Elusiveness of Equity in South Africa's Era of the National Plan for Higher Education Policy

• In Event: Can National and State Policies Ameliorate Systemic Inequities?

Abstract

South Africa implemented the National Plan for Higher Education (NPHE) in 2003 as a strategy to address the systemic exclusion and consequent underrepresentation of non-Whites caused by apartheid in the sector. I address shortcomings of research about the impact of NPHE on the country’s graduate profile by implementing a multilevel comparative interrupted time series quasi-experimental design on nationally representative household survey data from 1994 through 2019. Findings show that while NPHE facilitated a nominal increase in non-White graduates, the nationwide share of graduates among this racial group remain lower. I conclude by discussing the implications of these findings on the debate around the impact of NPHE and the relevance of this case to ongoing global calls for equity.

Author

• Tafadzwa Tivaringe, Spencer Foundation