Many South African universities should be converted into colleges

Award-winning economist Dawie Roodt said many of South Africa’s public universities should be converted into colleges that produce the skills the economy needs.

Roodt told Newzroom Africa that South Africa is too fixated on qualifications and forgets about the skills necessary to grow the economy.

“The entire education system in South Africa needs to be changed. We have to start with primary education, which is not good enough,” he said.

He highlighted that many children cannot read and write, which requires an urgent intervention in the primary education system.

Shifting the focus to universities, he noted that the latest unemployment statistics reveal a significant number of graduates are currently unemployed.

“Part of the reason these graduates are unemployed is because we do not produce the right skills at universities,” Roodt said.

“The humanities are a good example, which produces degrees like political science. I will not employ such a person, because I do not need those skills.”

“However, there is a scarcity of drone technicians and pilots, geneticists, and people with artisan skills. There is a large shortage of this type of skill.”

He said many private tertiary institutions offer high-quality education and produce the skills the market needs.

Roodt suggested that many of South Africa’s public universities should be converted into colleges that produce the skills the economy needs.

“We should also support the private sector tertiary education institutions because they are doing an excellent job.”

He added that many of South Africa’s public universities are poorly run. He gave the example of Unisa, which has faced numerous challenges over the last few years.

He highlighted that although the private sector is doing a great job, there is always a place for the state in the tertiary education system.

“Things like philosophy belong in the real good universities, and they should be accommodated in these institutions,” he said.

“However, we need to shift the emphasis in South Africa and start to produce the skills we really need.”

Roodt added that everyone wants to attend university and obtain a degree. However, that is necessarily what the economy requires, as we have shortages of many other skills.

Debate about public universities

Roodt shared his views during a Newzroom Africa debate about South Africa’s public universities and their role in society.

This debate followed a BusinessTech article quoting Roodt saying most public South African universities should be closed.

He further argued that the government should allocate more funds to private institutions which are producing valuable skills.

Roodt argued that South Africa has far too many universities and that only approximately 10% of the population should attend university.

South Africa has nineteen public universities and seven universities of technology, totalling 26 state-owned institutions.

Roodt said many of these institutions are poorly run, with qualified audits or financials so messy that audits could not be finalised.

The country also has 126 registered private tertiary education institutions, including universities. “The private universities are improving all the time,” he said.

Roodt highlighted that private universities face challenges, including high fees and a lack of campus life compared to traditional institutions.

Another problem is that private universities do not make significant research contributions, which is a crucial aspect of the academic field.

However, public universities also face challenges. “Over the years, the quality of public universities deteriorated significantly,” Roodt said.

“South Africa still has brilliant universities, but as a whole, the quality of state-owned universities has gone backwards.”

Backlash from South African academics

South African academics, including Professor Linda du Plessis from NWU and Dr Phethiwe Matutu from Unisa, criticized Roodt’s comments.

“Roodt’s argument oversimplifies a complex educational and socio-political landscape,” Du Plessis said in a press statement.

“South Africa produces high-quality graduates across numerous fields, and his statements fail to acknowledge the strides made in research, teaching, learning, and community engagement.”

“Given a graduate employment rate below 10%, compared to a youth unemployment rate exceeding 40%, a degree remains a sound investment,” she said.

According to her, Roodt’s focus is almost exclusively on the shortcomings of a handful of public universities, without acknowledging the many achievements in various disciplines.

They include globally recognised researchers and world-class programmes, high-quality research output, and contributions to public health, science, and national policy.

“His narrative is one-sided and overlooks the essential fields that underpin the country’s functioning, such as law, accountancy, engineering, nursing, social work, and teaching.”

She added that public universities are not merely educational institutions. “They are engines of social mobility, redress, and transformation,” she said.

“Suggesting that only 10% of the population should attend university disregards the national imperative to expand access to higher education, as set out in the National Development Plan.”

Matutu shared Du Plessis views, saying Roodt’s argument is disjointed and lacks understanding of South Africa’s tertiary education system.

She said only 20% of students are served by private institutions, while the public sector serves the other 80%.

Matutu added that the insinuation that public sector higher education is worse than what the private sector offers is untrue.

She also argued that most public universities are well run and that only one did not receive an unqualified audit in the 2023 financial year.

The last word

Professor Linda du Plessis and Dr Phethiwe Matutu’s critique of Roodt’s view and suggestions should be seen in context.

Roodt clearly stated that South Africa has brilliant public universities performing important training and research functions.

He praised these universities and highlighted that they have an important function to play in South Africa’s economy and society.

However, many public universities are struggling with numerous challenges and are producing graduates without the valuable skills the economy needs.

Roodt’s suggestion to utilise the resources allocated to these poorly performing universities to develop skills that the economy needs and will drive employment is not controversial.

Many educational experts and academics have made similar suggestions in the past, including Universities South Africa.

“If South Africa’s higher education sector proceeds with business as usual and maintains the current status quo, the system will deteriorate,” it said.

The Stellenbosch Business School said that, as South Africa’s higher education grapples with poverty and unemployment, private and open-distance learning can increase access and skills.

So, although Roodt’s comments about repurposing poorly performing public universities hit a nerve, the general concept that tertiary education should change is widely held.

Roodt’s views on South Africa’s primary education system also aligns with many expert views, including the World Bank.

It said transforming the basic education sector by improving the quality of learning from an early age can drive inclusive growth in South Africa.