Students up in arms as college faces closure
2010-09-02
Lise Beyers
MORE than 100 first year students of Huguenot College took to the streets of Wellington last week, in protest to uncertainty about the college’s future. Huguenot College faces closure, after the Department of Education ended the college’s partnership with the University of Stellenbosch. According to them, there is no policy in place for a public and private institution to be linked. The college, which will celebrate 60 years of existence next year, is a privately run academic facility of community and development oriented service professions such as Social Work, Community Development and Play Therapy. The buildings of Huguenot College belong to the Dutch Reformed Church. Courses at Huguenot College were previously accredited by Unisa, but this partnership came to an end in 2007, also due to changing legislation. In 2009 Stellenbosch University (SU) approached the Minister of Higher Education and Training to request permission to offer programmes leading to SU qualifications via Huguenot College in Wellington. The University also submitted applications to the Higher Education Quality Committee for the accreditation of two new programmes to be offered from 2010 via Huguenot College (a Higher Certificate in Community Development Practice and a BA degree in Community Development) as well as the accreditation of Huguenot College as an additional site of learning for SU’s existing Bachelor of Social Work. The Department’s reply to this request was that they were not able to support or approve such a request as it would have the potential of designating a private institution as a public site of learning. Although second and third year students will be able to complete their courses, first year students will have to continue their studies at Stellenbosch campus from 2011 if this policy is not overturned. And the college will then have to close its doors in 2012, leaving scores of college staff unemployed, unless a compromise can be reached, effectively making the campus a satellite of the university. During the peaceful march on Friday, social work lecturer, Prof Elna von Schlicht, was tied up in chains as a symbol of the state of turmoil at Huguenot College. The march proceeded through the streets of Wellington, to the foot of the Andrew Murray statue at the Mother Church. First year social work student and leader of the march, Donovan Louw, pleaded with college authorities to call an urgent meeting with Education Minister, Dr Blade Nzimande, to discuss this matter. “We came to study at Huguenot College, because it is a small hands-on facility with excellent learning methods. “We are proud of the traditions here and want to complete our studies in Wellington. We are asking that the authorities will take up this matter with utmost urgency.” A memorandum was then handed over to Prof Naas Swart of Huguenot College who in turn was asked to see that it ends up in the hands of Dr Nzimande. Amongst others, students request that the current policy be changed and that the partnership between SU and Huguenot College be extended. Louw added that there is currently a shortage of 18 000 social workers in South Africa, and the country can thus not afford to lose an establishment such as Huguenot College. Currently 600 students have applied to study at Huguenot College in 2011. The town of Wellington faces a great economic loss if the college closes down.
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