The Never-Ending Problem In Higher Education

Whoever controls higher education isn’t preoccupied with today or tomorrow, but with the future and the direction of politics in society.

Photo by Dom Fou on Unsplash

I have differences with conservatives in America on several issues, but the one thing I admire about them is their student activism on college campuses that is aimed at challenging the hegemony of progressivism and popularising their values.

This is the kind of activism that was spearheaded by the late Charlie Kirk through his organisation, Turning Point USA. It continues through prominent activists like Ben Shapiro and many others.

The importance of campus activism

It is hugely important because it appreciates two realities. The first is that the higher education space is not merely a sector that provides training; it is also, crucially, a battleground where different ideological forces compete to shape the thinking of young, impressionable minds that are still forming their worldviews.

The second is that this space has been completely captured by progressives who dominate staffing positions, exert massive influence over the curriculum, and have entrenched a culture of intolerance that marginalises dissenting views under the guise of advancing a progressive agenda. In other words, the battleground has been converted into a bastion of progressivism.

This has had, and will continue to have, serious implications for the direction of politics in America. There is therefore a need for dissenting voices to enter the space, restore a culture of free speech and open discourse, and ensure that many young minds are exposed to alternative ideas that go against the grain.

While progressivism remains dominant and conservative student activism has several issues (which fall outside the scope of this piece), there is no doubt that the entry of conservatives into the space has been a positive development. Progressivism has been challenged to some extent, young minds have been exposed to different ideas, and many have gradually begun moving in a different direction. The rapid growth of an organisation such as Turning Point over the years bears testament to this.

But this article is not really about America and the work that conservative activists have done and continue to do there. It is about our own country, South Africa, where the same issue exists, and where I believe both conservatives and liberals can do more to confront it.

The state of higher education in South Africa

I mention both conservatives and liberals in our context because, while they also have important differences, they generally agree on the short-term and long-term dangers of ideological capture and intolerance in the higher education space.

Our universities and colleges have also become bastions of the left, largely due to the Rhodes Must Fall and Fees Must Fall era that ushered in significant changes. They are largely staffed by left-leaning academics, their curricula are still undergoing “transformation”, and their cultures have become increasingly intolerant of dissenting opinion.

These institutions also serve as crucial bases for organised left-wing student activism that has a massive appeal among many students. The ever-growing political dominance of an organisation like the EFF Youth Command (EFFYC) is clear evidence of this reality.

Challenges facing conservatives and liberals

While there is some level of student organisation among conservatives and liberals, respectively, my experience and observation have been that it appears less active, visible, and strategic in comparison to left-wing activism. On the conservative side, it is largely confined to the student wings of certain political parties. On the liberal side, it manifests in clubs and intellectually driven organisations that, while capable, have limited appeal.

The result is that there is no significant or visible footprint of organised resistance to ideological capture and dominance on campuses and universities across the country.

There may well be several legitimate reasons for this. One, as I’ve suggested, is that left-wing activism is generally more organised, active, visible, and intentional in advancing its agenda. Another is that leftist ideas often resonate emotionally with many students who come from disadvantaged backgrounds. There are other valid reasons as well, but they also fall outside the scope of this piece.

Lessons from personal experiences

Having said that, the situation is not hopeless, and I want to reiterate that both conservatives and liberals can play a meaningful role in swimming against the tide.

I’m no expert with a comprehensive blueprint on how to approach this but having served on the executive committee of the Political Sciences Department sub-house in the final year of my undergraduate studies, I gained some valuable insight into how left-wing activism operates in the higher education space.

Aside from sustained and intense recruitment, visibility, and mobilisation at the grassroots level, left-wing activists are intentional about hosting regular events where they articulate and promote their worldview. These range from public lectures to political education schools that attract modest audiences but allow them to grow their base incrementally over time.

Another key element of their strategy is civic engagement. Left-wing activists appreciate the importance of publicly engaging their opponents to enhance their visibility and attract potential recruits. This, too, is something that the late Kirk and others in America have long appreciated.

When I was in office, my attempts to organise public debates (both formal and informal) were always welcomed by members of South African Students Congress (SASCO) and the EFFYC, who saw them as opportunities to demonstrate their supposed “superior logic” and recruit more students. They would even offer to film these debates and share them on social media platforms for greater visibility.

My experience is, of course, anecdotal (and I must emphasise this), but I don’t recall conservatives or liberals being as eager. My memories are of people who demonstrated little interest in these events and saw them as “useless” or serving no real purpose. Admittedly, I was one of them, and I am a bit embarrassed to acknowledge that now.

The path forward

We have no shortage of gifted, intelligent, and articulate young people who can challenge the hegemony of leftism on its own turf and expose students across the country to alternative ideas. We have no shortage of people who can restore open discourse on campuses and ensure that there is a counterbalance to what is presently dominating.

These individuals already exist within the broader ecosystem of those opposed to ideological dominance, and they simply need us to support them and believe in them. Their activism has a role to play on social media, but it must also move into colleges and universities, where they can confront the issue directly and expose others to different perspectives.

It’s easier said than done, and there is much to deal with internally before we get there, but it must start somewhere. I cannot emphasise the importance of the space that I am writing about here. Whoever controls it isn’t preoccupied with today or tomorrow, but with the future and the direction of politics in society.

It may sound like an overstatement now, but the dominance of leftism in institutions will have far-reaching implications as time progresses. Activism matters crucially in every sphere of society, but it is especially crucial in the one where future generations are shaped and produced. If this space is neglected, efforts outside of it will not be futile, but they will be undermined.

There will be time in future to discuss ideological differences, the limits of activism itself, and how it can take on ugly forms even when it is pushing back. But for now, the essential point is that there needs to be a counterbalance.

There needs to be a push to restore open discourse in higher education space and ensure that it once again becomes an arena of genuine contestation where all ideas are welcome, and students learn to appreciate the plurality of thought.

Ayanda Sakhile Zulu holds a BSocSci in Political Studies from the University of Pretoria and is an intern at the Free Market Foundation.