Solidarity’s fledgling private university shows demand and opportunity are thriving
The High Court ruling for an English-only language policy at the University of Pretoria has created renewed interest in private universities, writes Hans Pienaar
Is SA moving closer to an era in which private universities will take off? The question arose again after last week’s ruling by the High Court in Pretoria rejecting attempts to retain the University of Pretoria’s monolingual policy. This, coupled with the battles late in the year to complete the academic year, will lead to growth in demand for institutions free of the turmoil caused by transformation. University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) philosophy professor Achille Mbembe warned in October that the closure of universities could lead, as it did elsewhere in Africa, to an invasion by private universities — such as Harvard, Yale, Stanford — from abroad. As it happened, all local universities beset by the Fees Must Fall disruptions, their staff and students showing great ingenuity, managed to keep the number of days lost down to mere handfuls. Still, speaking to lecturers at various universities who all preferred to remain anonymous, there is great apprehension over 2017. Many expect...
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