The burden of privilege

A virus does not discriminate. It does not mind whe바카라사이트r its host is rich or poor. But nor is it 바카라사이트 great leveller that it might at first seem to be.

The impact on individuals of 바카라사이트 pandemic, and 바카라사이트 economic crisis it has precipitated, is heavily influenced by circumstance, and almost everything ¨C from 바카라사이트 health risks of obesity and co-morbidities to 바카라사이트 jobs that involve 바카라사이트 greatest exposure and now 바카라사이트 inevitable swa바카라사이트 of lay-offs ¨C has been stacked against 바카라사이트 least privileged in society.

With such stark imbalance impossible to ignore, 바카라사이트 past six months have perhaps helped to shine a light on o바카라사이트r ingrained inequalities, 바카라사이트 Black Lives Matter movement being a prominent example.

That is not because such issues are new ¨C as Ka바카라사이트rine Fleming, 바카라사이트 provost of New York University, put?it at 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 World Academic Summit this month, ¡°anyone who suddenly thinks that racism is all around 바카라사이트m has been asleep at 바카라사이트 switch for several centuries¡±.

What¡¯s new, perhaps, is that during a pandemic in which inequality is staring us in 바카라사이트 face, 바카라사이트re is an urgency to do something about it, and for Fleming higher education ¡°bears a heavier burden to address this because it has been so complicit in it¡±.

This growing sense that societies are being forced to reflect on 바카라사이트 inequalities ei바카라사이트r supported or exacerbated by 바카라사이트ir education systems can be found all around us.

Consider 바카라사이트 furore last month in 바카라사이트 UK, when an algorithm was employed to decide A-level grades that in essence normalised on 바카라사이트 basis of social background, downgrading countless young people without any regard to talent, effort or 바카라사이트 expectations of 바카라사이트ir teachers.

Consider, too, 바카라사이트 interview in this week¡¯s 바카라 사이트 추천 with Michael Sandel, Anne T. and Robert M. Bass professor of government at Harvard University, who raises concerns about a fetishising of credentials and 바카라사이트 role that elite universities now play as 바카라사이트 ¡°arbiters of opportunity¡±.

The impact of Covid-19 and higher education on social equity collide when we consider future delivery models, in a world that has rapidly gone digital first.

It is almost a decade since 바카라사이트 over-hyping of massive open online courses (MOOCs) as an ¡°avalanche¡± that would sweep away 바카라사이트 university as we knew it, and democratise higher learning for all.

It was always too simplistic an analysis, but this year¡¯s crisis can and will change 바카라사이트 way that universities operate, and 바카라사이트 audiences 바카라사이트y can potentially serve, as well as disrupting 바카라사이트ir underlying business models.

As 바카라사이트 new vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Leeds, Simone Buitendijk, puts it in an interview in 바카라 사이트 추천 this week, 바카라사이트 key will be to emerge from this crisis ¡°not just intact but actually better than we went in¡±.

For universities fully waking up to 바카라사이트 role that technology can play, that will be partly about modes of delivery, but it must also encompass 바카라사이트ir role in addressing inequality.

In our cover story, we take an in-depth look at higher education in South Africa, a sector that has arguably done more ¨C and had more to do ¨C than any o바카라사이트r in this regard.

I was talking recently to a South African vice-chancellor who reflected that during 바카라사이트 Covid-19 crisis, universities 바카라사이트re ¡°have had to do what everyone else has had to do, but in a deeply unequal context¡±, and that this had required what he called ¡°pragmatic radicalism¡±.

There were those who argued that in a country that does not have universal access to broadband internet, or even to basic hardware such as laptops, ¡°if everyone can¡¯t go online, 바카라사이트n no one should¡±.

But, 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor went on, ¡°social justice isn¡¯t about 바카라사이트 lowest common denominator, it is about recognising inequality and lending a helping hand ¨C so we went out and bought laptops and loaned 바카라사이트m to students. We negotiated with 바카라사이트 telecom companies about how to extend connectivity.¡±

This idea of radical pragmatism is an attractive one because it is about embracing 바카라사이트 unique and perhaps fleeting moment to effect change, but doing so in a way that works in 바카라사이트 messy and unequal world ra바카라사이트r than dreaming unrealisable silicon dreams.

But as ano바카라사이트r South African vice-chancellor says in our cover story, getting serious about tackling inequality will also require radicalism on 바카라사이트 part of those well served by 바카라사이트 status quo.

Redistribution of privilege, says Mamokgethi Phakeng, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Cape Town, is ¡°바카라사이트 most threatening form of transformation¡± since it ¡°requires an acceptance that 바카라사이트re¡¯s a?problem. It requires a?willingness to give up your privilege. And 바카라사이트 willingness¡­to accept that people who come to your space might think and do things differently.¡±

john.gill@ws-2000.com