Universities have an ethical duty to cultivate safe and inclusive spaces of recognition and respect.
After the outcry over the nonsensical article, “Age- and Education-related Effects on Cognitive Functioning in Coloured South African Women”, Stellenbosch University’s senate adopted a motion, which reads: “We believe the university should become a key site for developing a critique of race in science and research, and establishing related institutional practices and processes.”
Let’s look at the proposals. We should have the expectation of any university to ensure that it holds its academics and researchers to particular ethical standards of research and to act when these standards are undermined or compromised. Let me start by stating that it is not entirely clear why this specific proposal has been included with the other three, given that the source and scope of the problem has, in fact, not been instigated by students. Of course, it would not be an exaggerated generalisation to assert that this university, like all others in South Africa, and elsewhere, have had abundant incidents of questionable and anti-social behaviour by students.
Unlike schools, universities are inhabited by adults who have already experienced their formative years, and who would already harbour particular views and perceptions — put in place by their families, friends and their schools. I cannot see how a cramped first-year class would lend itself to what citizenship education requires.
They need to be provided with spaces where they can step out of who they are and cross over into other life worlds. It would seem that universities ought to be asking themselves whether they are providing spaces of equal belonging to all students, and staff. This means that if universities wish for students to be critically aware, responsible and responsive to the world they are in, then universities have to be unconditionally open to critiquing any form of injustice. Universities, therefore, as the epistemological and ethical spaces of students, have to be just in how they conceive of themselves, how they interact with students and staff, and they have to be seen as acting in the face of injustice.
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
School break-ins down as 'mastermind' in police custodyGauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi is confident his department has a strong case against a man allegedly involved in robbing 56 schools.
Read more »
Why children really believe in Father Christmas | IOLWhy would children believe something so absurd? And can it teach us anything about how they come to discriminate between what is real and what is not?IOL_Lifestyle
Read more »
SA should not be selling weapons to countries committing war crimesWe can’t talk about human rights and respect for international law and then arm countries that have been found to have committed war crimes. SA must find a way to balance its economic priorities with its commitment to human rights, writes Suraya Dadoo
Read more »