1 - Access to, and Success in, Higher Education in Post-apartheid South Africa: Social Justice Analysis

Abstract

The post-apartheid government that came to power in 1994 inherited an inequitable and unjust higher education system whose expression included preferential access to higher education for whites and limited higher educa- tion opportunities for the black majority. As a result, one of the priorities of the new government was to redress the inequalities of apartheid by adopting policies that would widen access to higher education for all South Africans and, simultaneously, ensure their success. This article analyses the progress made in the implementation of equity policies by posing the following ques- tion: ‘What progress has been made in the pursuit of a policy of equity of access and of success since 1997?’ We have examined government-related documents and institutional practices to answer this question. We link ac- cess with success to explain the impact of the transformation agenda on the outcomes of higher education. Using social inclusion and justice theory, we contest neoliberal ideologies of access (Gidlye et al. 2010) as merely increasing participation rates and relying on the economic role of higher education, without paying attention to the factors that should facilitate success in higher education. Methodologically, the paper relies on the documentary analysis of secondary data, on social theory, and on primary data obtained from official government policies and reports.

Exploring the Potential for Tuition-Free Higher Education in South Africa: A Scoping Review

“…Universities designated for whites received the bulk of funding and were more resourced than universities for other racial groups (Beale, 1992;Bunting, 2006). The participation rates in higher education reflected the inequality of the apartheid policies with whites having a 70% participation rate while they had only 10% of the population, blacks it was 9% while they constituted 80% of the population, coloureds it was 13% and for Indians it was 40% (Sehoole & Adeyemo, 2016).…”

“…Among them are Education White Paper 3, the National Student Financial Aid Scheme Act, 1999 (Act No. 56 of 1999, and The National Plan for Higher Education (Akala, 2023;Sehoole & Adeyemo, 2016).…”

Causes and Institutional Responsesof Social Unrest in South African Universities

“…However, the context of South Africa makes the issue of student unrest an important topic for study. South Africa has a unique history of apartheid, which has led to deep-seated inequalities in access to education and economic opportunities (Sehoole & Adeyemo, 2016). These inequalities have contributed to ongoing social unrest, with students protesting against high tuition fees, lack of accommodation, and inadequate funding for historically disadvantaged universities, which have been plagued by violent protests, with students setting buildings on fire and clashing with police (Badat, 2016; Godsell et al, 2016).…”

Epistemological access: a case of academic development programmes at a university of technology

“…The South African government has endeavoured to increase its response to the historically disadvantaged populace by providing widened access to higher education [6]. However, formal access to university facilities is not the only solution to ensure academic success.…”