In Johannesburg, South Africa, there is a widespread education crisis. The crisis is simple, yet creates a number of complicated problems. There are too many students and not enough spots in one of the only quality universities in South Africa. In fact, this crisis had boiled over in January of 2012, when thousands of students stampeded into the University of Johannesburg eager to fulfill their dream of a college education and to create a brighter future for themselves. The real danger surfaced when many were injured from the stampede and one woman killed, all whom were desperate to find a better life for themselves or their child. In an interview with The New York Times, a local Johannesburg woman described the event, “They were pushing and pushing,” she said. “Even the gates fell over. Many people were injured.” About 85,000 students had applied for only 11,000 seats at University of Johannesburg, leaving a clear overflow of students who were left without a spot. Many students who are well-deserving and hard working are still unable to claim a seat at an institution.
This lack of access to higher education has left citizens who were once aspiring college students are now jobless and unemployed. In fact, as stated in Trading Economics, the unemployment rate in South Africa is now up to 25.2%. For young adults living in Johannesburg, it is easy to see why they so desperately seek a quality education. Daphne Koller, the Cofounder of Coursera, describes the situation in Johannesburg in a TED Talk video, “education is just not readily accessible…as a consequence today there is just not enough spots for the many more people who and deserve a high quality education.”
Meanwhile, the younger generation of Africa is struggling to gain access to education. The Center for Universal Education says that “Just 28 percent of youth are enrolled in secondary school, leaving over 90 million teenagers struggling for employment in low-paid, informal sector jobs.”
There is a clear gap to see here. The space between student and education access is far too great. When students can gain access to an online education base where a quality education is at their fingertips, the gap between student and classroom is closed. We believe at iQ that there is a solution to college accessibility.
References:
Lydia Polgreen. “Fatal Stampede in South Africa Points Up University Crisis”. (January 12, 2012).
Joana Taborda. “Statistics South Africa” (October 30, 2012).
Kevin Watkins. “Too Little Access, Not Enough Learning: Africa’s Twin Deficit in Education” (January 6, 2013).
By Emily Cave
Social Media Marketer, iQ Technologies.