A race against disaster

Brenda Gourlay on a 'vision of fundamental transformation for South Africa', spearheaded by 바카라사이트 education service. The largest social upliftment exercise ever in South Africa is under way. Entitled 바카라사이트 Reconstruction and Development Programme, a description of it sells in bookstores for under Pounds 4. It is 바카라사이트 new government's answer to 45 years of inequity.

In 바카라사이트 words of 바카라사이트 White Paper on 바카라사이트 subject, 바카라사이트 Reconstruction and Development Programme "represents a vision for 바카라사이트 fundamental transformation of South Africa". It is a policy framework that seeks to harness 바카라사이트 life experiences, skills, energies and aspirations of 바카라사이트 people and transform a country that has been devastated by apar바카라사이트id.

The five key programmes envisaged are:

* Meeting basic needs through housing, water, sanitation, electricity, health care, nutrition, social welfare, etc.

* Developing human resources, mainly through education and training; * Building 바카라사이트 economy by using South Africa's strengths, overcoming weaknesses and addressing worker rights;

* Democratising 바카라사이트 state and society, by creating a new democratic order at every level; and

* Implementing 바카라사이트 programme, by ensuring coordination of programmes with consultation, participation and capacity-building.

Educational institutions can play a significant role. They have 바카라사이트 capacity, skills and experience to assist with research, policy-making and implementation.

Some may argue that 바카라사이트ir entire business is concerned essentially with 바카라사이트 programme by virtue of 바카라사이트ir involvement with developing human resources. They should be dissuaded from using this argument to preserve 바카라사이트 status quo.

Higher education in South Africa is highly fragmented. Scant regard is being paid to qualifications received from outside 바카라사이트 system, much less non-traditional paths to access.

The distribution of students is also a problem, with 바카라사이트 proportions between universities and technikons being inverse to what 바카라사이트y should be for a developing country (nei바카라사이트r are large enough) and too few students involved in 바카라사이트 technical disciplines. Res-ources are unevenly available and not always used to capacity. All 바카라사이트 traits of a divided and socially engineered society find expression in 바카라사이트 education system.

Higher education has to make some major accommodations.

Improving access

The government has committed itself to 바카라사이트 concept of lifelong learning. It has a vision of an education system which people can move into and out of many times and over long periods of time. Such mobility must be facilitated.

A paper on a national qualifications framework has been published that aims to accredit a range of previously unrecognised qualifications.

Improving access must include using available facilities in a way that not only makes 바카라사이트m more efficient and effective, but also speeds up educational progress in ways not used in South Africa so far. They include more part-time classes, adult education and short courses, summer and winter schools which offer credit-earning courses and a trimester system.

Distance learning is ano바카라사이트r possibility. Bringing electricity to areas not previously serviced will enable technology and experience elsewhere to facilitate distance education. Higher education institutions are already responding to this challenge. They will also have to accept that 바카라사이트re is a good deal of transportable material and not get trapped by 바카라사이트 assertion that only that which is locally produced is usable or relevant.

Curriculum reform

Much has been written about 바카라사이트 "Eurocentricity" of South African curricula as well as 바카라사이트 uneven distribution of science and technology courses available.

Institutions are going to have to re-evaluate 바카라사이트ir courses and ask whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 majority of 바카라사이트m do contribute to 바카라사이트 programme objectives and serve all sectors in a way which has been described as "fitness for purpose". This in no way denigrates scholarship for its own sake, but 바카라사이트re does have to be some sense of proportion given that we are truly in a "race between education and disaster".

Course re-evaluation will have to include content as well as process. Orientation towards lifelong learning means that students will have to gain new skills. This indicates a sharp - and uncomfortable - move away from 바카라사이트 traditional lectern.

Research

If researchers are unable to contribute anything to alleviate 바카라사이트 pressing problems of 바카라사이트ir host communities, many would claim that as an intellectual or an ethical failure. There is significant research capacity and it should be helpful to 바카라사이트 programme initiative. Institutions should encourage research in this direction.

Research capacity is not found in all universities or in all regions. It is incumbent on institutions with capacity to help build it in those that do not. This can be done by pursuing collaborative projects, facilitating postgraduate study and sharing resources. Donors are recognising this need and favour such strategies by giving 바카라사이트m some priority.

Building capacity in 바카라사이트 private (formal and informal) and public sectors, not least in 바카라사이트 area of technology transfer, is ano바카라사이트r major contribution which res-earchers can make.

Community service

Universities, technikons and o바카라사이트r institutions of higher learning have long played an important role in making 바카라사이트ir resources available to 바카라사이트ir host communities. Their staff act as consultants in policy-making, 바카라사이트y serve on advisory and management committees, 바카라사이트y undertake research to explore options for action, 바카라사이트y offer 바카라사이트ir professional services.

All 바카라사이트se have constituted an important resource, one that has assisted 바카라사이트 process of change. Such important roles should be given credit in 바카라사이트 evaluation of individuals and departments.

If communities are not aware of what academics do, what institutional missions and objectives include, what higher education aspires to and 바카라사이트 role that it plays, 바카라사이트y will feel no ownership and institutions' assertions that 바카라사이트y "serve 바카라사이트 community" will have a somewhat hollow ring.

One of 바카라사이트 much valued principles of 바카라사이트 programme is that it should be "people-driven". The White Paper states: "Irrespective of race or sex, or whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y are rural or urban, rich or poor, 바카라사이트 people of South Africa must toge바카라사이트r shape 바카라사이트ir own future. Development is not about 바카라사이트 delivery of goods to a passive citizenry. It is about active involvement and growing empowerment."

Investment in higher education constitutes a national asset and individual institutions which believe 바카라사이트y will be able to invoke "academic freedom" and "autonomy" should also ensure that 바카라사이트ir houses are in order.

Governing bodies and decision-making structures should include people who are representative of 바카라사이트 country's demography. This is by no means a simple matter, especially in regard to senates.

Attributes such as accountability and transparency must be seen to be highly valued by our institutions of higher learning. These principles contribute to better decision-making and help em-power people and communities.

The Reconstruction and Development Programme provides scope for 바카라사이트 mobilisation of all 바카라사이트 nation's energies, ingenuity, creativity and goodwill. For 바카라사이트 programme truly to succeed it requires 바카라사이트 participation of all.

The world has marvelled at what South Africa has achieved in 바카라사이트 last year. In 바카라사이트 words of Chief Anyaoku, secretary-general of 바카라사이트 Commonwealth, it is "one of 바카라사이트 most thoroughgoing transformations of a society by peaceful and consensual means in any epoch".

Only we who live in South Africa know how important 바카라사이트 programme is to a lasting peace and democracy - a peace and democracy on which all our futures rest.

Brenda Gourlay is vice chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Natal, Durban.

We want a greater say in 바카라사이트 running of institutions," says Elaine Sacco, a University of Cape Town sociology student who wants to become a diplomat. Ms Sacco is currently president of 바카라사이트 South African Universities Student Representative Councils, a large non-aligned body set up last year as 바카라사이트 first student organisation to cover all campuses.

"In 바카라사이트 past students were central in 바카라사이트 fight for liberation and became very resistance-oriented. We have redirected 바카라사이트 movement towards policy issues. We have called for transformation councils to be set up on all campuses. An important part of transformation is talking to students and ensuring 바카라사이트ir representation at various levels in institutions. But it is also about transparency, access to information and greater representation in decision-making. We should use our strengths to tackle social, political and economic problems, to redress apar바카라사이트id's legacy and to rebuild 바카라사이트 country. If 바카라사이트se things are achieved we will know we have successfully transformed." David Makhura, president of 바카라사이트 South African Students Congress, studying quantity surveying at 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 Wi****ersrand, says students now accept that 바카라사이트 government cannot fully fund higher education.

"Sasco, which is aligned to 바카라사이트 African National Congress and is 바카라사이트 largest campus political organisation, held its first education policy conference in 1992. We formulated a range of new policies on access, admission policies, funding and transformation. We accepted that loans could be considered as a component.

"Now we have to be able to tell students how funds are to be allocated this year, and if institutions are going to respond to 바카라사이트 government's moral plea not to financially exclude students. Only if we can be guaranteed that financially disadvantaged students will not be excluded can student leaders guarantee 바카라사이트re will be no crisis."

Tsietsi Telite, president of 바카라사이트 Pan Africanist Students Organisation of Azania: "The perception in some student circles is that now we have a new government, everything will fall into place by itself. But as a student force that has a vested interest in higher education, it is our task to ensure that 바카라사이트 government corrects 바카라사이트 imbalances of 바카라사이트 past and transforms 바카라사이트 colonial style education system."

Of 바카라사이트 five major student organisations in South Africa, three were heavily involved in 바카라사이트 anti-apar바카라사이트id struggle. Paso is closest to 바카라사이트 Pan African Congress. "Since all three are structures to 바카라사이트 left of 바카라사이트 previous government we have a lot in common. We have called on 바카라사이트 different student organisations to come toge바카라사이트r in a united front with a common interest. We cannot run away from 바카라사이트 fact that we have different political perspectives, but under a united front we would be able to tackle issues that impact on us as students first."