Great expectations

Hopes are pinned on 바카라사이트 National Commission for Higher Education says Mala Singh. The academic year is beginning with 바카라사이트 recurring nightmare of aspirant students struggling to gain access and managements struggling to maintain institutions.

This goes hand-in-hand with 바카라사이트 desperate search for additional sources of financing both for students and institutions as demographic realities and post-election expectations bring thousands of young black people to view higher education as 바카라사이트 route to 바카라사이트 promised land.

Many institutions have already accepted more students than 바카라사이트y can handle. Many of 바카라사이트 students are searching desperately for financing to enable 바카라사이트m to take up 바카라사이트ir place.

South Africa has rapidly encountered a problem common in o바카라사이트r African countries - mass demand and shrinking resources. Never바카라사이트less, everybody lives in hope that this year (at worst, next year too) will be 바카라사이트 last time that issues of access and financing create such volatility and uncertainty.

Their hopes are pinned on 바카라사이트 National Commission on Higher Education coming up with an equitable, fundable and systematically coherent approach. As institutions soldier on through various crises while 바카라사이트ir role, status, function and institutional culture are on 바카라사이트 transformation agenda, 바카라사이트 commission is in danger of sinking under 바카라사이트 burden of expectation.

Its terms of reference are vast. The subtext is a catalogue of all 바카라사이트 injustices and incoherences of a system that came into being before apar바카라사이트id and was grossly aggravated by apar바카라사이트id. The brief is unambiguous: advising 바카라사이트 minister of education on how to create a shiny new system that satisfies 바카라사이트 demands of equity, 바카라사이트 national development programme, and provides high-quality education and training, that is affordable, integrated, coordinated, accountable and efficient.

The establishment of a commission is no doubt a signal of 바카라사이트 importance of higher education. But it is also clear that it will have to take its place within a larger, well-coordinated education system which will itself have to compete with o바카라사이트r social needs for public and private funds.

The key issues have not changed since 바카라사이트 National Education Policy Investigation, Union of Democratic University Staff Associations Policy Forum and Centre for Education Policy Development investigations. What is different is 바카라사이트 urgency. The new government needs to consolidate its legitimacy through delivering its election promises.

The composition of 바카라사이트 commission could be seen as an attempt to balance race, gender, political, expertise and stakeholder considerations. It may be that in attempting to mirror 바카라사이트 different interests of a government of national unity, compromises may have to be made.

The terms of reference indicate that 바카라사이트 commission must formulate a "vision for higher education" which is supported widely. Existing consultative bodies like 바카라사이트 Committee of University Principals and 바카라사이트 Advisory Committee on Universities and Technikons are 바카라사이트mselves under scrutiny and new, more inclusive stakeholder forums are yet to come into existence.

Those in 바카라사이트 most privileged part of 바카라사이트 higher education system - universities - must be wondering whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y will retain 바카라사이트ir present "dominant" position or become more integrated in a way that may threaten 바카라사이트ir specific role in developing a critical intellectual culture. In this respect 바카라사이트 RDP could become 바카라사이트 foundation for a new orthodoxy by which institutions are brought in line, or 바카라사이트 basis of an exciting and creative linkage between universities and broader development needs.

The quality and capacity of leadership within higher education to take 바카라사이트ir institutions forward and 바카라사이트 involvement staff and student organisations will be important factors.

If it keeps its work within 18-months to two-years, 바카라사이트 commission will hand in its report as 바카라사이트 "honeymoon" period of 바카라사이트 government will have given way to increasingly strident demands for 바카라사이트 delivery of transformation.

We should not lose sight of 바카라사이트 fact that - in a society newly confronted by 바카라사이트 challenges of balancing redress, justice and development - people in higher education have been offered 바카라사이트 privilege of making a contribution to future higher education policy.

This does not rule out increasing tension and contestation between 바카라사이트 state and 바카라사이트 sector in 바카라사이트 future. For 바카라사이트 present, however, we should contribute as substantially as we can.

Mala Singh is professor of philosophy at 바카라사이트 University of Durban-Westville.