AfriForum Youth steps up campaign for top pupils' admission to UP

AfriForum Youth will step up its campaign for top pupils' admission to the University of Pretoria (UP), after more than 20 prospective students, who jointly obtained 155 distinctions in matric, indicated that they are willing to take on the university regarding alleged double standards that are applied in the student selection process at the Faculty Veterinary Science.

All of these pupils' applications for admission to the faculty were turned down on the basis that their academic performance was supposedly not good enough. AfriForum Youth requested the UP on behalf of these pupils to supply reasons why each pupil was denied admission.

AfriForum Youth has learned that the Office of the Minister of Higher Education, Blade Nzimande, will request the rector of the UP to explain why these pupils were denied admission to the faculty in question.

The Minister responded to a letter from AfriForum Youth in which the organisation expressed its concern over the situation and requested the Minister to intervene in the alleged irregularities.

The youth organisation set out the pupils' objections to the selection process to the rector, Prof Cheryl de la Rey, in a letter last week.

"The letter calls on the rector to work with AfriForum Youth in reaching a win-win solution," said Charl Oberholzer, National Chairperson of AfriForum Youth.

"Suggestions made in the letter included making more room for top pupils or for first-year students who want to reapply in the coming year."

The following were among the issues pointed out in the letter:

· None of the pupils concerned were aware of alleged cut-off marks in different categories for school leavers. There is also uncertainty over whether the pass rate for different categories is the same. In some cases, pupils were told that the cut-off mark for averages was 76%, while in other cases ‒ where pupils obtained an average above 76% - they were told the cut-off mark was 80%. (Pupils' averages are calculated by means of a formula where the National Benchmark Test (NBT) counts 40% and matric results 60%.)

· Most of the pupils were not aware of the NBT's weight in the calculation of admission averages.  

· Parents complained that, in some cases, black pupils were called out of classrooms for special interviews and subsequently granted admission.

· The UP did not provide any details regarding the alleged "special arrangements" implemented for "students from designated groups".

· Pupils and parents support the principle of diversity, but are of the view that the demography of the pool of applicants and pupils who have matric exemption must be considered. 

· Places are reserved for international students, which shows that the UP would rather grant admission to foreign students than to the most competitive category, namely school leavers who are not from the "designated group".

· The UP's behaviour is misleading, as it claims that only top pupils are selected while, in reality, pupils only compete with each other in their own category and not across the board. Further, parents are concerned that the "open category for school leavers" is divided on the basis of race.   

"The Faculty Veterinary Science's response thus far to enquiries about the reasons why top pupils' academic performance was not good enough is ambiguous and misleading," said Oberholzer.

"While approximately 37% of veterinary positions nationally and provincially are currently vacant, the UP is pursuing demographic targets at the expense of top pupils' dreams of obtaining what they have worked for. The international norm is between 200 and 400 vets for every million people. South Africa has only between 60 and 70 vets for every million people."

UP's management indicated that they will respond to AfriForum Youth's request, lodged in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act, soon. AfriForum Youth has requested, among other things, the academic results of successful applicants at the Faculty Veterinary Science and the selection criteria used in each category.

Statement issued by Charl Oberholzer, National Chairperson, AfriForum Youth, November 21 2011

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