By Johnathan Paoli

The select committee on education, sciences and the creative industries has welcomed the Education Department’s recent report into allegations of racism at the Pretoria High School for Girls (PHSG).

Committee chair Makhi Feni said the report was an indication of the ongoing and rampant racism in white schools as well as elements standing in the way of integration and transformation.

Feni called on school governing bodies as well as principals to accept the multiracial and diverse nature of the country and assist Black learners in the transformation project.

“This outcome gives not only the PHSG, but all former white schools an opportunity to reflect on how they are integrating Black South African learners into what they perceive to be their spaces,” he said.

This follows the school making headlines in recent months for racism, including a whites-only WhatsApp group, bullying of Black learners and white educators refusing to greet their Black colleagues.

The chair said these types of schools should not remain enclaves of aspirant racists, and called for initiatives that facilitate racial integration.

“Conservatism on outdated race politics will not help this country prosper, but diversity will. South Africa still needs to heal, and we will not tire of raising these matters until our children live, work, and play together with no regard whatsoever to race and background,” Feni said.

He said the report indicated that the previous school-commissioned report was merely an attempt at whitewashing and called on the department to assist the school in creating programmes that could address the legacies of racism at these institutions.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Johnathan Paoli

In what is being labelled as the largest protest of Afrikaans movements since 1994, 41 language, education and cultural organisations will demonstrate against the controversial Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Act in defence of public Afrikaans-medium schools.

Between 5000 and 10,000 people are expected to participate, according to Kallie Kriel, who is the CEO of civil rights group AfriForum, which is one of the organisers of the protest.

“The Bela battle is the biggest battle since the establishment of this organisation,” Kriel told Inside Education.

The march will commence at 9am on Tuesday morning at the Voortrekker Monument and proceed to Freedom Park, where a memorandum will be handed over to a number of Cabinet members, including Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen, Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie and Correctional Services Minister Pieter Groenewald.

The Act has sparked outrage primarily due to its provisions regarding single-medium schools, language and admission policies.

Critics, including Afrikaanse Taalraad chairperson Hendrik Theys, argue that its implementation threatens the viability of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction, potentially leading to the “murdering of a language”.

Kriel reiterated these concerns, highlighting fears that the legislation would effectively anglicise Afrikaans schools within a few years.

Solidarity Movement chairperson Flip Buys framed the protest as a fight for the future of Afrikaans education.

“People have to walk a few kilometres to prevent our children from having to fly away thousands of kilometres,” he said.

The sentiment was echoed by other leaders, including Heindrich Wyngaard from the Cape Forum, who warned that the Act could lead to “language confusion” and negatively impact educational standards, particularly within the Coloured community.

The organisers said their aim was to send a clear message to the Government of National Unity that the “offensive” sections of the Act must not be enforced.

Buys said that the protest would bolster ongoing negotiations with political parties to amend the legislation.

He said the memorandum would articulate the collective demands of the Afrikaans community, including restoring the authority of governing bodies over schools and promoting quality mother-tongue education across all language groups.

Participants in the demonstration were united in their stance that any attack on Afrikaans education was a direct threat to their cultural identity and educational rights, Buys said.

He said organisers hoped that the significant turnout would illustrate the resolve of Afrikaans speakers and their supporters to protect their language and educational rights.

And, that the march was not only a demonstration of dissent against the legislation, but also a broader assertion of the importance of mother-tongue education in South Africa’s diverse linguistic landscape.

The GNU’s clearing house mechanism met last week to discuss the contentious clauses. A small committee of political leaders has been formed to deal with the issue.

It must give a report back next week.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Lungile Ntimba 

The University of Pretoria (UP) recently signed a partnership agreement with Wuhan Polytechnic University and the Hubei University of Technology in China to enhance global innovation.

This partnership aims to advance joint research and development initiatives and enhance cooperation on innovation between China and Africa, underscoring UP’s commitment to global academic and technological progress.

Prof. Themba Mosia, who is a vice-principal at UP, hosted a meeting with delegates and representatives from the Department of Science and Technology in Hubei Province and partner universities. 

It focused on potential collaborative activities, formalising partnerships and strengthening existing programmes between the countries and their higher education institutions.

A memorandum of cooperation was signed to advance scientific research between the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the Hubei and the School of Engineering at UP’s faculty of engineering, built environment and information technology (EBIT).

Mosia emphasised that these agreements would not only enhance China-Africa innovation partnerships, but also to strengthen international ties between the Hubei Province and the University of Pretoria.

“In South Africa, UP is a leader in international networks and collaborations, reflecting our serious commitment to these partnerships. We believe our partners share this dedication, as evidenced by our nearly two decades of collaboration. 

“On behalf of the EBIT faculty, we are deeply grateful for this partnership and the joint projects aimed at addressing global challenges. These collaborations hold great promise, particularly in advancing critical fields such as renewable energy and power grid safety technologies,” Mosia said.

Zhang Xiaoxing, who is the Dean of the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Hubei, highlighted that collaboration would tackle global challenges and drive innovation, making a meaningful impact on societies across the globe.

While Wuhan Polytechnic University president Dong Shijie expressed his honour to be part of this collaboration with UP.

“Wuhan Polytechnic University has established relationships across Europe, America, Australia and Southeast Asia, making the University of Pretoria our first collaboration point on the African continent. Before visiting South Africa, I thoroughly researched UP’s collaborations, particularly in the engineering field, and I am impressed by its contributions, position and development,” he added.

“While our strengths in agriculture and food production are notable, I believe our other faculties are also well suited for collaboration with UP’s departments. 

“We recognise that for research-focused universities, international collaboration is essential. It is crucial for our students and staff to engage globally and work together on research and innovation,” he said.

INSIDE EDUCATION 

By Simon Nare

President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for more resolve to protect the rights of children, advocating for existing laws to be complemented by social and other forms of support.

Writing in his weekly newsletter on Monday, Ramaphosa said that as the country celebrated National Children’s Day on Saturday, it should take stock of what needed to be done to protect the rights of children.

The president said South Africa, which was a signatory of the United Nation’s Convention on the Rights of the Child, had a duty to ensure that children were protected from human trafficking and sexual assaults.

He said South Africa has made progress in passing laws and policies to ensure children’s right to survival.

He mentioned free primary healthcare for those under the age of six, free basic services to poor families and the child support grant.

Ramaphosa also said the school nutrition programme had made a significant difference in improving the educational and health outcomes for millions of children from indigent families. 

“To advance the right of children to protection from abuse, neglect and exploitation, we have passed laws outlawing child labour, corporal punishment and child marriages. 

“As much as we have made progress, we are keenly aware that much more needs to be done to give effect to the rights of our nation’s youngest citizens, and to protect them from abuse,” he wrote.

The president reminded the nation about recent criminal cases of children being trafficked into the sex trade, raped, murdered and subjected to the worst forms of abuse often by those closest to them. 

Such tragedies were a stark reminder that progressive legislation must be matched by social and other forms of support.

Ramaphosa said the UN convention stipulated that every child had a right to survival, protection and education, among other things.

“These rights are also aimed at creating a safe and nurturing environment for all children, allowing them to grow and thrive.

“The adoption of the convention by the democratic South Africa was a critical step towards addressing the legacy of our past. Colonialism and apartheid ruined the prospects of millions of black children, who were the youngest victims of deprivation, discrimination and exclusion,” he said.

“By the end of apartheid, the mortality rate for black children was six times higher than that of white children. These disparities reflected everywhere else, from living conditions and access to basic services, to access to social care and services, to education.”

The president said the country had witnessed how poverty and under-development deprived children of their childhood and forced many of them to leave school and find work because their families were poor.

He added that the ongoing abuse of children, whether physical, sexual or emotional, was the worst form of deprivation and a stain on the nation’s conscience.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Johnathan Paoli

There is a culture of racism, mismanagement and inappropriate administration at the Pretoria High School for Girls (PHSG), according to the findings of a report released on Monday.

The report comes amid a long history of complaints regarding racial discrimination within the school, particularly intensified by recent incidents linked to a white girls’ WhatsApp group.

The investigation, conducted by Mdladlamba Attorneys, aims to address persistent racial tensions that have not been adequately resolved by previous inquiries.

In a media briefing in Pretoria, law firm director Mthuthuzeli Mdladlamba, alongside education officials, said the department initiated the investigation in response to renewed public outcry, particularly following a series of troubling discussions on the WhatsApp group.

Concerns about the effectiveness of prior investigations prompted a deeper inquiry into how allegations of racism were being managed by the school’s administration.

Launched in August this year, it examined multiple allegations of racism and the school’s response.

Mdladlamba said the findings indicated a significant lack of transparency and accountability among school officials.

He said intimidation and concern for being dismissed stood in the way of ensuring certain officials were brought to book.

“The principal indicated that her challenge is that the administration staff do not want to name the educators that are ill-treating them and thus she cannot take the necessary disciplinary steps against them,” he said.

A complaint raised in October last year about racial remarks on the WhatsApp group was not addressed in a timely manner, leading to questions about the principal’s leadership and the overall effectiveness of the school management team.

The report highlights that incidents of racism have been reported intermittently since 2019, with many students expressing feelings of subtle discrimination.

The investigation further noted a systemic failure by the school governing body and the department to adequately respond to the reported incidents, fostering a culture of mistrust among students and parents.

In light of these findings, the report outlines several recommendations.

Key among these is the need for counselling services for students affected by discrimination to ensure they have access to support as they navigate these challenging issues.

Disciplinary measures must be taken against specific school officials who mishandled complaints, including potential charges against the principal and several staff members for their failure to act in accordance with school policies.

Gauteng education MEC Matome Chiloane emphasised the government’s commitment to fostering social cohesion within the school.

“We will implement the recommendations, and bring social cohesion into the school in a manner that involves everyone, learners and teachers alike,” he told reporters.

The MEC said the report’s release aimed to restore trust among students, parents, and the broader community regarding the management of racial issues at PHSG.

The department intended to take actionable steps in response to the findings, and the MEC said that such incidents must be addressed effectively in the future to prevent a recurrence of discrimination.

In addition to the broader issues of racial discrimination, the investigation uncovered serious misconduct among several school officials.

Specific allegations included the mishandling of complaints, failure to respond to reports of bullying, and unprofessional behaviour by educators.

While a disciplinary hearing regarding racial comments on the WhatsApp group found the involved students not guilty, the investigation revealed that the handling of the situation by the relevant school official was deficient, leading to potential violations of students’ rights and school policy.

This official is now facing allegations of misconduct under the Employment Equity Act.

Further scrutiny was directed at several officials, including neglecting reports of bullying, making inappropriate remarks on a student’s academic performance, and aggressive behaviour towards a learner.

The report also confirmed a concerning pattern of discriminatory behaviour among staff members, with certain white educators often failing to greet their black colleagues.

Moreover, the investigation highlights irregular recruitment practices at the school, including the unauthorised appointment of a finance manager and the improper use of school resources, which exposes the institution to legal risks.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance in Gauteng has welcomed the reinstatement of the principal, Phillipa Erasmus, following her three-month suspension.

The DA’s Sergio dos Santos confirmed his party’s support for Erasmus and described the investigation as flawed.

“It is undeniable that this investigation was flawed from the start, with allegations that Mdladlamba Attorneys deviated from the terms of reference to find anything that could be used to prove the educators’ guilt,” he said.

He said the DA remained concerned over the ongoing charges of misconduct faced by Erasmus and others in light of the possible disruption this might cause learners.

The party would continue to push for the dismissal of the charges, criticising the department for attempting a witch hunt without any proof.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Edwin Naidu

In a world in which information flows fast and freely, one must question the slowness in which the higher education sector deals with figures particularly as they concern the national fiscus.

The exorbitant vice-chancellor salaries have long been a questionable issue with gross discrepancies in what institutions pay their top guns. Yet, the recent Council on Higher Education report on the remuneration of vice-chancellors is five years old, covering the period 2019.

Similarly, one cannot obtain current statistics from the department on the higher education landscape. At best, one will only get the previous year’s data if one really looks.

Discussing before Parliament the salaries of vice-chancellors, some of whom are no longer in office, would seem a moot point. In an age of transparency and commitment to governance, why should vice-chancellor salaries not be available?

In 2019, the average total cost to company (TCTC) for vice-chancellors was R4,129,835 (median: R3,966,069).

The university VC with the highest TCTC was at the University of Johannesburg (R7,166,995) and the VC with the lowest was at University of Venda (R3,033,988).

In 2019, VCs’ average basic salary was R2,912,846 (median: R2,785,633). The university VC with the highest basic salary was at Stellenbosch University (R4,198,875) and the VC with the lowest basic salary was at Vaal University of Technology (R1,915,565).

From 2005 to 2019, VCs’ median TCTC grew from R1,296,987 to R3,966,069, which was a 206% increase and, when compared with inflation, the real annual increase is 2.41 percentage points on average.

From 2005 to 2019, VCs’ median basic salary grew from R821,185 to R2,785, 633, which was a 239% increase and, when compared with inflation, the real annual increase is 3 percentage points on average.

VCs have therefore been receiving real increases over these years.

So why can the nation not be told what the current crop of vice-chancellors are earning?

That the matter is up for discussion five years later makes one wonder about the wisdom in addressing an issue long after the horse has bolted.

Yet, the salary issue remains a current topic for discussion.

The report also shows that VCs receive on average 1.4 times more than P2 senior executives and 1.7 times more than P3 senior executives.

On average they get 2.2 times more than P4 senior professors and 2.3 times more than P5 professors.

Compared to administrators, VCs are paid 8.5 times more, and 12.3 times more than general workers.

These make for interesting reading.

The task of a vice-chancellor as chief executive of the university is an arduous one. The pressures in some instances insurmountable.

However, what the 2019 statistics show is gross discrepancy in what public university officials are paid. It highlights the need for serious discussions around remuneration.

There should be benchmarking and key performance indicators to ensure that varsity heads meet the criteria to better serve the country.

Absent is a sense of quality control to ascertain whether vice-chancellors are delivering on the mandate and providing value for money.

The one thing buried in the CHE report and lost amid the glare of who earns what, is the need for institutional governance and accounting practices to be improved. This falls on the university councils.

The CHE is correct in calling for changes to the composition of university councils and council sub-committees, and how long their members serve.

It also says the eligibility criteria for nomination and election to council positions needs a rethink.

It goes without saying that executive remuneration should be linked to the imperatives of higher education transformation, development and sustainability; and the remuneration of all university staff ought to be linked to performance and subjected to performance appraisal.

These generous remuneration packages and spiraling above-inflation increases have been facilitated by weak institutional governance and accounting practices, including decisions made by limited numbers of university councilors based on selective and sometimes problematic assumptions.

Given these conclusions, the report recommends greater external and institutional oversight and more regular scrutiny.

It also calls for improved institutional governance, accounting and reporting practices, and strengthened and more developed policy frameworks, with respect to executive remuneration.

But what about looking at who earns what in 2024? And let a discussion on executive pay at universities become part of the public discourse than the current free for all scenarios.

Edwin Naidu is the Editor of Inside Education.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Akani Nkuna

University of Cape Town is leading the charge in healthcare innovation in the Global South with its game-changing clinical support tool known as the Practical Approach to Care Kit (PACK) programme.

The programme comprises clinical guidance, an implementation strategy, health systems strengthening and monitoring and evaluation components.

UCT spokesperson Velisile Bukula said that “with primary healthcare systems globally facing mounting challenges, such as increased co-morbidities, changing climate-driven disease patterns and infectious diseases outbreaks, PACK offers a critical lifeline”.

PACK, which was developed by UCT’s Knowledge Translation Unit has achieved widespread adoption in South Africa as primary adult care and in Ethiopia’s Primary Healthcare Clinical Guidelines. It is now being implemented in Brazil and Indonesia. 

“Through PACK, UCT continues to demonstrate leadership in healthcare innovation, improving patient outcomes and empowering primary healthcare workers across the Global South,” Bukula said in a statement on Monday.

Recent publications in BMJ Global Health journal feature PACK’s pivotal role in fostering sustainable, high-quality primary care across varied contexts, showcasing successful implementation experiences, including in:

• Chronic Respiratory Disease Management in Brazil;

• National Scale-Up in Ethiopia;

• Infectious Diseases Outbreak Response in Brazil and;

• Care for Multiple Long-Term Conditions.

“Initiatives like PACK exemplify UCT’s vision 2030 goal to ‘unleash human potential to create a fair and just society’, by addressing critical healthcare needs across diverse communities,” said Bukula.

“PACK empowers health workers to provide equitable, high-quality care, bridging gaps in health care access across the Global South,” he added.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Martina van Heerden

It can be difficult to tell someone what you think of their work, even if you mean well and even if you think they’re doing a good job. Sometimes the person doesn’t understand what you mean, or doesn’t respond the way you’d hoped.

Feedback should contribute to learning, but you might sometimes wonder if it’s any use at all.

South African university lecturer Martina van Heerden studied the art of giving feedback to students in higher education. Her insights and three top tips are useful for effective communication in many areas of life.

Why did you decide to study feedback?

As a tutor, I initially did not get training on how to give feedback to students on their essays. After a while, I started thinking more about what exactly I was trying to say and do with my feedback. For example, if I told a student “your argument lacks depth”, was I just telling the student to make a stronger argument in this essay, or was there a “deeper message”?

So, in my PhD, I explored “what lies beneath” our feedback. What I found is that often feedback has very specific messages for students, largely about what is valued in a particular context; what the student is expected to know in that discipline.

Feedback is a big concern in higher education globally. It is fairly well researched and most research identifies various problems with it. Students don’t seem to take up the feedback, or there are different understandings of its purpose, or it’s not as effective as it should be because of academic language and conventions. The blame tends to be put on students.

I wondered if the problem lay instead with how educators approach and give feedback.

Focusing on English literature studies, I analysed written comments given to first year students and worked with the tutors giving the feedback. English literature is a tricky discipline to give feedback in as it involves balancing language, literature and academic literacy aspects. Focusing too much on one aspect in feedback could mislead students.

What did you find?

There was a bit of misalignment between the purpose and the practice of feedback.

Ideally, the underlying message of feedback in literature studies should be to develop students’ ability to think critically and analytically about texts. It could do this, for example, by asking questions that stimulate thinking around the topics and themes of the text (rather than asking students to merely provide more information on it).

Most of the feedback in my study, however, focused on correcting surface-level errors like grammar and spelling. Although there is nothing wrong with this in itself, it could mislead students about what is valued in the discipline.

Feedback is often quite frustrating for both students and educators – both research and practice wisdom attest to this. Educators are frustrated because students don’t seem to learn from feedback, and students are frustrated because they are getting what they feel is unhelpful feedback. These are global concerns. There is a big discrepancy between how useful educators and students perceive feedback to be.

My work and other research highlights the importance of seeing feedback as a literacy – that is, as a skill – that needs to be developed deliberately.

Too often, it is assumed that educators will know how to give effective feedback, or it is assumed that students will know what to do with feedback. But a lot of the time, they don’t – we go by our instincts and what is perhaps easier to identify and correct. For feedback to actually “feed forward” – beyond a specific essay or task – the skill needs to be developed.

How can people give better feedback?

I recommend asking yourself three questions:

1) What do I want to achieve with my feedback? Ask yourself if you just want to help students pass this essay or do well in this task, or if you want them to learn something. If they need to learn something, what should they learn?

2) How understandable is my feedback language? The language of feedback may be steeped in academic, professional, or industry terms which you take for granted. Or you may have developed your own feedback shorthand. This might be easy for you to understand – you’re the one writing it – but that doesn’t mean a student will. So, ask yourself whether someone who is not you would understand your feedback.

3) What do I want my students to do with my feedback? Too often, comments don’t really give students guidance on what to do. Correcting errors and making statements about students’ work takes agency and action away from students. Using questions and suggestions means that students become more active in the feedback process.

Feedback is important for learning and development. Too often, though, it becomes another obstacle that has to be overcome. Useful, clear, actionable feedback can help students become better writers, researchers, thinkers and scholars.

Van Heerden is a Senior Lecturer in English for Educational Development, University of the Western Cape

This article was originally published in The Conversation

By Edwin Naidu

Unlocking opportunities for youth imperative, says Deputy Minister

By Edwin Naidu

Higher Education Deputy Minister Dr Mimmy Gondwe has been mentoring young leaders and driving crucial national issues while serving in Parliament’s portfolio committees of public service and administration, and public enterprises.

In her role since the Government of National Unity (GNU) took office on 3 July, Gondwe says she wants to be remembered as a leader who took active steps to address high unemployment among the youth.

According to Stats SA, the unemployment rate for people aged 15-24 was 60.8% in the second quarter of 2024, and for those aged 25–34, it was 41.7%. This is higher than the national unemployment rate of 33.5%.

Gondwe has reached out to her counterparts at the Employment and Labour Department to consider how to tackle these challenges, ensuring that skills and opportunities for the youth are unlocked, and are in line with the priorities of the GNU.

The new administration aims to drive inclusive growth and job creation, reduce poverty and tackle the high cost of living.

In a recent media session, the deputy minister said she could not wait to get started in her role and assume responsibility for issues related to gender-based violence, legal matters affecting the department, higher education private institutions, and oversight of two Sector Education Training Authorities, the Energy and Water Seta (WSETA) and Fibre Processing and Manufacturing Seta (FP&M Seta).

Her responsibilities given by Higher Education and Training Minister Nobuhle Nkabane include political oversight of work-placed learning programmes.

Gondwe believes that the tertiary sector can no longer measure its success in terms of certificates and diplomas issued.

She challenged the sector to rather measure how well it was doing by how many of their former students were now employed or running their own businesses.

Gondwe, who has been a DA MP since 2019, is deeply rooted in academia, with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Philosophy degree from the University of Cape Town, a Bachelor of Laws degree from Rhodes University, and a Master and Doctor of Laws in Mercantile Law degrees, both from the University of Stellenbosch.

While studying towards her PhD, Gondwe was awarded a number of scholarships and grants in recognition of her academic achievements.

She has a rich professional background in the legal, academic and political spheres, but wants to ensure as a government leader that her work impacts the narrative in the country.

She firmly believes that given the tools, South Africa’s youth will make the country proud, citing the example of two Orbit TVET college students in Rustenburg winning an AI top prize in Tanzania.

The students from Orbit are beneficiaries of the college’s new facility, a new groundbreaking R5-million Smart Skills Centre built by the Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority (CHIETA).

The centre opened in May to bridge the digital skills divide and accelerate the development of basic digital skills for a future-fit workplace as part of the CHIETA strategy to innovate for impact in societies nationwide.

Katlego Sebejane, 22, and Kenosi Rakhalane, 21, who are both from Letlhabile in Brits in the North West, won the African Elevate Competition, an online event hosted on 17 October.

Their prize was in recognition of their app which translated sign language into text, therefore, bridging the gap between the deaf community and those unfamiliar with sign language.

They received US$5000 (about R88,000) for first prize.

Gondwe praised the two young learners for winning the top prize and called on other TVET colleges to be deliberate about producing skills that were needed and demanded by the contemporary economy, such as robotics and AI.

“This award is a testament to how skills in fields like AI, robotics, and coding are shaping the future. It’s especially encouraging to see young women excelling in these fields.

“The two young ladies’ accomplishments also highlight the growing importance of AI in addressing societal challenges. I have always believed that young people are innovative and have in them the solutions for many of the challenges our country faces. This app is one such example,” the minister said.

Gondwe said education was not an end, “but a means to an end”.

“That end is to help the learner find a job or to be economically productive as an entrepreneur and an employer. That is why we must measure whether those who have been through our institutions of higher education do have jobs or are themselves employers of others.”

And she wants to lead the way in creating opportunities, saying that due to the huge demand for information, she has established a help desk to provide students in the Post-School and Education Sector with a platform to raise their various concerns.

There’s much to do, but Gondwe is committed to partnerships to unlock the potential of South Africa’s youth.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Johnathan Paoli

The University of Johannesburg has less than two weeks to provide the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education with a detailed report on academic fraud.

The committee met several stakeholders at the university this week to discuss governance and administrative matters, and allegations of academic misconduct involving a former employee.

The meeting, which included university management, the Student Representative Council (SRC) and the National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu), was prompted by concerns over allegations of academic fraud uncovered during a forensic investigation.

The investigation revealed that postgraduate students were allegedly awarded marks for incomplete subjects and granted diplomas without meeting academic requirements.

The committee expressed deep concern regarding the handling of the allegations, particularly focusing on the former employee who has claimed unfair targeting prior to their dismissal.

While this individual resigned amid the controversy, the committee questioned why they were the only one facing consequences, with no formal charges brought against other implicated individuals or the students who benefited from the alleged misconduct.

“The full extent of this issue remains unknown, raising concerns about potential fraud in undergraduate and other postgraduate programmes. Ignoring this serious matter is unacceptable,” committee chair Tebogo Letsie said in a statement.

While addressing the allegations, the committee acknowledged UJ’s commendable achievements, including its ranking as the sixth-best institution in the country for research output and first for publications issued.

It also praised UJ for initiatives such as upgrading its residences, providing a free inter-campus bus service and transitioning to electric buses.

However, during the discussions, the SRC raised concerns about safety near campus boundaries, particularly at the Doornfontein campus, citing issues of crime and the scarcity of affordable student housing. This has led to overcrowding and extended waiting lists for university residences.

Also, mental health challenges among students were highlighted, exacerbated by academic pressures and insufficient counselling resources.

The committee found the SRC’s presentation lacking, particularly in addressing the challenges faced by students reliant on the National Student Financial Aid Scheme.

The committee recommended that the SRC provide a more comprehensive overview of these issues in future engagements.

Nehawu brought attention to a Council on Higher Education report that indicated that UJ has the highest-paid Vice-Chancellor and several other top officials, pointing to significant disparities in remuneration within the institution.

In light of the serious allegations and the need for transparency, the committee has requested UJ to provide written explanations regarding the academic fraud and related matters.

INSIDE EDUCATION