South African Higher Education: The Future is Certain, the Past is Unpredictable, or is it?
Higher education institutions in post apartheid South Africa face many challenges. These include decisions about who to admit or exclude from regular and extended programmes. Meeting the needs of admitted students is yet another crucial challenge. In South Africa 16% of 18-24 year olds participate in higher education. Half of students entering higher education either drop out or are excluded before completing their studies. Many students and their families, both Black, in its broadest sense, and from ‘disadvantaged’ backgrounds, view higher education as a means of fulfilling life‘s potential. Whites, with their legacies of privilege, do as well. This talk looks at national school leaving examination results as well as results of examinations set by the South African higher education sector in order to explore the feasibility of using these for admission and curriculum development purposes. This talk also examines the associations between ideas of ‘race’ and ‘disadvantage’ and explores what these might mean for higher education admission in South Africa.
Location: Thompson Room, Barker Center, 12 Quincy Street, Harvard University.
Free and Open to the Public. Please Feel Free to Bring a Lunch.