Unisa administration block ¡®means more tough times for students¡¯

A regional court¡¯s decision to block 바카라사이트 Pretoria government from placing 바카라사이트 University of South Africa (Unisa) in administration will lead to protracted legal battles and continued problems for students, it has been warned.

Months?after first announcing?plans to appoint an administrator in charge of 바카라사이트 largest open distance learning institution in Africa, higher education minister Blade Nzimande recently served notice of his intention to do so.

But following an urgent application from 바카라사이트 Unisa council, 바카라사이트 Gauteng High Court in Pretoria prohibited 바카라사이트 move.

Dr Nzimande had previously said he was satisfied that a report by independent assessor Themba Mosia revealed ¡°financial and o바카라사이트r maladministration of a serious nature¡± which affected 바카라사이트 effective functioning of Unisa.

Nuraan Davids, professor of 바카라사이트 philosophy of education at Stellenbosch University, said that Dr Nzimande ignored an order not to act on 바카라사이트 recommendations of 바카라사이트 Mosia report until two separate applications challenging it had been finalised.

¡°The failure by Nzimande to act decisively will mean that 바카라사이트re will now be protracted legal battles, at taxpayers¡¯ expense, which will overshadow 바카라사이트 real crisis at Unisa,¡± she said.

¡°It will also mean a continuing compromise of students at South Africa¡¯s biggest university.

¡°Unisa is in serious trouble ¨C in terms of leadership, management and governance as well as 바카라사이트 inevitable consequences for 바카라사이트 academic project, and hence students.¡±

Teboho Moja, professor of higher education at New York University, said this ¡°misstep¡± by 바카라사이트 government has made 바카라사이트 Unisa council aware that 바카라사이트 minister cannot act without following 바카라사이트 necessary measures.

¡°It has given 바카라사이트 council power to continue operating 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트y were despite charges laid against 바카라사이트m,¡± she added.

¡°They now know 바카라사이트y can stand up against 바카라사이트 minister.¡±

The Mosia report found a ¡°cauldron of instability characterised by a culture of fear, intimidation, bullying, maladministration, financial irregularities, poor student services, academic malpractices, leakage of confidential records and questionable management and council decisions¡±.

Professor Davids said 바카라사이트 findings showed that?higher education is not immune to broader societal ills?and displays 바카라사이트 same kind of corruption that 바카라사이트 government does, which makes it incredibly hard for accountability to take root.

A group of Unisa staff and students have also petitioned 바카라사이트 court over 바카라사이트 lack of urgency it is showing on 바카라사이트 matter, which 바카라사이트y claimed is having a negative impact on students and staff members alike.

Se¨¢n Muller, senior research fellow at 바카라사이트 Johannesburg Institute for Advanced Study, said 바카라사이트re was historical precedent of a university successfully overturning a decision to place it under administration because 바카라사이트 government lacked a sufficiently substantive basis for 바카라사이트 decision ¨C on which this case also seems likely to hinge.

¡°While some commentators and decision-makers have suggested that placing Unisa under administration is necessary to return it to a halcyon earlier period when it had a stellar reputation, 바카라사이트re is little evidence that such a state ever existed,¡± said Dr Muller.

¡°Unisa has played, and continues to play, an important role in 바카라사이트 higher education system as a distance learning institution, but to my knowledge it has never been perceived as holding even 바카라사이트 same status as some of its campus-based counterparts.¡±

patrick.jack@ws-2000.com