The minister’s announcement is likely to be well-received by those who have supported the demand by relatively small student groups that “Fees Must Fall”. Yet there is a major fault that is ignored by those who favour free higher education. It fails to provide a justification for increased allocation of resources to higher education on the grounds of equity or social justice. More...
26 mars 2018
The case against free higher education: why it is neither just nor ethical
Active citizens for better schooling: what Kenya’s history can teach South Africa
“Weak governance” is a popular scapegoat for the poor results achieved by South Africa’s education system. And there is no doubt that many aspects of how the education bureaucracy operates are problematic. More...
How class and social capital affect university students
There’s a great deal of comfort to be had in the idea that success at university is primarily or exclusively the result of a student’s hard work. All that’s needed is for students to do their best and fairness will prevail. Students who don’t apply themselves will fail. End of story. More...
Here are five signs that universities are turning into corporations
Universities in many parts of the world are buckling under multiple financial, societal and political demands. This has led to increasingly loud calls for what are called “enhanced efficiencies” – a term drawn from the business world. More...
Why universities need to invest in strong advice systems for students
It is relatively rare for a young person to leave school knowing on their own exactly what they want to do next. And, even if they do, it’s unusual to seamlessly and independently go to university, complete the degree of their choosing, graduate, and move into the working world. More...
South Africa’s reading crisis is a cognitive catastrophe
When the late Black Consciousness leader Steve Biko published his seminal book, “I write what I like”, in 1978 it wasn’t about individual self-expression or even self-indulgence. It was a political statement with its origins in the work of Brazilian adult literacy activist Paulo Freire. More...
One Belt One Road towards a China-led HE area?
By Yojana Sharma. As China includes higher education, science and research in the mix of its massive One Belt One Road (OBOR) infrastructure and trade project with Asia, Europe, the Middle East and East Africa, a China-dominated global higher education area could emerge, an international seminar of experts heard last week. More...Science ministry expands power over research funding
By Yojana Sharma. China’s Ministry of Science and Technology will be expanded and given more powers over the country’s research and innovation drive – a major national priority on a par with defence and foreign policy – in a major restructuring of China’s science administration approved earlier this month by China’s National People’s Congress. More...Loan scheme will fund world-class research facilities
By Ranjit Devraj. An ambitious new initiative unveiled in India’s budget for the fiscal year 2018-19 will do away with annual grants for India’s top centrally-run higher education institutions, replacing them with repayable loans. More...Landmark decision gives more freedom to top universities
By Shuriah Niazi and Yojana Sharma. In a landmark announcement last week the Indian government announced greater autonomy for 62 leading higher education institutions to start new courses, plan their own curriculum and syllabi, decide their own admission procedures and enter into academic collaborations with foreign institutions. More...
