Page 16 - VC 5 Year Review Report 2022

The White Paper 10-year Continental Education Strategy for Africa

(CESA 16-25). CESA 16-25 calls for national
stresses the need governments to honour their commitment to spend
1% of gross domestic product on research and to
for higher education create conducive environments for innovation and
nurturing young academics.
to meet the highly

skilled employment South Africa’s National Development Plan 2030
further outlines the main functions of universities
needs of a growing in society as addressing indispensable high-level
skills shortages, serving as the dominant producers
economy and to of new knowledge, and strengthening equity, social
justice and democracy. Challenges such as food
contribute to the security, quality health and education for all, secure
and clean water, green and efficient energy sources,
advancement of all climate change, and inclusive communities need the
response of universities at global and local levels as
forms of knowledge catalysts for development.

and scholarship. Key legislation and policy frameworks guide the
purpose and mandate of public universities in
South Africa. The White Paper on Higher Education
Transformation (WPHET, 1997), is the cornerstone
policy which calls for a higher education system
based on equity of access and fair chances of success
for all. The White Paper stresses the need for higher
education to meet the highly skilled employment
needs of a growing economy and to contribute to
the advancement of all forms of knowledge and
scholarship, generating innovative solutions to the
diverse challenges of the local, national, southern
African and African contexts. The WPHET urges
2030. This positions higher education as pivotal in HEIs to support a democratic ethos and a culture
promoting democracy and human rights, enhancing of human rights through educational programmes
responsible global citizenship and civic engagement, and practices conducive to critical discourse and
facilitating intercultural dialogue, and fostering creative thinking, cultural tolerance, and a common
respect for cultural, religious, and linguistic diversity. commitment to a humane, non-racist and non-sexist
In addition to imparting skills required by the labour social order.
market, universities stimulate critical and creative
thinking and generate knowledge for social, cultural, The White Paper for Post-School Education and
ecological, and economic development. Training, 2014, builds on this by setting out a
vision of a differentiated post-school education and
This is reinforced in the African Union Agenda 2063, training (PSET) system that supports a wide range of
which also emphasises the critical role of higher citizens in accessing diverse opportunities for further
education in developing the human capabilities study and self-advancement to prepare them for
and skills required to enhance innovation, meaningful livelihoods. This is further elaborated in
employability, and entrepreneurship on the the draft National Plan for Post-School Education and
African continent, especially among the youth and Training, 2017, which provides an implementation
women. In the bid to cultivate a new African citizen framework to achieve the broad policy goals of
who will be an effective agent of change for the the White Paper, such as ensuring the delivery of a
continent’s sustainable development, the African diverse range of quality post-school qualifications
Union Commission developed a comprehensive that are responsive to the needs of students, society

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