There are currently thousands of matriculants who qualify for tertiary education (either at a university or a TVET college) along with thousands of other young people (almost the same number as matriculants). Additionally, of the students accepted into a programme at tertiary level, over one-third will be forced to drop out due to lack of funds, transport and accommodation.
The DA believes that no academically capable student should ever be left behind because of a lack of access to funding. However, not every student will be able to, nor should attend a university. South Africa’s higher education landscape is at present disproportionately skewed towards university enrolment as opposed to vocational learning and skills development programmes. In this regard the DA’s congress will debate expanding access to tertiary institutions with the roll-out of a government-initiated system of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). As well as ensuring two, equally respectable, streams of higher education: the first would focus on research and innovation outputs such as in medicine and tech; and the second on providing technical and vocational learning and skills development.
