AfriForum Youth meets with SA's Unesco commission, admission requirements at universities in the firing line
AfriForum Youth today met with the South African commission of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), and submitted a proposal regarding discriminatory admission requirements at South African universities to the commission. In addition, the commission was requested to approach Unesco to advise the Department of Higher Education on amending race-based admission requirements.
‘The current policy on admission requirements at the University of Pretoria's (UP) Faculty of Veterinary Science and the University of Cape Town's (UCT) Faculty of Health Sciences does not comply with international conventions, which the South African government ratified in 2000,' Charl Oberholzer, AfriForum Youth's National Chairman, said.
In terms of section (1)(a) of the UN Convention against Discrimination in Education, discrimination includes the limiting or privileging of any person based on race or gender. More specifically, the convention indicates that no person may be refused access not even to higher education based on race. In terms of section (3)(b), governments as signatories undertake to ensure by legislation that there is no discrimination in any way whatsoever against individuals or groups in terms of admission procedures.
‘Section 39 of the South African Constitution obliges the government to take all relevant international legal principles and agreements into account when interpreting the constitution, which also includes legislation that subscribes to the constitution. Unesco has the power to advise governments on any policy which is contrary to international principle,' Oberholzer said.
Oberholzer furthermore said that the commission had indicated that the proposal was acceptable and that the process would be pursued immediately by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO).
Unesco is a specialised unit within the UN and subscribes to the fundamental freedoms contained in the UN's Manifesto of 1945.
In terms of section 26 of the UN Manifesto, higher education must be accessible to all on the basis of merit.
‘Even the UN Manifesto uses only merit as criterion for admission. Certain admission processes at universities exceed the limits of fairness and equality, and in terms of our own Constitution, government has to comply with those conventions which it endorsed,' Oberholzer said.
In addition to the request to advise the Department on Higher Education with regard to categorisation based on race and race-based admission requirements in higher education, a request was also made that a working group made up of non-political organisations be constituted to provide Unesco with the necessary information.
AfriForum Youth will soon meet with the Director of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation to ensure that the process is finalised and receives attention.
The complete proposal to Unesco is available on www.afriforumyouth.co.za
Statement issued by Charl Oberholzer, National Chairman, AfriForum Youth, April 4 2012
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