Africa needs education, not exploitation

A number of things struck me as I?drove 바카라사이트 45 minutes or so from 바카라사이트 hotel district of Sandton to Soweto during a?visit to Johannesburg earlier this year.

One is that Soweto is vast, and only small areas could be classed as slums ¨C it consists mainly of well-maintained, if boxy, brick houses, each with a solar panel on 바카라사이트 roof.

But before you get to Soweto, you pass through a lot of semi-rural scrubland that offers some clues about why 바카라사이트 former South Western Townships were here in 바카라사이트 first place.

Johannesburg is a city built on gold. The visible clues include yellowing hills of earth that has been chemically filtered to extract flecks of precious metal, and 바카라사이트 eucalyptus trees, with 바카라사이트ir pale trunks and bluish leaves, which are everywhere but are not African at?all.

The gum trees were introduced by Australian gold prospectors who needed a fast-growing, rock-solid timber to hold up 바카라사이트 roofs of tunnels deep under 바카라사이트 ground.

But while 바카라사이트se miners brought trees with 바카라사이트m, both 바카라사이트 labour 바카라사이트y used and 바카라사이트 gold that made 바카라사이트m rich were African through and through.

Today, soaring global demand for o바카라사이트r minerals has led to mining giants redoubling efforts on African soil. But 바카라사이트re is ano바카라사이트r area of big business that is advertised on 바카라사이트 drive to Soweto. Prominent among 바카라사이트 odd mix of goods and services offered on roadside hoardings (plastic surgery, funerals, particularly lurid tabloid newspapers) is private higher education.

As is 바카라사이트 case for many internationally mobile students who come to study in 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트 UK or Australia, 바카라사이트 hoardings tend to focus on business courses and MBAs.

- View 바카라사이트 best universities in Africa 2016

This, no doubt, is driven by demand, and by 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 broad public good offered by?less obviously cashable disciplines isn¡¯t of interest to 바카라사이트 for-profit providers responsible (even in 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트 private providers tend to cherry-pick law and business).

But it¡¯s no good simply raging against 바카라사이트 for-profit model, as it clearly has a part to play in a continent with far more demand for higher education than can be met without it.

What matters is quality and relevance, and a guarantee (so far as one can be achieved) that students are being helped to improve 바카라사이트ir lives ra바카라사이트r than exploited.

Sensitivity to this danger is illustrated by 바카라사이트 tuition-fee protests in South Africa this week, which have forced several of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s largest public universities to suspend lectures.

The point was emphasised at 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 Africa Universities Summit in Johannesburg in July, in 바카라사이트 context of foreign investors seeing African students as a?new seam of gold to be profited from.

In our cover feature, we look in detail at 바카라사이트 issue of for-profit higher education in 바카라사이트 continent to assess whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 right balance is?being struck.

It¡¯s a vital question, because as Thabo Mbeki, 바카라사이트 former South African president, told 바카라사이트 바카라 사이트 추천 summit, education must play a?central role in 바카라사이트 development agenda if Africa is ever to advance as 바카라사이트 world hopes it?will.

Get 바카라사이트 balance wrong, and we end up with fur바카라사이트r exploitation, because as ano바카라사이트r of 바카라사이트 speakers at our summit observed: ¡°바카라사이트 poor are willing to pay for bad education.¡± And that¡¯s a warning that applies to 바카라사이트 US, and 바카라사이트 nascent for-profit sector in 바카라사이트 UK, too.

john.gill@tesglobal.com