More than 345,000 Grade 12 learners in South Africa qualified for university entrance in the 2025 school leaving exam, a 46% pass rate and the largest number yet. However, qualifying for university and being ready for university are not the same thing. University readiness involves working with greater independence, engaging critically with sources, constructing arguments, conducting research, and adapting to unfamiliar forms of teaching and assessment.
The national Department of Basic Education and Department of Higher Education and Training have been exploring ways to support a smoother transition from secondary schooling into post-school education, training, and work. A recent study examined the AccessEd Scholars Programme, which aims to bridge the transition from high school to university. The programme, launched in 2017, works with school pupils in underserved South African communities and uses postgraduate university students as tutors and near-peer mentors.
The study, conducted in four secondary schools in Gauteng, analysed 100 pupil self-evaluations, 20 tutor feedback forms, feedback from six lead teachers, observations of six tutoring sessions, and 50 pupil assignments. Three key findings stood out: pupils became more confident and active in their learning after being tutored, they practised academic skills needed at university, and mentorship mattered. The study shows there's value in giving pupils opportunities to experience some of the ways of learning they are likely to encounter at university before they arrive there.
The study focused on grade 12 and grade 9 learners enrolled in the AccessEd Scholars Programme, as well as postgraduate tutors and teachers who ran the programme in the schools. Pupils were asked about their academic confidence, engagement with learning, familiarity with research, and aspirations for higher education. Tutors and teachers were asked about pupil engagement, teaching approaches, and the programme's contribution to learning.
In 73 of the 100 evaluation forms, pupils explicitly described confidence in their learning, with one writing: "I used to be scared of asking questions, but now I'm confident." The study also observed sessions of university-style tutorials, covering activities such as research methods, academic writing, and research ethics. Pupils who were initially hesitant increasingly asked questions, contributed ideas, and approached academic tasks more independently.
The study's findings are encouraging, but they should be read in context. The research did not follow pupils into university, so it is unclear whether the changes observed translate into longer-term academic success. However, the study suggests that research, academic writing, questioning, discussion, and independent thinking need not begin in a first-year lecture hall. The mentorship element is particularly important, as postgraduate tutors are close enough to the university experience to explain what will be expected of students.
Expanding initiatives like the AccessEd Scholars Programme would require sustained funding and partnerships between schools, universities, government, and other funders. As more young people become eligible for higher education, greater attention is needed on whether they have had opportunities to develop the confidence and academic practices that universities expect.
Key points
- A recent study highlights the importance of mentorship programmes in helping South African high school students transition to university life.
- The AccessEd Scholars Programme uses postgraduate university students as tutors and near-peer mentors to help pupils develop academic skills and confidence.
- Expanding such initiatives would require sustained funding and partnerships between schools, universities, government, and other funders.
