssuchasbeing boundtoundergoingappropriatecoursesnominatedbytheinstitution(e.g.toinduct newacademicsintoanunderstandingofcultureandlearningandteachingissues). Theaboveaspectsneedtobeincentivisedbyrevisionofthefundingformula.

6. School performance and better guidance/selection

Itwasnotedthattheother“bigelephantintheroom”wasschoolperformance.Therewasaneedtocompensatefortheschoolingsystem,inpreparingstudentstooptimisetheirsuccessfullycompletingtheirprograms.

Thatsomeoftheactionsthatcanmitigatethepoorschoolingexperiencethatlearnersbringwiththem from school include: better and earlier information on subjects needs for certain courses; more information on thewide range of choices post school – and guidance tomake appropriatechoiceof course; to consider expanding thedurationof courses tofiveyears against themassive costofdropouts,notonlyafinancialcostbutalsoonthemoraleofthestudentsandthecapacity ofinstitutions.

Conclusion

In conclusion it was noted that the key issues for the 10-Point Plan from this discussion include shapeandsize;differentiation,informationandcareerguidance.

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