Electricity + Control November 2015

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Editor:
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Quarter 2 (April - June 2015)
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The views expressed in this publication are
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editor, SAAEs, SAEE, CESA, IESSA or the
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South 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.
Easy? No. Doable? Of course.
Are there imaginative ways of doing this? Yes. They
have been discussed.
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.
Ian Jandrell
Pr Eng,
BSc (Eng) GDE PhD,
FSAIEE SMIEEE
COMMENT
1 November ‘15 Electricity+Control