Question

South African students entering higher education institutions do so from positions of extreme inequality in terms of schooling, race, class, and financial and other resources. Policies of widening access to higher education have led to an increased number of students who enter institutions from poor and disadvantaged backgrounds without the 'cultural capital' deemed necessary for success. Large numbers of students drop out for a range of reasons that relate to poor programme choice, maladjustment, social circumstances, health and finances. The overall expansion of the higher education system has not made a definite impact on participation rates. In this assignment, you are to identify and explain three main challenges that the South African higher education sector is facing. How can these challenges be addressed and what are the implications on higher education institutions.

1. Introduction

2. Explain challenges 1 that the South African higher education sector is facing. Why is the challenge? How can this challenge be solved?

3. Explain challenges 2 that the South African higher education sector is facing. Why is the challenge? How can this challenge be solved?

4. Explain challenges 3 that the South African higher education sector is facing. Why is the challenge? How can this challenge be solved?

5. What are implications of these challenges on higher education institution?

6. Conclusion and recommendation

7. References

Answer 1

1. South Africa has 26 public universities and nearly a million students. Enrollment at universities has doubled since 1994 and college enrollments have also increased from 200,000 in 2000. Government spending has increased from R11 billion to R26 billion from 2006 to 2103 but per capita, spending has actually decreased. National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) allocations have despite increased were not adequate to cover the needs of eligible students which raises the question as to how to fund these increased enrollments. This means many students have to rely on private institutes which are obviously too expensive for the majority of the population. In government institutes too, post-graduation is dominated by white students with an appropriate educated background. Despite all this, the main problem is the huge dropout rate of those students who have entered the system. Many black Africans are now participating in education even from poor households but the percentage of black students in college is still very low. Less than five percent of black secondary students with parents earning less than 120 000 qualify for entry into universities while the percentage of students with parents earning more than 600 000 is 70 percent. Barely 50 percents of undergraduate students were able to pass within five years of entry. And among those being supported by the national financial aid scheme two-thirds of undergraduate students have become drop-outs five years after entering. Most drop out after the first year, many because the financial support is insufficient and with accommodation and transport being too expensive, but mostly because they fail to pass exams.

2. Number 1 challenge is the lack of funds available to support this large influx of capable students. Yes, the government is not rich enough to provide free education to all students being a relatively poor nation to be able to do that. Black people in the nation have now realized the importance of education and the opportunities it presents but do not have deep pockets to fund this campaign. The government has more than doubled its funding to education but that is still way below what is required.

The solution to this problem is to have a more robust plan than just increasing their fundings. In my opinion, free education or subsidized education should be provided to poor people only, the government can and should demand loans from international agencies like World bank or some rich country like Germany to fund their education. This loan is worth it because once educated the students will contribute to the economy way more than the cost of educating them. South African government also is a very corrupt one so top leaders can do something for that.

3. Extreme inequality in society. With a Gini coefficient of 0.696, South Africa is among the most unequal society. There is a significant minority of students earning more than 600000 who can afford to pay fees. Those poor students who enter the college on government grants have to face this inequality daily in college which morally affects a lot. Also, this means the rich can educate their children by sending them to the best schools which further increases their opportunities in the future and this spiral continues without government intervention. Not only that, the gap between rich and poor is between whites and black. White people are richer than their black counterparts.

The solution to this can be government intervention and nothing else can solve this problem. The government has to tax the rich and use it on poor people. But the problem runs deeper than this as the government is very corrupt and lobbying can free rich from any tax net the policymakers may through.

4. Huge dropout rates With poor to no access to transportation, tuition, and accommodation being insufficient or too expensive for many people to cover on their own. They, as a result, drop out of college to earn money and support their family. Many poor students also find themselves unable to pass classes because of their other activities which are not academic and are done to earn money. Some even are unable to feed themselves properly which has a huge psychological and physical impact.

Again the government has to provide more financial assistance to universities and colleges to provide additional educational support to such students because the dropped out student is money down the drain for an already struggling government.

I am only supposed to provide a solution to 4 parts of a question so i cannot answer other parts. Good luck