Tertiary Education

BallroomFacilitator – Nick Rockey

Mokibelo Ntshabeleng – TshikululuCorrine Abel – HCI Foundation

Taddy Blecher – Maharashni Institute

Tertiary EducationPractices holding us back

• Limiting the perception of ‘tertiary education’ to a narrow range of skills and qualifications (society has a broad array of needs, and individuals have a diverse range of interests!)

• Lack of funding for students with poor marks (these are the students who need the help!)

• Lack of subsistence support (only meeting only a portion of the need)

• Lack of role models and mentorship (life skills, career management)• Difficulty of tracking student progress during and post-university• Different levels of academic development among students is not

well managed

Tertiary EducationPractices holding us back

• Difficulty of tracking student progress during and post-university

• Large class size (diminishing the ability to give individualised attention)

• Difficulty of teaching to multiple levels of cognitive development (and language abilities, IT skills etc)

• Competition between institutions• The criterion for funding bursaries discourages

learners who might choose different careers and excel in different subjects.

Tertiary EducationPractices that should be encouraged

• Reporting on programmes’ progress (both successes & challenges)

• Bridging the gap between high school and tertiary education (i.e. mentoring around life skills – not just academic)

• Mentoring students in creative and critical thinking• Identifying opportunities for sponsors to be more involved

with beneficiaries (including post-university)• Encouraging students to repay their bursary (building

income generation into the project)• Encouraging students to ‘pay it forward’ (fostering a sense of

responsibility and accountability)

Tertiary EducationPractices that should be encouraged

• Getting both corporate and NPOs involved in M&E – or one could ask the universities to do it as a research project

• Helping students to learn and study within their own unique life context (and help them to apply learning in a relevant manner)

• Assess not only the knowledge of the students, but also teachers (and provide necessary support)

• Focus on a “transition year” to avoid disappointment and failure in first year - Mentorship and guidance can start at school level

• Multipurpose forums with an aim to have inclusive stakeholders – not just maths and science