Dialectic of Higher Education for the Colonised: the case of Non-White Universities in South Africa

The institution of education in any society lends itself to two-fold functions, a conservative and a progressive one. It can be viewed as a custodian of societal values or constitute a threat to the traditional social order. Viewed against this background, South Africa which is not legitimated by the majority and relies on coercion rather than consensus, appears all the contradictory in extending higher education to its politically excluded majority.