1.3 comments from the facilitator

CPUTCPUT

1.3. comments from the facilitator

ms nazeema mohamed

Executive director of inyathelo leadership facilitated the roundtable discussion

commitment to transformation has increased among government, universities, TVET colleges and other institutional stakeholders, including from the private sector, with best practices being shared, and research into the issue being prioritised. However, moral and ethical concerns relating to transformation have continued to present a significant challenge and reports produced by the Human rights commission (Hrc) and the commission for Gender Equality (cGE) for the dHET indicate that much progress remains to be made in the higher education sector and society more broadly. accordingly, South africans must consider how they can change their perceptions of each other, creating the spaces to listen to and treat one another with respect. in addition, a number of substantive issues have been inadequately addressed. for example, greater efforts should be made to establish spaces and facilities on campus that cater to all groups, including lGbTiQa people and those with disabilities.

The mandate and operations of the institutional forums propagated as part of the 1997 Higher Education act need to be strengthened in order to promote transformation as intended. The forums were promoted to review the culture at universities, and to mediate and advise on the selection of senior managers in relation to issues of race, gender and diversity. However, many of the members of these forums have not been properly inducted, and lack understanding of their purpose and how they are supposed to work. in addition, the transformation agenda for the sector must be adapted to take account of changing realities. for example, universities have a significant role to play in addressing issues of climate change and the implementation of the sustainable development goals (SdGs) promoted by the un from 2015.

for students, the deracialisation of higher education institutions relates not only to the decolonisation of institutional structures – such as the senate and the university’s management – and the physical environment of the campus – the buildings and spaces – but also to a class-based struggle for equal opportunity concerned with material issues such as housing and hunger. many students consider that such issues have not been addressed at the core of the transformation agenda. a further concern is that the transformation agenda should seek to forge stronger links between academic studies and the world of work. in a bleak job market, tertiary studies should increasingly be shaped to enhance the employability of graduates, which would make them more attractive to potential students. in this regard, and in an effort to enhance the broader value of academic studies, the dHET has sought to extend its national transformation efforts beyond the higher education sector to embrace the whole post-school system, including TVETs and colleges, since 2017. accordingly, a new integrated plan with revised targets has been drafted. in addition, a policy shaping how institutions within the sector should respond to issues and incidents of sexual harassment and sexual violence is to be promulgated.

further concerns identified by the Transformation oversight committee have included the issue of mental wellness within the higher education sector. in this regard, it has been noted that work pressures relating to studying and supervising can be exacerbated within a system that offers too little support for transformation. in addition, the different demands and expectations of the younger generation affect them and their families in new and different ways.