South Africa must close half of its universities

Renowned economist Dawie Roodt argues that half of South Africa’s universities should be closed as the nature of education is changing.

He shared his views on education during an interview with Newsday, explaining that South Africa’s educational standards are poor.

He said that education is the biggest expenditure item for the Minister of Finance, but that the country does not get value for money.

“The taxpayer spends a lot of money on education, but the product and outcome are quite poor,” Roodt said.

“South Africa spends more on education than most countries in the world, but the quality of our education is not only bad, it is sometimes the worst in the world.”

He said that South Africa often ranks at the bottom, and the quality of the education in the country is deteriorating.

“We produce 600,000 matriculants every year. They receive a piece of paper called a qualification, but the actual skills behind it are minimal.”

He said that South Africa should address the educational problem by fixing primary education, as this was the most important phase.

“What a child learns in Grade 1 is their single biggest step in knowledge accumulation. The foundation phase is crucial,” he said.

“That is where we need to invest the money, and it needs to be first-class. From there, we must ensure we produce the specific skills that the economy requires.”

Close down half of South Africa’s universities

Roodt explained that many unemployed people in South Africa are graduates because their skills do not fit the modern economy.

“A modern economy consists mostly of services. You have to have highly specialised skills, leverage the latest technology, and know how to use it effectively,” he said.

This is not what universities teach students, causing a disconnect between the qualifications they produce and the skills the economy requires.

“If you look at South African universities in terms of research output, we do not have a single university in the top 500 anymore, whereas we used to,” he said.

“So clearly, the entire university system in South Africa is broken. It is also not a matter of money or funding.”

Roodt said that if he were in a position to do so, he would close down half the universities in South Africa.

“I would ensure that only the absolute best candidates for university education actually go to university,” he said.

“That does not mean they are the smartest, but rather that certain people have talents suited to university academics.”

He explained that many people’s skills and interests would be better suited to different kinds of training and vocations.

“South Africa must run two parallel educational paths: an academic path and a practical, skills-based path,” he said.

The demand for graduates is falling

Roodt explained that the global demand for graduates is falling and that the education system should adapt to this reality.

“If you look at advanced economies like the United States and the United Kingdom, big companies do not employ as many graduates anymore,” he said.

“Graduates used to command a salary premium, but that premium is shrinking. Clearly, the education model is changing.”

He said that the current model has been around for a thousand years, but a new approach to skills development is gradually emerging.

“Companies will now employ talented people without requiring formal qualifications, and then train them in-house,” he said.

“The nature of skills development in the future will be much more continuous. It will no longer be a matter of ‘I earned my qualification, and now I am set.’”

“Instead, you will have to continuously sharpen your skills throughout your career. That is the future of education and skills development, and we are simply not there yet.”