Not being able to get into a public university need not be the end of the road for matriculants with dreams of earning a degree.
Many matriculants are currently being confronted by the news that traditional universities are not able to accommodate them because they are already filled to capacity. On social media, parents are voicing their despair about this situation.
However, that does not mean affected matriculants have to give up on the dreams they had for their future and settle for a different line of work completely, says Dr Felicity Coughlan, an education expert.
She says if a prospective student is very clear about their chosen field of study, telling them to consider a technical career because universities are full doesn’t take cognisance of the intense frustration and disappointment of that person.
“Not gaining access does not mean a prospective student would not have excelled in a university type of environment,” Coughlan says. “Students who would have gained access just a handful of years ago on the same performance, are now not able to do so because of high demand and limited space.”
She says the advice currently (of rather following a technical career) being provided to these young people ignores the fact that their degree dreams can still become reality at the close to 120 registered private higher education institutions across the country.
“Many of these higher education institutions, which by law may not call themselves private universities, offer high-quality degrees and are accessible to students who did not get in to the public sector institution of their choice.
“Furthermore, prospective students are increasingly opting for private higher education by choice – because of “throughput” rates and small class sizes, among other factors, so the perception that one only goes the private route if one’s results were not good enough to secure a space at a public university no longer holds.”
Coughlan points out that at credible private higher education institutions, one can study anything from professional accounting to business management, communication and law, to education and computer science, and several exciting niche qualifications, such as branding or game development, at degree level.
Coughlan says that although quality at private higher education institutions varies just as it does among public universities, matriculants are done a great disservice if they are told their only options are public universities or technical training.
- Coughlan is director of The Independent Institute of Education, SA’s largest private higher education provider.
