5 MYTHS AROUND TERTIARY EDUCATION

◆ Myth 1: All tertiary education institutions keep up to date with trends and new information. Many institutions only assess their syllabi every three to five years. “A lot of what is learnt at traditional institutions is out-dated,” says Riaz Moola, the chief executive of tech education provider HyperionDev.

◆ Myth 2: You must live in a big city to get a good education. Studying online is more affordable than going to university and more accessible, as a student need not factor in concerns such as transport, says Moola.

◆ Myth 3: You need a degree to get a job. A 2016 survey by the Institute of Race Relations found that nearly half a million South Africans with a tertiary qualification from a college or university were unemployed. Similarly, a 2017 survey by jobs website found that most (72%) of employers considered bootcamp graduates to be “just as prepared to be high performers” as graduates with degrees.

◆ Myth 4: Most students who undertake a degree or diploma complete their studies. This year, a report published by the Department of Education and Training revealed that 47.9% do not complete their degrees, mainly because of the financial burden.

◆ Myth 5: A degree will pay for itself. Recent data says students can expect to pay R64 200 on average for the first year of university in 2019, and that cost is predicted to rise to R107 600 by 2025. Students are required to start paying off their study loans from as soon as three months after completing their degree and, if not employed, this can become a major challenge.