South African restructuring approved: "No institution will be left untouched"

Asmal: No institution will be left untouched.

Snippet:

• Cabinet has approved a plan for the transformation of higher education ... "Once you have the full details you will see it is a radical restructuring of higher education... and no institution will be left untouched," Asmal said.
  ...
  [T]he final plan "differs somewhat" from what was proposed by the task team on higher education regarding the merging of higher education institutions.
  ...
  The restructuring process should take about four to five years to complete.
  ...
  The minister said government would in future play a far greater role in higher education institutions.

 

This article says (as have previous articles) that one of the intents is to either close historically black universities or merge the with historically white ones.
Since UNIZUL is historically black, I wonder what the results will be there? My conversations with them have seemed to indicate that nothing much would change, in reality. However, these articles don't seem to agree.

Lots to think about. I hope UNIZUL survives, I have verbally committed to working with them on the English MA.

clint

 

I am pleased to see that the institution to which I have applied for doctoral studies remains likely to be untouched by all of this. I have chosen this university because of its rich, historic identity and reputation as a world-class provider of theological education. It would be unfortunate for this institution to be robbed of this identity.

I don't mean to be a hypocrite. I certainly support, and care deeply about, the necessity for transformation in South African society; of course, it is understandable that such transformation should impact the higher education system. The feelings I expressed above aren't meant to suggest that I support transformation as long as it doesn't hamper or alter my personal aspirations. Indeed, that would be hypocritical. Rather, I simply would like to think that social and systemic transformation needn't necessarily require the loss of identity among a culture's finest institutions. Stellenbosch, the university at which I intend to engage in doctoral research, is gradually going about a process of internally imposed transformation, which seems to be working well.

Cory Seibel

 

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Is this reorganization some form of social engineering or is there a problem with the system?

There is a saying that goes something like "You don't heal a wound by chopping off the limb." Also - "Cut off your nose to spite your face."

Success is best attained by bringing up the disadvantaged not bringing down the successful, be they people or institutions. From what I read, I believe that the South African leadership understands this.

We can't have the South African education system fail. Where would rural Canada get its doctors?