1. Diversity, quality and community involvement: key curriculum challenges in South African higher education Ian Scott University of Cape Town and LearnHigher, Liverpool Hope University May 2007

5. Theme HE curriculum implications of meeting developmental needs in the South African context Sub-theme: To what extent are these issues present in other contexts?

6. Outline Context: Some key conditions affecting higher education in South Africa To what extent is higher education meeting key developmental needs? Implications for systemic change with particular reference to curriculum

7. What does South Africa (most) need from higher education? ‘Development’ economic growth and globalisation ‘integrated knowledge solutions to deal with complex socioeconomic problems’ (CHE 2004) universities ‘key agents for the continual improvement of the conditions in which people live’ (Ndebele 2007)

8. What does South Africa (most) need from higher education? Equity and inclusiveness distributing the benefits of higher education contributing to ‘social responsiveness’ in research and curriculum in the interests of social justice and stability

9. What does South Africa (most) need from higher education? Special need for ‘good’ graduates: quantity, quality, mix, orientation Skills shortages as major obstacle Education key to ‘economic development and … social cohesion’ (Minister of Ed 2005) The core of higher education’s ‘core business’?

10. The first post-transition decade Considerable achievements extensive policy development a single higher education system substantial growth: over 50% since 1991 diversity in the student intake Time for appraisal of progress and priorities

11. How well is the sector doing? Performance patterns derived from DoE’s cohort study of the 2000 and 2001 intakes of first-time entering students Acknowledgements: Council on Higher Education: ‘Improving Teaching and Learning for Success’ Department of Education Jane Hendry and Nan Yeld (UCT)

12. Student performance after 5 years: Overall Graduated30% Still registered14% Left without graduating56% Estimated completion rate44%?

13. Do we need to be concerned? To what extent is the sector doing what it can to meet the country needs? Are the performance patterns ‘normal’, or perhaps unavoidable?

14. Participation rates* and their significance Overall:16% White:61% Indian:50% Black:12% Coloured: 12% * Approximate gross rates derived from HEMIS 2004: all participants as % of 20-24 age-group

15. Implications of the participation rates The view that a large proportion of current students ‘do not belong’ in higher education is not tenable Essential backdrop for assessing equity and social responsiveness

16. Equity of outcomes Graduation after 5 years in general academic first B-degrees, excl UNISA CESMBlackWhite 04: Business/Management33%72% 15: Life and Phys Sciences31%63% 22: Social Sciences34%68% 12: Languages32%68%

17. Observations Among the CESMs and qualification types analysed in the contact universities: in all cases the number of black graduates is less than the number of white graduates the gains in access are reversed

18. Implications of the patterns Output not matching national needs in respect of ‘economic growth … and social cohesion’ (Pandor 2005) Current system not meeting the needs of the majority sector successfully accommodating only about 5% of the Black age-group Pressing need to widen successful participation high stakes for development

19. Improving the outcomes of the system to meet societal needs Large proportion of (needed) students not well served by the current system Improving outcomes depends on systemic change

20. Where does responsibility lie? Factors beyond the higher education sector’s control ‘money and poor schooling’ (M&G 2006) Factors within the higher education sector’s control Institutional climate and orientation The educational process in higher education is in itself a major variable affecting who benefits from higher education

21. Where does responsibility lie? Argument that the higher education sector needs to take its share of responsibility for systemic change on pragmatic and principled grounds based on vision of different outcomes

22. Centrality of curriculum Curriculum structure as the primary framework for teaching and learning traditional curricula suiting only a minority of the student intake Curriculum a key terrain of tension between equity, development and social responsiveness

23. Key curriculum challenges Accommodating diversity in the SA context, catering successfully for student diversity has become an essential condition for development as well as social inclusion Quality and standards allowing for responsible admission on the basis of ‘potential’ Social responsiveness preparation for the diversity of contemporary societies, and particularly for the developing world

24. Accommodating diversity Understanding diversity cultural diversity widely seen as enriching learning process and outcomes but diversity in educational background is rooted in inequalities Key educational challenge for the universities is to cater effectively for the different forms of diversity in the student body

25. Implications for curriculum structure Traditional, inherited curriculum framework not modified despite major changes in the student intake inadequacy of unitary curriculum structures for diverse intake

26. Graduated in regulation time: General academic first B-degrees, excl dist ed CESMBlackWhite 04: Business/Management11%43% 15: Life and Phys Sciences11%35% 22: Social Sciences14%43% 12: Languages13%52%

27. Accommodating diversity in educational background Nature of educational disadvantage in SA disparity and difference in educational capital home language and the medium of learning school-teacher capacity and over-reliance on rote prospects for the improvement of school outcomes

28. The need for curriculum space and flexibility For HE-orientated developmental or ‘foundational’ learning for all who need it building on the realities of school outcomes ‘unjamming’ the curriculum for academic literacies and skills: e.g. language, information and quantitative literacy for experiential and community-based learning not ‘remedial’

29. Towards the desired outcomes: Implications for structures Viability of alternatives to traditional approaches? educational development experience in SA The validity of sub-degree qualifications in the South African context? Institutional differentiation as the solution?

30. Implications for structures Need for diversity in mainstream provision in all institutions Curriculum flexibility and reform as a key to enabling admission on the basis of ‘potential’ pointing the way to balancing inclusiveness and quality

31. Social responsiveness Central concept in SA higher education policy cuts across research and teaching reaction to perceived ‘first-world’ orientation UCT key phrases: ‘engagement’ ‘putting knowledge to work in addressing pressing economic and social issues’

32. Aims of social responsiveness irt ‘teaching’ Preparation for living and working in diverse social environments balancing local/continental and international relevance Promoting responsible, active citizenship Improving quality of life in local communities Role in promoting inclusiveness?

33. Voluntary service e.g. UCT’s Students’ Health and Welfare Centres Organisation: SHAWCO

36. Social responsiveness in teaching: issues and obstacles A fundamental curriculum issue tensions in values and orientation for students as well as staff Where does community-based or service learning work? in areas with inherent community relevance, e.g. health, housing, education through individual or departmental commitment, e.g. law, politics, environment

37. Social responsiveness in teaching: issues and obstacles Ethical issues Who benefits? Practical and attitudinal obstacles curriculum space large classes assessment and ‘standards’ safety lack of recognition of effort and expertise

38. Social responsiveness in teaching Complementarity in policy and mission statements In practice, unresolved tension between research, teaching and social responsiveness Key choices and commitments still to be made

39. Significance of ‘educational expertise’ Traditional teaching approaches not adequate in SA context Importance of educational ‘expertise’ (Kreber) Understanding the core challenge and recognising all the manifestations of scholarship

40. In conclusion Educational development as a key instrument for meeting priority needs Consequences of business-as-usual? In whose interests is the status quo? ‘Disadvantage’ as a majority phenomenon Help or hindrance? Lessons from comparative studies?

41. ‘What goes on in actual teaching, learning and researching environments is at the heart of the goal of transformation’ Njabulo Ndebele 2006

42. Some references SA Higher Education White Paper, 1997 http://www.education.gov.za/index.aspxhttp://www.education.gov.za/index.aspx >documents>legislation UCT Social Responsiveness Report 2006 http://www.ipd.uct.ac.za/http://www.ipd.uct.ac.za/ >social responsibility SHAWCO http://www.shawco.org Tensions between research, teaching and social responsiveness in SA http://portal- live.solent.ac.uk/university/rtconference/2007/resources/ian_scott.pdf