CHAPTER 2: BRIEF SURVEY OF LITERATURE
2.2. South Africa’s education policies
2.2.2. Higher education Act, retention and throughput rates
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47 around the world and in general about 30 percent of students who begin a tertiary degree do not complete their programme (Dietsche, 2009).
Generally, student retention is defined as the ability of a typical educational institution to maintain continuous enrollment of the same student for each consecutive semester until graduation. The core indicators of the effectiveness of the higher education system and the achievement of equity and redress in South Africa include inter alia the extent to which the system manages to retain the majority of its students on the graduation path (CHE, 2010) and the number of qualifications (degrees, diplomas and certificates) that it awards per year. In the US, the successful retention-to-graduation rate benchmark is 150 percent of allotted time. Using a cohort approach, a successful retention-to-graduation in a four-year programme, would be defined as graduation in six years (www.innovativeeducators.org/product_p/562.htm). In European countries, student attrition ranges from over 60 percent in Italy, to 45 percent or less in Austria, France, Portugal and Turkey. In the UK, the attrition rate is 20 percent (OECD, 2000; Van Den Berg and Hofman, 2005).
In general, there are various requirements to enter tertiary education in South Africa that include: (1) achievement in the NSC or equivalent examination for South African students or on academic achievement at the school-leaving level for international students, (2) the old Matriculation Exemption, (3) completion of a national diploma; and (4) Dean’s discretion in selected HEIs. The matriculants of August 2008 were the first to enter university education having written the NSC based on the new NCS where all provinces wrote the same papers with the same curricula and assessments. For entrance eligibility into South African universities or their degree programmes, matriculants must achieve between 50 to 59 percent in four subjects, as well as a minimum of 30 percent in the language of instruction (generally matric English score) of the HEIs (Daily News, 12 Oct. 2008). Only 15 to 18 percent of grade 12 pupils who sit for matric every year obtain a pass with endorsement, which qualifies them automatically for university and this percentage is decreasing.
The university admissions process across South African universities is presently undergoing changes as individual universities grapple with the NSC points scores. Higher Education South Africa (HESA) (formed on May 9, 2005 to represent the voice of Vice Chancellors – leadership- of South Africa’s public universities) is presently trying to convince all the HEIs to adopt its national benchmark tests (proficiency in academic literacy, quantitative literacy, and skills in Maths) intended to identify students who are more likely to succeed at university. However, the HEIs have their own ad hoc designated Admission Point Score
48 (APS) systems aggregated or calculated from the matric subject scores used in conjunction with a prerequisite of one or more combinations of specific designated matric subject scores that usually include a Maths score, a Maths literacy score, or an English score. A few HEIs including Stellenbosch University and the University of Cape Town have adopted HESA’s tests, questionnaires or interviews to select appropriate students.
Ramphele (2008) points out that the biggest challenge in South Africa is the state of the education system.
Lefera (2010) feels that the education system in South Africa is to blame for the low matriculation pass rates, lack of skills and critical thinking, poverty and high crime rates because of its ineffectiveness and irrelevance to the South African context. Memela (2010) points out that the lack of skilled high school educators in critical subjects such as Mathematics, Science, Economics, and Accounting; and the alarming number of 11 000 under-qualified and unqualified educators on the payroll of the DoE largely explains the high dropout and failure rates at universities.
The OECD (2008) indicates that the graduation rate for South African universities as a whole was 17 percent in 1993, but fell to 16 percent in 2000 whereas the corresponding fall for Universities of Technology was from 10 percent to 9 percent. Strydom et al. (2010) warn that the graduation rates in South African HEIs are unacceptable. Patterns of intake and graduation rates reveal that the higher education system in South Africa is not effectively achieving its crucial human resources development function (Subotzky, 2003). Letseka and Maile (2008) surveyed students from seven of the historically white and black universities and concurred that about 40 percent of South Africa’s university students dropped out in their first year and that a mere 15 percent graduated in the allotted time. Academics are shifting blames to the schools that feed higher education while schools are blaming parents (Macfarlane, 2006). Africa (2005) concurred that a large number of black students admitted in HEIs are being drawn from schools that are poor, with poorly qualified staff, and in many instances have a dearth of qualified Mathematics and Science educators. Groves (2009) maintains that compared to western countries, South African students lacked the prerequisites and skills needed to compete and succeed at university level and that the root of the problem is that South African high schools are not producing university-calibre students.
Despite the fact that subsequent democratic government administrations have stressed the need to prioritize education and improvements in throughput rates in South African universities (Zuma, 2011a), the actual throughput rates do not meet the targeted levels. It is widely agreed that the South African economy can only progress when the country’s higher education system produces more university graduates (Gordhan,
49 2011). The DoHET (2010) specifies that vital factors for university success should be provided to learners when they are within the scope of the school system, which as discussed falls under the Department of Basic Education.
The participation rate refers to the proportions (percentage) of the 20-24 year old age group in higher education. The World Bank figures on tertiary education participation rates for selected countries indicated that from a peak in 1995 of 17.5 percent, the was a drop in South Africa participation rates to 15.3 in 2004 and this was about 16.3 percent in 2007. Ganpath (2010) notes that a mere 18 percent of this age group have access to higher education in South Africa. The DoHET is targeting a participation rate of 20 percent by 2015; the bulk of which has to be sourced from previously disadvantaged population groups. If this participation rate is to be attained, it can be calculated that the enrolment numbers in higher education in South Africa should increase by more than 4 percent per annum. However, government’s proposed enrolment growth restriction for the period between 2006 and 2009 allowed for an average annual university student growth (to be subsidized by means of state funding allocations) of about 0.6 percent. This contradicts the NPHE participation rate target (OECD, 2008). The dilemma facing HEIs is whether they are responsible for upgrading the poorly prepared students they admit or whether this responsibility should be borne by another level of educators (for example from pre-university education) and not university academic staff. The next sub-section provides a brief assessment of progress and development in the funding of HEIs.