Tertiary institutions slashed to 21

2002-05-30 13:01

Pretoria - The cabinet has decided to reduce the number of higher-education institutions from 36 to 21, says Education Minister Kader Asmal.

"It is clear to the government that the status quo could not be maintained and that radical steps would be needed if the system was to play its pivotal role in responding to the many challenges that our country faces," he said in Pretoria on Thursday.

Measures in the transformation process would include mergers and academic programme rationalisation and collaboration, Asmal said. "No institution will be untouched."

There would be 11 universities, six technikons and four comprehensive institutions - presenting university and technikon programmes.

In addition, Mpumalanga and Northern Cape, the only two provinces without their own universities, would get national institutes for higher education to ensure the cohesive provision of such education being provided in those provinces.

Notable deviations from initial recommendations about the restructuring of higher education include the retention of the University of Fort Hare and the University of the Western Cape as single institutions.

In Gauteng, the Rand Afrikaans University is to merge with the Technikon Witwatersrand to form a comprehensive institution.

Asmal said he would gazette the proposals next week for public comment. He anticipated that the restructuring process would be completed within four to five years.

- SAPA