SA needs six more universities

Six more universities would have to be established to increase the university intake to 1.5million, education expert Graeme Bloch said yesterday.

Bloch was commenting on Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande's announcement that the government wants to increase university enrolments to 1.5million by 2030, and enrolments to colleges for further education and training to 40million.

University of Johannesburg education professor Shireen Motala said she was particularly elated about the expansion of colleges, saying that not all school pupils were equipped for university studies.

"This will offer students a range of quality alternative post-schooling training and apprenticeships.

The supply and demand is not aligned in that schools are producing more students than the limited number of universities can absorb. This is why I welcome the bolstering of technical and vocational studies," she said.

Bloch said: "It is great that the government has taken this step to drive this process. It will take a lot of work and resources but it is good to set high goals and try very hard to achieve them."