Office of the Minister
Department of Higher Education

Admittance requirements for Veterinary Sciences

AfriForum Youth is currently representing 30 learners, with a total of 190 distinctions, who applied for Veterinary Sciences at the University of Pretoria (UP) who has been shown away on the basis of poor academic performance. AfriForum Youth engaged with the University on several occasions and also sent letters to the office of the Minister on 9 and 14 November 2011, explaining the concern of many parents and learners.

The Veterinary Science Faculty at UP is the only one of its kind in South Africa. The country currently has a 34% vacancy rate of veterinarians and therefore AfriForum Youth would like to bring it under the attention of the Minister that top students are currently not able to enter the system and address the current skills shortage.

The problem is however complicated, according to the UP the department of higher education has set conditions on the earmarked funding directed to the Faculty. These conditions include that racial targets are met as to improve the equity profile of the Veterinary Science Faculty in order to meet the national demographic. Unfortunately the unintended consequence is that many discrepancies are taking place in the Faculty in order to meet these targets.

Not only are students subjected to racial categorisation but many students with between 7 and 9 distinctions are not admitted to the Faculty while international students and students with lesser academic performance, irrespective of socio-economic circumstances, are admitted. This in turn creates a situation where many learners and parents feel that this process is prohibiting certain learners to follow their career of choice and creating an environment where brilliant young people are forced to go overseas while they feel discriminated against.

During the last four months AfriForum Youth has communicated with UP without being able to reach an agreement. Information regarding the current procedures at the Faculty was also requested in terms of the information act. Despite many delay tactics AfriForum Youth received about half of the information requested. The office of the Minister indicated that they tasked the Rector of UP, prof Cheryl de la Rey, to give a report regarding the alleged discrepancies with admitting top students to the Faculty, but no feedback in this regard has been received.

AfriForum would like to assist the office of the Minister in a peaceful and constructive manner to find a win-win solution and give deserving students an opportunity to not only follow their dreams but also ensure that in six years' time South Africa has an output of skills that is the same as the input of learners.

Proposed solutions for making the Faculty of Veterinary Science more accessible

AfriForum Youth would like to recommend the following solutions:

1. More applicants should be admitted through the most competitive categories such as the "open category" - not only to address the shortage of veterinary surgeons in the country but also to allow deserving students to make a contribution to South Africa.

2. To allow more admissions to the Faculty of Veterinary Science next year for the category of students already studying BSc. This will at least give the matriculants of 2010 and 2011 a better chance of being admitted in comparison to the previous years.

3. To allow students, who were not informed of the weight the NBT carries in the admission process, to rewrite the test, subject to approval by the NBT administrators at the UCT. And to give careful consideration to the potential of certain students who have been involved in extracurricular activities relevant to the course.

Friendly Regards,

Charl Oberholzer
AfriForum Youth:
National chairperson  

Further detail regarding admissions to the Faculty of Veterinary Science

We recognise that many factors impact on the admission of students and that the situation is complex. The 2012 intake of matriculants are unique as provision had to be made for the transition from the current to the new degree programme. We also recognise that large numbers of prospective students applied for the course, which resulted in fierce competition.

AfriForum Youth had valuable conversations with a number of prospective students and their parents. In an attempt to find a win-win solution I wish to inform the University of Pretoria (UP) of the concerns raised by both the prospective students and their parents:

• The University of Pretoria (UP) were not truthful in disclosing what the "cut-off mark" is for students who are not in the "designated group". In certain cases students were told it is 75%, and in other cases they were told that it was 80%. The most recent information made available by UP to AfriForum indicated that there does not exist a "cut off mark". Many parents feel mislead by UP.
• New categories, such as students whose parents are veterinarians and students from specific geographic areas, were created without communicating it to prospective students.
• Many students were not aware of the weight that the NBT test carries, as this information was not stated in the general booklet explaining the criteria for entrance to the Faculty. Most of the students wrote the NBT test without realising beforehand that it counted for 40% of the marks required to be admitted to the Faculty. Several students mentioned that they were told that the NBT test weighs less that 40% while other students were under the impression the test will not be taken into consideration when admissions to the Faculty are made.
• The young people say that they were informed of their unsuccessful applications very late in the year, which affected them negatively, especially if they had been turned down for both their first and second choice of study. Students received this confirmation in the middle of their exams which put an extra strain on them.
• Parents were notified by the Faculty of Veterinary Science that "certain arrangements must be made to give designated groups an opportunity". The details of these arrangements should be made public.
• It is recognised that the Faculty wishes to promote diversity and this principle is supported. Most parents and students feel that the pool from which applications are drawn should also be taken into account. A national demographic of 92% for "designated groups" does not make sense if only 10% of the applicants to the Faculty are from that specific group.
• Other than that, it is cause for concern that, when demographic representation is taken into consideration, emphasis is placed on the demographic composition of South Africa as a whole, and not the amount of matriculants who received university exemption.
• Several students were under the impression that they had been accepted by the Faculty when welcoming information was sent to them, they were awarded places in residences, they received SMS's asking them to pay for registration fees, and information on optional bursary schemes regarding Veterinary Science. In some cases the letter stated: "Congratulations, you are one of the lucky 200 students to be invited to a week welcoming you to the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences". Although the wrong impression was created, AfriForum Youth recognises that this was not the intention of the UP.
• Concern about admission processes is not unique to the Faculty of Veterinary Science, since complaints were also received about Occupational Therapy and Medical courses.
• The category for international students creates a sense among parents and students that places are reserved unfairly for international students while extremely deserving South African students in the "open category" are not admitted.
• The Faculty of Veterinary Sciences is the only one of its kind in South Africa. Parents and students recognise UP's responsibility to supply veterinarians to rural areas outside of the cities. However, places cannot be reserved for students who come from a specific geographical area since there is no surety that they will return there while students from cities might well be prepared to go to areas where veterinarians are needed.
• It is also recognised that the admission of additional students will have a cost implication for UP and that facilities are limited.
• The scarcity of veterinarians in South Africa places a unique responsibility on UP to admit students who will complete the course successfully and become the best veterinarians in the country. Therefore parents and students are of the opinion that all students should be able to compete with one another and that academic merit, being the backbone of an internationally recognised university, should carry the most weight when considering applicants to the Faculty.
• It is in this context that AfriForum Youth, on behalf of almost 30 families, requested the following information in terms of the Access to Information Act:
  • The specific criteria used to consider the admission of the student concerned to the faculty
  • The academic achievements and the results of the National Benchmarking Test (NBT) of the successful applicants in all categories
  • The specific criteria considered when admitting learners from the designated groups
  • The weight of the NBT in considering whether an applicant should be granted admission
  • Whether responses in the NBT about the applicant's social, domestic, personal or economic circumstances have any effect l on the applicant's application at all.
• It was also indicated that both the parents and the prospective students greatly preferred clear "cut-off marks" for different categories, just as the University of Cape Town (UCT) indicates the criteria for their Medical Faculty in terms of racial groups. This method does not give students the impression that they have an opportunity to be admitted if they meet the minimum criteria. As matters stand UP is allowing applicants in different categories only to compete within their own categories.
• Parents are also unsure in what way the University determines that a student has to be placed in the "open category for school leavers" and whether this decision is based on racial grounds.
• A unique situation occurred this year which negatively affected the matriculants of both 2010 and 2011. Many parents feel disappointed about the way that the UP handled these admissions. Students are so disappointed that they are considering furthering their studies at other universities and even in other countries.

AfriForum Youth is committed to finding a solution that will satisfy the UP, the Department of Higher Education and concerned students. We understand that UP has been put in a difficult situation. It must also be recognised that the reputation of UP regarding admission practices in mostly the Veterinary Science and Medical Faculty has been impacted very negatively over the past few years. This is also evident in media reports that have been appearing regularly since 2004.

The following solutions can be discussed and considered:

4. An agreement can be reached, together with the Department of Higher Education, that more applicants be admitted in the "open category" and any other highly competitive category -. not only to address the shortage of veterinary surgeons in the country but also to allow deserving students to make a contribution to South Africa.

5. To put a plan in place that will allow more admissions to the Faculty of Veterinary Science next year for the category of students already studying BSc. This will at least give the matriculants of 2010 and 2011 a better chance of being admitted in comparison to the previous years.

6. To allow students, who were not informed of the weight the NBT carries in the admission process, to rewrite the test, subject to approval by the NBT administrators at the UCT. And to give careful consideration to the potential of certain students who have been involved in extracurricular activities relevant to the course.

We hereby also request possible solutions on the part of the UP in order to address the unfair situation most students find themselves in.

To give additional context to the gravity of the matter, the following examples are given:

• AfriForum Youth received a letter from Rozelle Zamudo, who said that despite her eight distinctions and her 90% academic average in matric, a good performance in the NBT and the fact that she had been working at veterinarians in her home town to gain some experience every school vacation, she was not admitted to study what she loves. She could not understand why the UP stated that she could not be admitted "due to academic standards".
• Kiara Haylock wrote that she obtained seven distinctions and gave her everything in school, even though she had a tough upbringing. She applied to the Faculty of Veterinary Science hoping to compete with all the other students for one of the 140 places, but found that this was not the case.
• Roelof Berg send AfriForum Youth a message saying that he worked in the Alberton SPCA for free for a whole year to show that he has a passion for veterinary science. He has eight distinctions, but was informed by sms that his application was unsuccessful.
• Marie de Vos, who is one of the top 100 matric achievers in the Freestate province and received a bursary from the state to study Veterinary Science. Marie was not admitted to the Faculty due to the lack of places available for top performing pupils.
• Thus far, the 30 students who approached AfriForum Youth have 190 distinctions among them.
• A mother asked advice from us after telling her child to write the NBT in English, as she feared her child would be discriminated against if she wrote the test in Afrikaans, only to find out afterwards that her child could not understand all the English words and consequently did not reach her potential. The administrators of the NBT gave her permission to re-do the test in Afrikaans but the Faculty of Veterinary Science refused.
• Several parents and students contacted AfriForum Youth in great distress about the lost opportunities of these students who put every ounce of effort they could into their schoolwork in order to follow their calling.
• Several learners indicated that they have no other choice but to study overseas since universities there are eager to attract them.

The only priority in this regard is to give opportunities to young people who deserve it, and with that in mind AfriForum Youth pleads on behalf of these students.

Issued by AfriForum Youth, January 30 2012

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