New universities on the way

By Siyabonga Mkhwanazi. Parliament has paved the way for the establishment of more universities after the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) approved a draft law that would result in the setting up of institutes.
The government will be able to set up institutes in various provinces as a forerunner for the establishment of universities. The NCOP passed the Higher Education and Training Laws Amendment Bill yesterday, making it possible to establish institutes.
The bill proposes that institutes be established in the Northern Cape and Mpumalanga as forerunners for the construction of two universities in those provinces. The bill gives effect to the establishment of other institutes around the country.
Higher Education Department Director-General Gwebinkundla Qonde told The New Age three weeks ago that these institutes would serve as the basis for the establishment of universities across the country.
While he did not give details on the expected increase in the number of universities he said the student population continued to rise. Qonde said they wanted to increase the number of universities because enrolment would increase from the current 900000 to 1.5 million by 2030. Read more...