Speaking to RSG, Roodt, the chief economist at Efficient Group, painted a stark picture of South Africa's educational landscape, highlighting the paradox of substantial government investment alongside a struggling primary education system ranked among the world's worst.
He pointed out that the recently released second edition of South Africa’s 2025 Budget allocates a considerable R509 billion to learning and culture, encompassing R332 billion for basic education, R55 billion for the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, and R48 billion in university transfers. Despite this significant financial commitment, Roodt contends that the current structure is fundamentally flawed.
A key element of Roodt's argument lies in his assertion that South Africa has an excessive number of universities. "Everyone wants a university degree while there is a big shortage at other skill levels," he stated, suggesting a societal imbalance in educational aspirations. He further proposed a drastic reduction in university enrollment, arguing that "only approximately 10% of the population should attend university, and it is crucial that these institutions produce high-quality graduates." South Africa currently operates nineteen public universities and seven universities of technology, totaling 26 state-owned institutions.
Roodt didn't shy away from criticizing the operational efficiency of many of these public institutions, citing issues ranging from qualified audits to such disorganized financials that audits could not even be finalized. In contrast, he highlighted the growing strength of the country's 126 registered private tertiary education institutions, many of which are private universities. "The private universities are improving all the time," he noted.
Acknowledging the existing challenges faced by private universities, including higher fees and a potentially less vibrant campus life compared to their public counterparts, Roodt also pointed out their current limited contribution to crucial academic research. However, he argued that public universities are not without their own significant problems. "Over the years, the quality of public universities deteriorated significantly," Roodt asserted. "South Africa still has brilliant universities, but as a whole, the quality of state-owned universities has gone backwards."
To address these systemic issues and improve South Africa's tertiary education landscape, Roodt proposed a two-pronged approach. Firstly, he advocated for public universities to adopt more selective admission criteria. Secondly, he called for increased state support for private universities.
One specific policy Roodt championed is the implementation of educational vouchers, which would empower South Africans to choose the institution where they spend their educational funding. He believes this system would naturally favor higher-quality institutions, as students would be more inclined to use their vouchers at reputable universities, thereby fostering healthy competition within the sector. Furthermore, Roodt argued that this would create a more level playing field between public and private institutions.
Another key recommendation from Roodt is for the state to extend research funding to private universities, mirroring the current incentives provided to public institutions for published research. "The state gives a lot of money to public universities when they produce published research papers," Roodt explained. "The government should offer the same incentives to private universities to encourage them to produce quality research."
Ultimately, Roodt believes South Africa needs to confront the reality of underperforming public universities. Drawing parallels with other sectors like healthcare, schools, and security, he suggested that the private sector is well-positioned and ready to deliver high-quality tertiary education. He cited existing reputable private institutions such as Stadio, Akademia, and the Independent Institute of Education’s Varsity College as examples of this potential.
In a bold concluding statement, Roodt reiterated his central argument: "We should close down many of our public universities and give the money to private universities," a proposition certain to fuel further debate about the future of higher education in South Africa.