Timeline? Young vs. Old? Education system? Do older people go back to school? Do younger people not go to school and how would that affect their future careers? Overall perception of the education system? Experience at UCT?
Education is really important in life and for sure here, but something that is most definitely influenced by income and race. South Africa has a vibrant higher education sector, with 23 state-funded tertiary institutions: 11 universities, six universities of technology, and six comprehensive institutions.
In Cape Town, the best university is The University of Cape Town, where I study. It is world-renowned and commonly referred to as “the Harvard of Africa.” I thought of my father immediately upon hearing this as he calls his alma matter, Ohio State, “The Harvard of the Midwest.” You step on the campus and it has the feel of an Ivy League institution, for sure, mixed with some USC flavor. It’s a melting pot of many different types of people, but what I found surprising was that it wasn’t as much of a mix as we get at universities in the states. An international university, yes many come from all over the world, but the majority of students are upper class, whites, from South Africa.
Though, there are so many options as to ways to persue higher education, the simple truth is that most of the people in Cape Town that are lucky enough to have access to higher education are predominantly white. That is something that I noticed right from the beginning here in my classes. This coincides with the mere fact that the white percentage of the population holds the highest amount of wealth and it reflects absolutely in the university’s student body. Education, though, is extremely valued. Just like in the states, it’s an extremely huge accomplishment to get to attend university. But. You need to be able to afford it and UCT is expensive compared to the other universities around South Africa.
From my understanding, it seems that the breakdown of the students at UCT are mostly in my age range. In the states, it is much more common to go back to university and complete your undergraduate education even if you are much older. It is completely accepted. In Cape Town, the majority of my peers in my classes are my age- not older. I have been searching for an elderly person on campus, but do not see anyone. In the states it is common to go back to school in your older years, I have had classes with older people back in the states, but here it is not common. School life spans 13 years or grades just like we have in the states, from grade 0, otherwise known as grade R or "reception year", all the way to grade 12 or "matric" – the year of matriculation. General Education and Training runs from grade 0 to grade 9. Under graduate university is 3 years and if you are smart enough and have the economic resources you can do honors as a 4th year.
The concept of the gap year is also one that is a very foreign entity to many here. I have met a few students who have taken gap years, but many of them have never even heard of that concept. I think many travel post grad, just like we do in the states.
According to UCT’s data hub on education research, South Africa has one of the highest rates of public investment in education in the world. At about 7% of gross domestic product (GDP) and 20% of total state expenditure, the government spends more on education than on any other sector. Government spending on basic education during 2015/16 was estimated at R203 468 billion, which in dollars is a crazy amount of money.
Everyone has the right to receive an education here, but the public schools are not as great of an education as one would get going to private school. Just like at home, it’s all about being able to afford it if you want a more competitive higher education.
If a younger person were to not go to school it would absolutely affect their education just like it would in the states. It is held with a heavy value.
In terms of school world it is extremely different from the U.S. In most of my classes here I have 3 or 4 big main papers and then my final examinations are worth the majority of my grade. When you take finals they call it “writing exams.” In my film class I actually only have had 2 papers the entire semester and I just turned in my second one. I really dislike the system in, all honesty, because my grade is determined based off nothing and that’s not an accurate representation of the effort that I put into a class. In the states you have many small assignments to complete along with midterms and finals. Here everything is just so heavily weighted. I’ll let you know how finals turn out in the next coming weeks.