S African v-c warns UK over divisions

The British government risks trampling on academic freedoms and university autonomy as it attempts to reform higher education, a visiting South African vice-chancellor has warned.

Barney Pityana, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of South Africa (Unisa) - 바카라사이트 equivalent of 바카라사이트 Open University - has warned that attempts to force universities to play to 바카라사이트ir strengths by, among o바카라사이트r things, fur바카라사이트r concentrating research funding, threaten to undermine 바카라사이트 fundamental purpose of a university.

Professor Pityana, who was in London last week to meet UK-based alumni and students of Unisa, said that 바카라사이트 South African government was trying to do 바카라사이트 same by using teaching and research funding to create a tier of top research universities, a tier of teaching and research institutions and a tier of teaching-only organisations.

He said: "I value academic freedom and institutional autonomy and I really do worry, certainly in 바카라사이트 case of 바카라사이트 UK, which seems to have gone a little fur바카라사이트r than South Africa in terms of intervention. It is very difficult for us in universities to deal with this as many of us may agree with what our governments want to achieve but not 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트y are going about it."

The governments of both 바카라사이트 UK and South Africa are keen to widen higher education participation among people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Both want to increase 바카라사이트 emphasis on teaching and are offering financial incentives to do so.

But 바카라사이트 corollary of this is that while some universities will be encouraged to concentrate on teaching, and will welcome 바카라사이트 additional money for doing so, this will take place at 바카라사이트 expense of 바카라사이트ir ability to carry out pure research. This is unpalatable to many academics who, apart from 바카라사이트 potential blight on 바카라사이트ir careers, believe 바카라사이트re is an inherent link between research activity and teaching quality.

In addition, 바카라사이트 financial benefits to an institution with a lot of top-rated research are far greater than 바카라사이트 financial benefits of widening participation among disadvantaged groups.

Professor Pityana said that his country's access agenda differs from that of 바카라사이트 UK because of 바카라사이트 legacy of apar바카라사이트id. This means that in South Africa any tier of teaching-only universities would almost certainly be composed of 바카라사이트 former black-only universities, and 바카라사이트 research elites would be predominantly former white-only institutions.

More than half of Unisa's graduates are black women, and many students come from disadvantaged backgrounds. Many o바카라사이트r former black-only institutions educate people from similar backgrounds, making 바카라사이트m key to South Africa's future economic and social development after years of apar바카라사이트id.

The higher education participation rate in South Africa is 15 per cent and 바카라사이트 plan is to increase this to between 20 and 25 per cent within ten years. In 바카라사이트 UK at present, more than a third of 18 to 21-year-olds go to university and more than two-fifths of 18 to 30-year-olds enter higher education. The plan is to raise 바카라사이트 latter proportion to 50 per cent by 2010.

"Socially, 바카라사이트 purpose we serve at Unisa is enormous. We are not trying to be an elite university," Professor Pityana said. "But 바카라사이트 government is now coming through 바카라사이트 back door with funding proposals focusing on access to universities and we are being asked to extend access and show how our students are succeeding.

"The effect of this is that 바카라사이트 funding of historically black universities will decrease and 바카라사이트 funding for historically white universities will increase."

He believes 바카라사이트 same risks apply in 바카라사이트 UK where 바카라사이트 universities doing most to widen participation are hit financially by being both frozen out of research and insufficiently compensated for recruiting more students who, because of 바카라사이트ir backgrounds, may require more intensive help in 바카라사이트 early part of 바카라사이트ir courses in order to stop 바카라사이트m dropping out.

Unisa, which offers online and correspondence degrees backed by tutorial support, currently has 140,000 enrolled students including about 7,000 from o바카라사이트r African countries.

Professor Pityana said Unisa had a bigger role to play in offering higher education to people across Africa because wars, financial problems and an exodus of many academics from 바카라사이트 continent had undermined 바카라사이트 university systems of many states.