Abstract:
Extended Curriculum Programmes (ECPs) have been in existence in Africa and Southern Africa
since the late 1970s. Various needs for programmes exist, but the primary motivator in the current
South African context is a transformative one. While many historically white institutions have either
scaled down or closed their ECPs, the University of Pretoria runs several large ECP programmes
with the largest one located on the Mamelodi Campus. The location of the campus in a township
offers many opportunities for transformative community engagement. This article interrogates the
ideological underpinnings of the ECP programmes and other activities offered at the Mamelodi
campus as these have evolved from their genesis in the University of Pretoria’s Foundation Year
Programme in 2001. The article argues that a point has been reached where colour and ethnicity
are no longer the only criteria for transformation, though the South African education system
continues to be plagued by social inequality. Consequently, extended curriculum programmes
need to serve the interests of the more disadvantaged section of the population, not the lower
performing echelons of the more advantaged citizens, even though these may be black. The most
recent government draft policy document provides possibilities for funding developmental
interventions across the entire undergraduate education system but will require considerable
sophistication in terms of pedagogy and curriculum design. The article concludes with a
recommendation for a more responsive selection policy and curricula that provide a smoother
transition into the programmes that students wish to access, including those with high barriers to
entry.
