‘Universities not transformed’

PATTERNS of systemic exclusion, marginalisation and discrimination – indicative of entrenched inequality – have persisted at South Africa’s universities, more than 20 years into democracy.

This finding was made by the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) in its report on transformation at public universities. The report was released on Friday.

The commission had convened a national hearing in 2014 on transformation at institutions of higher learning after it received several complaints, with specific reference to race, gender, language, culture, disability and sexual orientation, among others.

Various protests, as well as the setting up of the Fees Commission of Inquiry, took place after the conclusion of the hearing, but the SAHRC pointed out that its report remained relevant.

The contentious issue of language policies at institutions of higher learning – including the complaints around the use of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction in some universities – was covered. Other issues included the disparities in funding, deadly initiation practices and student performance.

While the commission noted that universities such as Wits have made gains in student performance, particularly the previously disadvantaged students, it “remains concerned that student performance continues to be stratified along racial lines”.

Incidents at the University of the Free State were also cited along issues of prejudice, pointing to “a manifestation of the abiding impact of systemic exclusion, prejudice and inequality which plague many institutions in our country”.

“In essence, the report finds that our public universities have not sufficiently transformed in the past 20 years and that discrimination remains prevalent in public universities in South Africa, particularly on the grounds of race, gender, disability and socio-economic class. The report also found that despite the relative gains, transformation in the higher education sector has been relatively slow.”

Higher Education and Training Minister Blade Nzimande might have to get tougher to accelerate the government’s transformation agenda at institutions. The commission recommends, among others, that the department “take a leading role in the transformation of the higher education system, and for it to use its powers to hold universities who fail to transform to account”.