If I’m not mistaken, Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma is the only president of a country in the world who is without matric.
The other presidents either have junior degrees or post-graduate qualifications.
But that’s a topic for another day.
Nowadays having a matric is no longer enough. You at least need a post-matric qualification – if not a Master’s degree – to stand a better chance of getting a well-paying job. Otherwise, you will scramble and struggle to get a better job.
But I digress. Many matriculants prefer to study at a university.
There is a persistent perception that having a degree is key to a bright future – which is not entirely true. Many university graduates are unemployed and sitting at home.
In addition to the above, university fees are exorbitant. It’s even worse now that the government subsidy to higher learning institutions is declining. The unaffordable higher fees have resulted in the #FeesMustFall campaign in many universities.
That said, Further Education and Training (FETs) colleges are an alternative for matriculants who want to further their studies but don’t qualify for university or lack finance. The advantage is that access is easy and fees are reasonable. The government is also pumping a lot of money into these institutions.
Yet matriculants disregard FETs and don’t see them as an alternative.
There are various factors contributing to this attitude. The government doesn’t promote FETs enough, if at all. There is also a great lack of discipline at these institutions, not forgetting the issue of unqualified lecturers as a result of nepotism.
Chaos reigns there. The other day a friend related his sister’s story to me. His younger sister studied at an FET institution four years ago. To date, she’s yet to get her exam results. He’s tried everything – including writing to the Minister of Higher Education – to help his sister get her results, but to no avail. He has given up.
Regardless, it is still my view that FETs are an alternative for matriculants. They can make the most of their qualifications, despite the challenges facing these institutions. During the height of apartheid, Bantu education was inferior and limited the majority of people in this country to certain careers. Yet some made the most of it and became top lawyers, doctors, CEOs and so on. In their quest to further their studies, matriculants should also consider these institutions.
For the record, I’m not in any way making a case against studying at a university. Not at all. All I’m trying to do is dispel the myth that having a degree is the only way to a better future. There are other ways than studying at a university.
