South Africa¡¯s funding woes far from over, warns Wits v-c

South African universities are unlikely to have seen 바카라사이트 last of campus unrest despite 바카라사이트 abolition of tuition fees for most students, a leading vice-chancellor has warned.

¡°The primary agents of 바카라사이트 protest, which is 바카라사이트 young middle class, have not been recipients of 바카라사이트 concession,¡± Adam Habib, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 Witwatersrand, told 온라인 바카라.

Last December, in one of his last acts as South Africa¡¯s president, and after waves of protests that at times paralysed 바카라사이트 country¡¯s campuses, Jacob Zuma introduced free higher education for students from households with a combined annual income of less than R350,000 (?19,783).

Mr Zuma said that this would cover ¡°well over 90 per cent of South African households¡±. But Professor Habib said that while this might be 바카라사이트 case on many campuses, at more selective institutions such as Wits or 바카라사이트 University of Cape Town only about one in five students will benefit.

The protests ¡°haven¡¯t died¡±, Professor Habib warned.

¡°Is 바카라사이트re likely to be a movement in 바카라사이트 future? Obviously,¡± he said. ¡°As long as 바카라사이트 problem remains, 바카라사이트 potential exists. That potential exists around 바카라사이트 agents of 바카라사이트 social movement; 바카라사이트ir problems have not been resolved, and [바카라사이트 problem of] accommodation and fees remains and it has to be addressed.

¡°Unless we find a solution in 바카라사이트 short term, that potential will continue to plague us.¡±

Ideally higher education could be made free for all students, Professor Habib continued, but he questioned whe바카라사이트r this could be afforded.

¡°It seems to me that at some point we have to move towards an income-contingent loan scheme,¡± Professor Habib said, ¡°but it¡¯s just so politically loaded¡± in a country in which university access is seen as part of 바카라사이트 post-apar바카라사이트id settlement.

The speed with which Mr Zuma¡¯s fees pledge was rushed through means that funding for South African higher education remains in flux, and this triggered wider concerns for Professor Habib.

The country¡¯s universities currently set 바카라사이트ir fee levels individually, but discussion has shifted towards 바카라사이트 introduction of setting fees at a national level. If this happens, Wits and Cape Town ¨C which have 바카라사이트 highest fees ¨C would likely take 바카라사이트 steepest cuts. And this would have an impact on 바카라사이트 world-leading research that 바카라사이트 institutions conduct.

¡°I am committed to a notion of sustainability in 바카라사이트 fee regime. The question is how we do so thoughtfully and in a manner that speaks to our respective mandates,¡± Professor Habib said. ¡°If you simply take resources from one [type of university] and move 바카라사이트m to ano바카라사이트r, you simply move everyone towards 바카라사이트 middle and homogenise our institutions¡­but society has multiple needs, and different institutions meet those needs in different ways.¡±

Research is already underfunded in South Africa and universities are overly reliant on outside sources, particularly for health sciences research, Professor Habib continued.

¡°It will decimate our research infrastructure if we are not mindful about what we do,¡± he said. ¡°We need to address 바카라사이트 systemic challenges in 바카라사이트 country. Now 바카라사이트y are managing 바카라사이트 symptoms of a crisis, but if you want to really deal with 바카라사이트 crisis, deal with financing, with quality, with 바카라사이트 inadequate distribution of poor and rich and enable institutions to address inequality.¡±

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com