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A Tool for Transformation of Higher Education in South Africa?

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A Tool for Transformation of Higher Education in South Africa? PALACKÝ UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF SCIENCE Department of Development Studies Adrián Machyniak THE ROLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN DEVELOPMENT OF POST-APARTHEID SOUTH AFRICA: CASE STUDY OF STELLENBOSCH UNIVERSITY Diploma Thesis Supervisor: Ing. Mgr. Jaromír Harmáček Olomouc, 2011 I declare in lieu of oath that I wrote this thesis by myself. All information derived from the work of others has been acknowledged in the text and list of references is given. Olomouc, 2011 ………………………… Signature 2 Acknowledgments First and foremost I must acknowledge my family for their great support throughout the whole process of writing my thesis. Without Your sustained support I would not be able to accomplish this work. I would like to express a big thank you to my supervisor, Ing. Mgr. Jaromír Harmáček, for making sure my thesis got done. Thank you for your patience, guidance and academic support. You made sure I stayed more or less on task and provided crucial feedback that helped me to accomplish something of relevance and personal significance. Many thanks to Mr. Mike Leslie from Postgraduate and International Office of Stellenbosch University for his kind contribution with valuable resources and for his multiple insights during our interview that helped me to write and finish this work. I would like to acknowledge all the people in Lynedoch Primary School in South Africa. You allowed me to spend an unbelievable time in Your community that inspired me to write this thesis. Thank you. Finally one big thank you to my friend overseas Bryn Durgin for her English language edit of this thesis. Thank you for your commitment and for your support that helped me to successfully finish my work. 3 4 5 Abstract The aim of the diploma thesis is to analyze the emerging role of the higher education institutions (HEIs) in development of post-apartheid South Africa. The first part discusses brief history of the higher education system in the country. The special attention is paid to the development and current position of Stellenbosch University. The second part of the thesis presents the possible ways how to make HEIs in South Africa more involved in solutions of practical development problems in the country especially within the communities where activities of particular HEIs are taking place. The description of service learning activities at universities throughout South Africa is provided as a new approach in development paradigm. In the last part case study of Stellenbosch University is elaborated. It has an ambition to show positive examples of connection between the needs identified by local communities and the learning needs of students at Stellenbosch University. Possibilities for future integration of research and community service learning practices are outlined. Key words: higher education transformation, higher education institution, community, service-learning, community engagement Abstrakt Cieľom diplomovej práce je analýza vychádzajúcej úlohy vysokoškolského systému v rozvoji Južnej Afriky po páde apartheidu. Prvá časť sa v rýchlosti venuje histórií vysokého školstva v krajine. Dôraz je kladený na vývoj a súčasnú pozíciu Stellenbosch University. Druhá časť diplomovej práce predkladá možné cesty ako vysokoškolské inštitúcie v Južnej Afrike zapojiť do riešenia praktických rozvojových problémov krajiny, najmä v rámci komunít kde aktivity jednotlivých vysokých škôl prebiehajú. Priblížené sú aktivity v rámci tzv. “service-learning” na jednotlivých vysokých školách Južnej Afriky reprezentújúce nový prístup k rozvojovej paradigme. V poslednej časti je prezentovaná prípadová štúdia Stellenbosch University. Má za ambíciu ukázať úspešné príklady prepojenia identifikovaných potrieb jednotlivých komunít s učebnými potrebami študentov na Stellenbosch University. Možnosti budúcej integrácie výzkumu a komunitných praktík vzdelávania sú skúmané. Kľúčové slová: transformácia vysokého školstva, vysokoškolská inštitúcia, komunita, service-learning, komunitný rozvoj 6 TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract ......................................................................................................................................... 6 List of Acronyms .......................................................................................................................... 9 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 10 1.1 Methodology ..................................................................................................................... 11 2. Definition of the used terminology ......................................................................................... 13 2.1 Higher education transformation ....................................................................................... 13 2.2 Community........................................................................................................................ 16 2.3 Community development .................................................................................................. 17 2.4 Community engagement ................................................................................................... 19 2.5 Service-learning ................................................................................................................ 21 3. History of the higher education and its current structure in South Africa .............................. 24 3.1 Education system under apartheid .................................................................................... 24 3.1.1 Legal, racial and ideological fundamentals of apartheid education ......................... 24 3.1.2 Higher education system under apartheid ................................................................. 26 3.1.3 Higher education in the struggle against Apartheid .................................................. 29 3.2 Transformation of higher education system after 1994 .................................................... 31 3.2.1 Legacy of Apartheid: State of the education system in 1994 ..................................... 31 3.2.2 Transformation of higher education system: 1994 - 2004 ......................................... 33 3.2.3 Transformation of higher education system: 2004 – present situation ...................... 36 3.3 Outcomes of the transformation policies: Key challenges ................................................ 38 3.4 The role of the higher education institutions in the South African society ....................... 40 4. Community engagement and higher education in South Africa ............................................. 42 4.1 Community engagement as a core function of the higher education in South Africa ....... 42 4.1.1 Typology of community engagement .......................................................................... 45 4.1.2 Service-learning: A tool for transformation of higher education in South Africa? ... 46 7 4.2 Institutionalization of community engagement and service-learning in HEIs .................. 49 4.3 Policies and examples of CE and SL initiatives at chosen South African HEIs ............... 52 4.3.1 University of Witwatersrand ...................................................................................... 52 4.3.2 University of KwaZulu-Natal ..................................................................................... 53 4.3.3 University of Pretoria ................................................................................................ 54 4.3.4 University of the Free State ........................................................................................ 54 4.3.5 Stellenbosch University .............................................................................................. 55 4.4 Managing partnerships between HEIs and communities within CE initiatives ................ 55 4.5 Connecting research and community engagement in South Africa .................................. 59 5. Case study: Stellenbosch University ....................................................................................... 64 5.1 Methodology ..................................................................................................................... 64 5.2 Brief history of Stellenbosch University ........................................................................... 65 5.3 Present profile of Stellenbosch University ........................................................................ 66 5.4 Stellenbosch University language policy .......................................................................... 68 5.5 Community interaction...................................................................................................... 71 5.6 Hope Project ...................................................................................................................... 74 5.7 LSCE: Learning for Sustainable Community Engagement .............................................. 75 6. Findings and recommendations............................................................................................... 78 7. Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 84 8. Annexes ................................................................................................................................... 86 8 List of Acronyms ANC African National Congress CBPR Community-based Participatory Research CE Community Engagement CHE Council
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