Technikon
A technikon was a post-secondary institute of technology (polytech) in South Africa.
It focused on career-oriented vocational training.{{cite book|author1=Nico Cloete|author2=Richard Fehnel|author3=Peter Maassen|title=Transformation in Higher Education|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sGzXRTq3KrgC&pg=PA47|year=2006|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-1-4020-4005-4|page=47|quote= The intellectual agendas of these […] black technikons was similar to those of the historically white technikons. […] vocational training programmes […] They undertook no research and offered little by way of postgraduate training.}}
There were 15 technikons in the 1990s, but they were merged or restructured as universities (especially universities of technology) in the early 2000s.
Etymology
The word comes from the Greek wikt:τεχνικός, meaning 'technical'.{{cite book|author=Alan Pittendrigh|title=Technikons in South Africa|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g-2NxUg2poIC|year=1988|publisher=Building Industries Federation|isbn=978-0-620-13170-4|page=194|quote= After due consideration and consultation the name technikon was proposed, a name which was derived from the Greek and goes back to the masculine form of the Greek adjective technikos, of which the feminine form is technike ... }}{{cite web |title=Definition of technikon |url=https://www.lexico.com/definition/technikon |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128221306/https://www.lexico.com/definition/technikon |archive-date=January 28, 2021 |website=Oxford Dictionary on Lexico |language=en |quote=Greek, noun use of the neuter of {{Transliteration|grc|tekhnikos}} 'relating to skills'.}} (cf. Some technical schools were called technikums elsewhere in the world.)
List of technikons
{{small|The right arrow → indicates the year it became a technikon, if started out as another type of school.}}
| class="wikitable sortable" | ||
| Institute | Existence | Now |
|---|---|---|
| Border Technikon {{abbr|←|formerly named}} Ciskei Technikon, 1980s | 1987–2005 | Walter Sisulu University |
| Cape Technikon {{langx|af|Kaapse Technikon}} | 1920–2005 {{small| {{abbr|→|became}} technikon, 1979}} | Cape Peninsula University of Technology |
| Eastern Cape Technikon ← Transkei Technikon | 1991–2005 | Walter Sisulu University |
| Peninsula Technikon | 1962-2005 {{small|→ technikon, 1979}} | Cape Peninsula University of Technology |
| Port Elizabeth Technikon (PE Technikon) | 1882–2005 {{small|→ technikon, 1979}} | Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University |
| Technikon Pretoria | 1968–2004 {{small|→ technikon, 1979}} | Tshwane University of Technology |
| Technikon Natal | 1907–2002 {{small|→ technikon, 1979}} | Durban Institute of Technology |
| Technikon North-West ← Setlogelo Technikon, 1994–97 | 1976–2004 {{small|→ technikon, 1994}} | Tshwane University of Technology |
| Technikon Northern Gauteng ← Technikon Northern Transvaal, –1997 | 1980–2004 | Tshwane University of Technology |
| Technikon SA (Technikon South Africa) ← Technikon RSA, 1980–93 | 1980–2004 | University of South Africa |
| Technikon Free State {{lang|af|Technikon Vrystaat}}, 1994-2004 ← Technikon OFS / {{lang|af|{{abbr|OVS|Oranje-Vrystaat}}}}, 1988-1994 | 1988?–2004 | Central University of Technology |
| ML Sultan Technikon | 1946–2002 {{small|→ technikon, 1979}} | Durban Institute of Technology |
| Mangosuthu Technikon | 1979–2001 | Mangosuthu University of Technology |
| Vaal Triangle Technikon {{lang|af|Vaaldriehoekse Technikon}} | 1966–2003 {{small|→ technikon, 1979}} | Vaal University of Technology |
| Witwatersrand Technikon | 1923–2005 {{small| → technikon, 1979}} | University of Johannesburg |
In some sources, certain school names were reversed, e.g., Technikon Pretoria or Pretoria Technikon. Likewise, Witwatersrand Technikon or Technikon Witwatersrand; Natal Technikon or Technikon Natal; Free State Technikon or Technikon Free State.
History
Some technical colleges were founded in the early to mid-20th century in the country.
In 1967, four technical colleges (Cape, Pretoria, Witwatersrand and Natal) became "colleges of advanced technical education". Two more such colleges (Vaal and Witwatersrand) were added by 1969. These six colleges became the first technikons in 1979.
In the 1980s and 1990s, 9 more technikons were constituted, bringing up the total to 15.
Compared to universities, technikons were not seen as prestigious. The Committee of Technikon Principals felt that "the name technikon had become a stumbling block", as their graduates were not recognized by professional associations, especially internationally.{{cite book|author=Rupert Maclean|title=International Handbook of Education for the Changing World of Work|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vWyJYI9xVrwC&pg=PA972|year=2009|publisher=Springer Science|isbn=978-1-4020-5281-1|page=972 |quote= Among the problems listed [by the principals] were that technikons were seen as inferior to universities, [… recognition issues], and that technikons were seen as a second or third choice after universities.}}
File:Tshwane University of Technology.jpg combined 3 technikons.]]
Mergers and reorganisations were announced in 2002, drastically reducing the number of technikons.{{cite book|author=Neil Garrod|title=Challenging Boundaries|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LOSPAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA131|date= 2009|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-135-85822-3|page=131|quote= The restructured system [announced in Dec. 2002] would consist of twenty-four institutions, consisting of eleven universities, six comprehensive universities, five technikons, and two higher education institutes in provinces without a higher education institution (Council on Higher Education 2004: 39–58).}}
By 2006, after a process to transform the nation's "higher education landscape", there were no technikons left.
Student compositions
During Apartheid, the schools were divided into historically white technikons (HWTs) and historically black technikons (HBTs). The seven white technikons include the 'big four' (Cape, Pretoria, Witwatersrand and Natal), which had the most students (6000–11000 in 1991).
The other white technikons were Free State, Port Elizabeth, and Vaal Triangle.
SA was for distance learning, with a slight majority of whites.{{cite web |last1=Cooper |first1=Dave |title=What do South African technikons do? |url=http://wiredspace.wits.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10539/7757/HWS-70.pdf |date=1994}}{{cite book|author=Keith Harry|title=Higher Education Through Open and Distance Learning|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DuSGAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA102|date=11 September 2002|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-64144-4|page=102|quote= Technikon SA was established an autonomous tertiary education institution in 1980, prior to which it had functioned as the external studies facilities of the Technikon Witwatersrand.}}
Northern Gauteng and Mangosuthu were black technikons.
Peninsula was classified as a {{abbr|HBT|historically black technikon}}, but it was mostly attended by Coloureds.
ML Sultan was also nominally a HBT, but was mostly attended by Indians.
Three technikons were created in bantustans; these had the lowest enrollments: Border (Ciskei), Eastern Cape (Transkei), and North-West (initially named Setlogelo; in Bophuthatswana).
Degrees
In 1993, the Technikon Act (No. 125) enabled technikons to provide degree studies and confer degrees. Several technikon programmes were possible:
- national higher certificate (2 years)
- {{vanchor|national diploma}} (3 years): 75% of technikon enrollments were in this diploma.{{cite book|author1=Neil Garrod|author2=Bruce Macfarlane|title=Challenging Boundaries|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LOSPAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA129|date= 2009|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-135-85822-3|page=129}}
- 2 years of theoretical training, plus
- 1 year of experiential training with an industrial employer
- national higher diploma (4 years)
- bachelor's degree in technology (B-Tech: 4 years)
- in some schools: master's degree (M-Tech: 1 year minimum)
- in some schools: doctoral degree (D-Tech: 2 years minimum).{{cite book|author=OECD|title=Reviews of National Policies for Education|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lfqaAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA334|year=2008|isbn=978-92-64-05352-6|page=334|publisher=OECD }}
White technikons and ML Sultan Technikon offered degrees at all three levels (bachelor's, master's and doctorates), but others did not.{{cite book|author1=Reitumetse Obakeng Mabokela|author2=Kimberly Lenease King|title=Apartheid No More|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1bM5WzGspcUC&pg=PA143|year=2001|publisher=Greenwood |isbn=978-0-89789-713-6|page=143}}
References
{{reflist}}
The years for some older school names are from:
- {{cite web |title=Overseas Qualifications: South Africa |url=http://www.open.ac.uk/study/credit-transfer/my-previous-study/overseas-qualifications/countries/south-africa |website=The Open University|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502113953/http://www.open.ac.uk/study/credit-transfer/my-previous-study/overseas-qualifications/countries/south-africa |archive-date=2020-05-02 }}
- {{cite web |title=South Africa - Technical and Vocational Qualifications |url= https://www.immigration.govt.nz/opsmanual/66898.htm |website=Operation Manual |location=New Zealand |date=2015|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190124192919/https://www.immigration.govt.nz/opsmanual/66898.htm |archive-date= 2019-01-24 }}