10 - Race and Opportunity in the Transition from School to Higher Education in South Africa
Corresponding Author(s) : Michael Cosser
Journal of Higher Education in Africa,
Vol. 7 No. 1-2 (2009): Journal of Higher Education in Africa
Abstract
While South Africa is well into its second decade of democracy, higher education opportunities in the country remain different for different race groups. Black African learners are not represented in the first-year higher education enrolment profile (the intake of learners who proceed to higher education directly from school) in relation either to their representation in the general population or to their aspirations for entry into higher education. This much emerges from a triangulation of the findings of two surveys of Grade 12 learner aspirations for higher education study, conducted in 2001 and 2005, with analyses of the Higher Education Management Information System (HEMIS) enrolment profiles of 2002 and 2006. That the 2001– 02 aspiration-enrolment disjunction is replicated in the 2005–06 study, moreover, confirms the slow pace of educational transformation in the new democratic order. The key conclusion drawn from the juxtaposition of these two studies is that discrimination, while not overt, remains entrenched in South African educational pathways by virtue of the differential opportunities available to learners of different races – opportunities that are a function largely of socio-economic status (SES) and of the differential horizons for action which SES opens up for learners.
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- Abramovitz, M., 1986, Catching Up, Forging Ahead, and Falling Behind, Journal of Economic History, Vol. 46, No. 2, pp. 385–406.
- Aguero, J.M., 2005, Negative Stereotypes and Willingness to Change Them: Test- ing Theories of Discrimination, Working paper, Riverside: Department of Eco- nomics, University of California.
- Blank, R.M., Dabady, M. and Citro, C.M., eds, 2004, Measuring Racial Discrimina- tion. Panel on Methods for Assessing Discrimination, National Research Coun- cil. Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press.
- Blauner, R., 1972, Racial Oppression in America. New York: Harper & Row.
- Bourdieu, P., 1986, The Forms of Capital. In Richardson, J., ed., Handbook of Theory and Research for the Sociology of Education. New York: Greenwood Press, pp. 241–258.
- Bourdieu, P. and Passeron, J-C. 1973, Cultural Reproduction and Social Reproduc- tion’ In Brown, R.K., ed., Knowledge, Education and Cultural Change. Lon- don: Tavistock, pp. 71–112.
- Bunting, I., 2002a,The Higher Education Landscape under Apartheid, in Cloete, N., Fehnel, R., Maassen, P., Moja, T., Perrold, H. and Gibbon, T., eds, Transformation in Higher Education: Global Pressures and Local Realities in South Af- rica. Landsdowne, Cape: Juta and Sunnyside, Pretoria: Centre for Higher Edu- cation Transformation, pp. 58–86.
- Bunting, I., 2002b, Students, in Cloete, N., Fehnel, R., Maassen, P., Moja, T., Perrold, H. and Gibbon, T., eds, Transformation in Higher Education: Global Pressures and Local Realities in South Africa. Landsdowne, Cape: Juta and Sunnyside, Pretoria: Centre for Higher Education Transformation, pp. 147–170.
- Carmichael, S. and Hamilton, C., 1967, Black Power: The Politics of Liberation in America.Cambridge, MA: Blackwell Publishers Inc.
- Cosser, M. with du Toit, J., 2002, From School to Higher Education? Factors Affecting the Choices of Grade 12 Learners. Cape Town: HSRC Publishers.
- Cosser, M., 2009, Studying Ambitions: Pathways from Grade 12 and the Factors that Shape Them. Cape Town: HSRC Press.
- Council on Higher Education, 2000, Towards a New Higher Education Landscape: Meeting the Equity, Quality and Social Development Imperatives of South Africa in the 21ˢᵗ Century. Pretoria: CHE.
- Darity, W.A.J. and Mason, P.L., 1998, Evidence on Discrimination in Employment: Codes of Color, Codes of Gender, Journal of Economic Perspectives, Vol. 12, No. 2, pp. 63–90.
- Department of Education, 2000, Senior Certificate Examination Database. Pretoria: DoE.
- Department of Education, 2001, National Plan for Higher Education. Pretoria: DoE. Department of Education, 2002a, Table 2.12 (2ND ORDER CESM) Headcount of Unduplicated Student Enrolments According to CESM Category of Major(s)/ Area of Specialisation and Qualification Type. Institution: Universities, HEMIS Database. Pretoria: DoE.
- Department of Education, 2002b, Table 2.12 (2ND ORDER CESM) Headcount of Unduplicated Student Enrolments According to CESM Category of Major(s)/ Area of Specialisation and Qualification Type.
- Institution: Technikons, HEMIS Database. Pretoria: DoE.
- Department of Education, 2004, Senior Certificate Examination Database. Pretoria: DoE.
- Department of Education, 2007, Table 2.12 (2ND ORDER CESM) Headcount of Unduplicated Student Enrolments According to CESM Category of Major(s)/Area of Specialisation and Qualification Type’ HEMIS Database. Pretoria: DoE.
- Gillborn, D., 1999, Race, Nation and Education: New Labour and the New Racism, in J. Demaine, ed., Education Policy and Contemporary Politics. Basingstoke and London: Macmillan, pp. 82–102.
- Hossler, D., Braxton, J.M. and Coopersmith, G., 1989, Understanding Student College Choice, in Smart, J.C., ed., Higher Education: Handbook of Theory and Research, Vol. V. New York: Agathon Press.
- Jones, J., 1972, Prejudice and Racism. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
- Knowles, L.L. and Prewitt, K., eds, 1969, Institutional Racism in America. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc.
- Paulsen, M., 1990, College Choice: Understanding Student Enrollment Behaviour. Washington, D.C. : ERIC Clearinghouse on Higher Education and George Washington University.
- Republic of South Africa, 1995, South African Qualifications Authority Act (Act No. 58 of 1995). Pretoria: Government Printer.
- Republic of South Africa, 1996, South African Schools Act (Act No. 84 of 1996). Pretoria: Government Printer.
- Republic of South Africa, 1997, Higher Education Act (Act No. 101 of 1997). Pretoria: Government Printer.
- Republic of South Africa, 1998, Further Education and Training Act (Act No. 98 of 1998). Pretoria: Government Printer.
- Republic of South Africa, 2000, Adult Basic Education and Training Act (Act No. 53 of 2000). Pretoria: Government Printer.
- Republic of South Africa, 2006, Further Education and Training Colleges Act (Act No.16 of 2006). Pretoria: Government Printer.
- Scarman, Lord Justice, 1981, The Brixton Disorders 10–12 April 1981. Cmnd 8427.London: Home Office.
- Schneider, B. and Stevenson, D., 1999, The Ambitious Generation: America’s Teenagers, Motivated but Directionless, New Haven, CT and London: Yale University Press. Statistics South Africa, 2001, Census in Brief. Report no. 03-02-03 (2001). Pretoria: Statistics South Africa.
- Statistics South Africa, 2006, Mid-year Population Estimates, South Africa 2006.
- Statistical Release P0302. Pretoria: Statistics South Africa.
References
Abramovitz, M., 1986, Catching Up, Forging Ahead, and Falling Behind, Journal of Economic History, Vol. 46, No. 2, pp. 385–406.
Aguero, J.M., 2005, Negative Stereotypes and Willingness to Change Them: Test- ing Theories of Discrimination, Working paper, Riverside: Department of Eco- nomics, University of California.
Blank, R.M., Dabady, M. and Citro, C.M., eds, 2004, Measuring Racial Discrimina- tion. Panel on Methods for Assessing Discrimination, National Research Coun- cil. Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press.
Blauner, R., 1972, Racial Oppression in America. New York: Harper & Row.
Bourdieu, P., 1986, The Forms of Capital. In Richardson, J., ed., Handbook of Theory and Research for the Sociology of Education. New York: Greenwood Press, pp. 241–258.
Bourdieu, P. and Passeron, J-C. 1973, Cultural Reproduction and Social Reproduc- tion’ In Brown, R.K., ed., Knowledge, Education and Cultural Change. Lon- don: Tavistock, pp. 71–112.
Bunting, I., 2002a,The Higher Education Landscape under Apartheid, in Cloete, N., Fehnel, R., Maassen, P., Moja, T., Perrold, H. and Gibbon, T., eds, Transformation in Higher Education: Global Pressures and Local Realities in South Af- rica. Landsdowne, Cape: Juta and Sunnyside, Pretoria: Centre for Higher Edu- cation Transformation, pp. 58–86.
Bunting, I., 2002b, Students, in Cloete, N., Fehnel, R., Maassen, P., Moja, T., Perrold, H. and Gibbon, T., eds, Transformation in Higher Education: Global Pressures and Local Realities in South Africa. Landsdowne, Cape: Juta and Sunnyside, Pretoria: Centre for Higher Education Transformation, pp. 147–170.
Carmichael, S. and Hamilton, C., 1967, Black Power: The Politics of Liberation in America.Cambridge, MA: Blackwell Publishers Inc.
Cosser, M. with du Toit, J., 2002, From School to Higher Education? Factors Affecting the Choices of Grade 12 Learners. Cape Town: HSRC Publishers.
Cosser, M., 2009, Studying Ambitions: Pathways from Grade 12 and the Factors that Shape Them. Cape Town: HSRC Press.
Council on Higher Education, 2000, Towards a New Higher Education Landscape: Meeting the Equity, Quality and Social Development Imperatives of South Africa in the 21ˢᵗ Century. Pretoria: CHE.
Darity, W.A.J. and Mason, P.L., 1998, Evidence on Discrimination in Employment: Codes of Color, Codes of Gender, Journal of Economic Perspectives, Vol. 12, No. 2, pp. 63–90.
Department of Education, 2000, Senior Certificate Examination Database. Pretoria: DoE.
Department of Education, 2001, National Plan for Higher Education. Pretoria: DoE. Department of Education, 2002a, Table 2.12 (2ND ORDER CESM) Headcount of Unduplicated Student Enrolments According to CESM Category of Major(s)/ Area of Specialisation and Qualification Type. Institution: Universities, HEMIS Database. Pretoria: DoE.
Department of Education, 2002b, Table 2.12 (2ND ORDER CESM) Headcount of Unduplicated Student Enrolments According to CESM Category of Major(s)/ Area of Specialisation and Qualification Type.
Institution: Technikons, HEMIS Database. Pretoria: DoE.
Department of Education, 2004, Senior Certificate Examination Database. Pretoria: DoE.
Department of Education, 2007, Table 2.12 (2ND ORDER CESM) Headcount of Unduplicated Student Enrolments According to CESM Category of Major(s)/Area of Specialisation and Qualification Type’ HEMIS Database. Pretoria: DoE.
Gillborn, D., 1999, Race, Nation and Education: New Labour and the New Racism, in J. Demaine, ed., Education Policy and Contemporary Politics. Basingstoke and London: Macmillan, pp. 82–102.
Hossler, D., Braxton, J.M. and Coopersmith, G., 1989, Understanding Student College Choice, in Smart, J.C., ed., Higher Education: Handbook of Theory and Research, Vol. V. New York: Agathon Press.
Jones, J., 1972, Prejudice and Racism. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
Knowles, L.L. and Prewitt, K., eds, 1969, Institutional Racism in America. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc.
Paulsen, M., 1990, College Choice: Understanding Student Enrollment Behaviour. Washington, D.C. : ERIC Clearinghouse on Higher Education and George Washington University.
Republic of South Africa, 1995, South African Qualifications Authority Act (Act No. 58 of 1995). Pretoria: Government Printer.
Republic of South Africa, 1996, South African Schools Act (Act No. 84 of 1996). Pretoria: Government Printer.
Republic of South Africa, 1997, Higher Education Act (Act No. 101 of 1997). Pretoria: Government Printer.
Republic of South Africa, 1998, Further Education and Training Act (Act No. 98 of 1998). Pretoria: Government Printer.
Republic of South Africa, 2000, Adult Basic Education and Training Act (Act No. 53 of 2000). Pretoria: Government Printer.
Republic of South Africa, 2006, Further Education and Training Colleges Act (Act No.16 of 2006). Pretoria: Government Printer.
Scarman, Lord Justice, 1981, The Brixton Disorders 10–12 April 1981. Cmnd 8427.London: Home Office.
Schneider, B. and Stevenson, D., 1999, The Ambitious Generation: America’s Teenagers, Motivated but Directionless, New Haven, CT and London: Yale University Press. Statistics South Africa, 2001, Census in Brief. Report no. 03-02-03 (2001). Pretoria: Statistics South Africa.
Statistics South Africa, 2006, Mid-year Population Estimates, South Africa 2006.
Statistical Release P0302. Pretoria: Statistics South Africa.