Electricity + Control March 2015

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Editor:
Wendy Izgorsek
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Karen Smith
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Publisher:
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EditorialTechnical
Director:
Ian Jandrell
Quarter 3 (Jul – Oct 2014)
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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
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Wearing another hat, I have just had
to contend with the new intake to
our University system and there are
a couple of things that really should be noted.
The first point - notwithstanding the massive
drop out in our school systems between grades
one and 12, it is patently obvious that we do not
have enough capacity in our higher education
sector to absorb the young people eager to
grow and develop.
To some extent this can be understood, but
if we are to really give ourselves a chance of
reaching the lofty heights to which we aspire
as a nation, then we need to be strategic about
how we propose to educate our youth.
The second point is more worrying. There
is a significant number of young South
Africans who make the entry requirements of
University, are accepted, and then simply do
not have the resources to study.
At some Universities this is a small proportion
of the students; at others, it is a larger
proportion. In other words a significant number
of youngsters who have all the credentials to
study, are not able to do so because there is
not enough funding to support them. This is an
absurd situation, and one that should trouble
us deeply.
A large portion of student support, of course,
comes from the private sector, but the
State makes available the National Student
Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), which offers
an opportunity to needy students to access a
loan to cover their studies. However, there is
not enough funding for students who nominally
qualify for this support.
Another troubling situation relates to the
level of state funding that our Universities are
receiving (ie via the funding line referred to
as the State Subsidy). Let me be clear – it is
a wonderful thing for a University to be self-
sufficient and I strongly support the concept
of private education. But the real issue relates
to how a State manages the expectations of
its youth, and how it strives to achieve its own
goals and objectives and those of its people.
This should also trouble us deeply.
We have a situation in South Africa where
the State subsidy component has dropped so
low in some cases that it is not beyond the
realm of imagination that some of our large
and competitive Universities may seriously
consider privatising.
Our top Universities are ranked very highly,
but a University, driven by the agenda of a
private institution, will quite rightly turn its
attention to matters of finance and funding – at
the potential risk of being able to address the
pressing issues of our society.
I consider it a deeply worrying trend that State
subsidy is dropping, and support for needy
students is not at the level it needs to be. Is
this an indication that the State is effectively
beginning to privatise our Universities?
What is even more disturbing is the value that
is attributed to corruption in our economy. If the
numbers are correct – and we have no reason
to doubt them – we could double the amount
of funding available for higher education
overnight. The funding is there.
Ian Jandrell
Pr Eng,
BSc (Eng) GDE PhD,
FSAIEE SMIEEE
COMMENT
1 March ‘15 Electricity+Control