Electricity + Control November 2015

COMMENT

S outh Africa seems to be a nation of tipping points. We enjoy the excitement. As far as I can see, through a series of battles, wars, disease and policy environments, many people have been predicting the demise of this country for centuries. We seem to wobble from one crisis to the next. Yet here it is; here we are. The reason for this, I believe, is that we seem to fall on the right side of history each time. But it takes a crisis; and it takes reaching that tipping point. I am fascinated by the current and fluid situation around higher education. These are issues that I have been unable not to comment on previously – because it is education that builds our nation. Historically, we have not taken education seriously. Students have recognised this and their argument is ‒ to succeed individually and collectively, what you need is a world-class education. Many are being excluded from this opportunity and we need to find ways to carry them through their lives as a result. Make no mistake, violence and criminal activity cannot ever be accepted. That is clear. Whereas I endorse the calls by students, I simply cannot en- dorse the methods used. But frustrations are high. Let us just remind ourselves: at basic education level (and there are many exceptions) we rank, consist- ently, at or near the very bottom of the international pile. This is shocking – and it is a situation that has persisted, even though numerous calls have been made to those who can address this, to do so. You will recall that delivery of text books has been a logistical nightmare – yet we can put up supermar- kets right around the country with our eyes closed. Without doubt, we have sufficient funding to run ba- sic education… so what could be wrong? Well, now the products of that system are beginning to spot the problem. In higher education, however, we have a more profound problem: the sector is massively under-funded by any measure you care to think of. Worldwide, the proportion of GDP spent on university budgets is 0,84%; in Africa (the whole continent), the average GDP spend on universities is 0,78%. Within the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, the proportion is 1,21% of GDP. South Africa’s budget for universities as a percentage of GDP was only 0,75%.

I would argue that, if we reflect on what our objec- tives are, we need to align with the OECD countries. In essence, between 2000 and 2010, state funding per full-time equivalent student (FTE) fell by 1,1% annually in real terms. Be aware that a weakening Rand does little to ease the pressure. We now have South African (public) universities where the state-funded component of the operation is less than 25% of the total income. That is almost like a private university. Whereas the concept of a private university is in no way offensive, one has to question the wisdom of this given the State’s need and claimed objective to prioritise education. We know that the money is there, but it would require reprioritisation, by the State, of the current spend.

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Easy? No. Doable? Of course.

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I find myself wondering whether these young peo- ple may have conveyed a message that academics, industrialists and economists have not been able to get across for the past twenty years – or at least since 2000.

This is indeed a tipping point. I am certain we will, again, fall on the right side.

Electricity+Control is supported by:

Ian Jandrell Pr Eng, BSc (Eng) GDE PhD, FSAIEE SMIEEE

The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher, the editor, SAAEs, SAEE, CESA, IESSA or the Copper Development Association Africa

November ‘15 Electricity+Control

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