Cape Town - Only two out of 10 matriculants can expect to be accepted into universities in the 2017 academic calendar, a leading tax body estimates.
Stiaan Klue, executive dean and chief executive of The Tax Faculty, believes low acceptance rates into universities “are becoming more of a reality today”.
However, he urged prospective students not to give up on their academic goals, and encouraged them to pursue learning opportunities such as virtual courses, which offer “advanced interactive environments without the delays and daily challenges experienced on campuses”.
Klue added that South African universities were starting to use the digitalisation of classrooms. Dr Diane Parker, acting deputy director-general for universities at the Department of Higher Education and Training, said South Africans have to maximise the use of “connected” devices.
On local campuses, she said, there has to be proper infrastructure to support the success of basic learning and create support structures on both fronts.
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In a statement, leading economist Mike Schussler said there were about 30 percent of South African adults with access to the internet, using a desktop computer or laptop.
He said smartphones had bumped this number to more than 50 percent. He commended online learning as a more cost-effective way to hone a strong education.
“Almost everyone is ‘connected’ in some or other way. Having already embraced international standards, it is an excellent, readily-available resource,” he wrote.
“South Africans can use the technology to face current challenges, turn it into opportunities and broaden the education reach to millions more,” Klue added.
He said there was a need to broaden the reach of accredited tertiary education.
The Tax Faculty had been established as a private tuition provider that would offer virtual campus and classroom facilities to students who aspired to become tax professionals, he explained.
The tax body works in conjunction with Unisa, and all its short-learning programmes have been registered with the South African Qualifications Authority.