‘Too many foreign whites in universities’

South Africa’s large labour federation COSATU wants universities to give priority to local students instead of international ones. It believes the high number of international students blocks access for local students who are more deserving, writes Bongekile Macupe for The Sunday Independent.

This was discussed at a meeting of the federation’s central executive committee held in Johannesburg recently. “We are also urging that the equity targets of university campuses be redebated so that we can ensure that spaces for deserving African students are not filled by foreign white students,” the federation said.

But Department of Higher Education and Training spokeswoman Vuyelwa Qinga said the number of foreign students at South African universities at undergraduate level is relatively small at 5%, and in line with a regional protocol. “All students from overseas in South African universities are either enrolled as occasional students...or are in postgraduate programmes,” Qinga said.
[url]http://www.iol.co.za/sundayindependen...9Q3xI4znao style=bluelink]Full report on The Sunday Independent site[/url]