Alternative to excessively expensive South African universities

South Africa's first ubuntu university

 

Gert

Can you tell me if a basic skills componant as getting a driver's license and other practical sorts of living skills is a part of the standard freshman curriculum in SA? The article described the students as those who had done well in high school. So I assumed that while socially disadvantaged they were not educationally delayed. Did I just read too quickly? Basic skills is an area taught in special education in HS in my experience.

 

No, definitely not. Though many of the legitimate universities have remedial programs to help prospective students from disadvantaged backgrounds prepare for university studies.

The students in this program are from the poorest rural areas.

CIDA is not really a university (their registered name is CIDA City Campus). But it's difficult for anybody (let alone governmental agency) to challenge people in SA involved in a community-driven effort to pull themselves up by their bootstraps.

Incidentally, some of the buildings occupied by CIDA were once the pride of South Africa's largest city -- but now abandoned by the corporations that have fled for the suburbs.

 

Thanks Gert. I feel a little guilty about paying Unizul such a small tuition due I guess to the economy?.

 

Another article about CIDA: 'Miracle' varsity gives hope to the poorest.

 

Well, good for CIDA. It really is sobering to consider that the SA tuition we see as a "bargain" is even more prohibitive for the poorest South Africans than the most expensive brick-and-mortar US tuition is for most of us.
NO criticism of the established SA unis in that, but I hope this CIDA project flourishes and can be duplicated beyond JHB.

 

Speech by South African Minister of Education, Kader Asmal, about CIDA: Official opening of CIDA City Campus.

 

No thanks Gert, sint alergic la ministerul Asmal.