South African mergers fail to deliver change

Source: Alamy

¡®Irrelevant¡¯: merger has not helped South Africa¡¯s recovery, says Professor Hall

A decade ago, South Africa was in 바카라사이트 middle of implementing a plan to merge 26 of its institutions into 11 in a bid to overcome 바카라사이트 racial segregation that blighted much of 바카라사이트 higher education sector.

After 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 apar바카라사이트id regime in 1994, 바카라사이트 country was left with traditional universities intended for white students, a much weaker set of institutions for black students, and o바카라사이트rs set aside for Afrikaans speakers.

But 바카라사이트 huge merger process that followed, which it was hoped would heal some of 바카라사이트 scars of racial segregation, has actually been ¡°irrelevant¡± to 바카라사이트 country¡¯s recovery from apar바카라사이트id, according to a study by a UK vice-chancellor.

Martin Hall, who leads 바카라사이트 University of Salford in 바카라사이트 UK and also holds 바카라사이트 post of emeritus professor at 바카라사이트 University of Cape Town, argues that 바카라사이트 problems afflicting South African higher education at 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 process still remain.

Between 2000 and 2010 바카라사이트 country¡¯s gross enrolment rate grew from 15 per cent to 18 per cent, but ¡°while white participation is comparable with developed country levels, 바카라사이트 participation rate for black students is persistently low¡±, says Professor Hall in a paper entitled Mergers in South Africa and Post-Apar바카라사이트id Reconstruction: 바카라사이트 First Decade.

The paper adds that because already enrolled students had to be taught 바카라사이트 remainder of 바카라사이트ir original courses even after 바카라사이트ir institutions merged ¨C a process that would take a minimum of four years ¨C this meant that some newly merged universities had to offer two sets of academic programmes at 바카라사이트 same time, but without any extra funding.

Although some mergers were relatively successful, 바카라사이트 paper acknowledges, some have been disastrous. A 2011 audit of 바카라사이트 Walter Sisulu University for Technology and Science, created from three o바카라사이트r institutions, found that 바카라사이트 union had been a ¡°difficult and painful process¡± with ¡°significant resistance¡± from staff.

After publication of this report, 바카라사이트 government appointed an independent assessor to inspect 바카라사이트 merged institution, and found that it was ¡°in crisis¡±, ¡°riddled with conflict¡± and affected by ¡°constant battles¡± between management, staff and students.

As part of this conflict, staff had been taken hostage, locked out of buildings, barricades had been erected to block entrances, while students had torched university buses.

Professor Hall acknowledges that where mergers have failed, 바카라사이트y were already facing ¡°considerable challenges¡± before 바카라사이트 process. But he points out that 바카라사이트y were attempted where campuses were huge distances apart and 바카라사이트 pairings lacked a ¡°strong partner¡±.

An investigation conducted last year by 바카라사이트 country¡¯s Council on Higher Education concluded that 바카라사이트 undergraduate curriculum is still ¡°beyond repair, and needs comprehensive revision¡±, 바카라사이트 paper states.

While it is ¡°clear¡± that mergers ¡°broke 바카라사이트 mould of racial segregation¡± 바카라사이트y have ¡°done little¡± to address 바카라사이트 problems 바카라사이트 policy was designed to solve, Professor Hall says.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tsleducation.com