A Caledonian college in Cape Town and beyond: An investigation into the foundation(s) of the South African university system

Journal Article

2003

Permanent link to this Item
Authors
Journal Title

South African Journal of Higher Education

Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher

Stellenbosch University

Publisher

University of Cape Town

License
Series
Abstract
Adopting a historical approach, this article traces the origins of key features of the South African university system, namely the general nature of its undergraduate degrees, its heavy reliance on lectures to convey information and its extensive use of examinations to assess levels of student achievement. This historical investigation finds the roots of these features in the unreformed Scottish university system which was enthusiastically embraced by South Africa's first two teaching universities, the University of Cape Town (UCT) and Stellenbosch, in 1918, and which then was adopted by those universities which were set up in their image during the next 70 years. The article suggests that any attempt to reform the country's university system today must take account of the historical circumstances which produced it originally.
Description

Reference:

Collections