The PhD Crisis: Are universities sacrificing quality for quantity in education?
About 1 500 graduating students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal's spring graduation. The writer says today we mass-produce doctoral graduates like factory widgets, sacrificing quality at the altar of quantity.
Image: File/Supplied
I WOULD like to address an aspect which has been bothering me for quite some time now. I hope that it will be read critically without necessarily creating any unnecessary consternation.
If it does, I would let John Stuart Mill, in his book On Liberty defend me when he posits that: 'The peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is, that is robbing the human race; posterity as well as the existing generations; those who dissent from the opinion, still more than those who hold it. If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth: if wrong, they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with error.'
There was a time when the words 'Doctor of Philosophy' carried weight — a sacred trust between society and its thinkers. Today, I watch with growing dismay as we mass-produce doctoral graduates like factory widgets, sacrificing quality at the altar of quantity. The brain, as Carl Sagan reminded us, 'is like a muscle. When it is in use, we feel very good. Understanding is joyous.' Yet, where is this joy in our current academic landscape?
Mediocrity has become our unwritten curriculum. It manifests in doctoral theses that contribute nothing but recycled platitudes, in supervisors who prioritise speedy completions over substantive work, and in universities that measure success by graduation statistics rather than intellectual impact. I recall one particularly egregious example: A doctoral candidate whose entire thesis concluded that 'corruption will never end'. This wasn't scholarship — it was intellectual surrender dressed in academic regalia.
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Alfred North Whitehead saw this coming nearly a century ago when he warned: 'The race which does not value trained intelligence is doomed. Not all your heroism, not all your social charm, not all your wit, not all your victories on land or at sea, can move back the finger of fate.' His words haunt me as I review dissertation after dissertation that fail to meet even basic standards of original thought.
The problem runs deeper than individual failings. We've created a system that actively discourages excellence. Consider these disturbing trends: The Funding Paradox: Universities receive more funding for higher graduation numbers, creating perverse incentives to push students through regardless of quality. I've witnessed committees approve subpar work because 'the department needs the numbers'.
Universities receive more funding for higher graduation numbers, creating perverse incentives to push students through regardless of quality. I've witnessed committees approve subpar work because 'the department needs the numbers'. The Death of Mentorship: Where once professors guided protégés through years of intellectual development, today's advisors often view students as administrative burdens. The art of nurturing thinkers has been replaced by the mechanics of processing candidates.
Where once professors guided protégés through years of intellectual development, today's advisors often view students as administrative burdens. The art of nurturing thinkers has been replaced by the mechanics of processing candidates. We're increasingly governed by those who 'discount principle in favour of expediency, subordinate ideas to utility, and equivocate while critical issues swarm about them.' This managerial class has turned our universities into degree mills.
The Rise of the Administrative Mind:
The great social critic Neil Postman saw this coming when he argued that television had transformed education into 'edutainment'. His warning applies equally to our current digital age: 'Our bewilderment has resulted from our notion that salvation depends on information. The remedy may be a return to the process of rational thought.'
Similarly, Nicholas Carr's research in *The Shallows* demonstrates how 'the internet is literally rewiring our brains and inducing only superficial understanding'. Is it any wonder our doctoral candidates struggle with deep, sustained thought when their entire education has conditioned them for distraction?
All is not lost. We can reclaim academia's soul by: Reinstating Rigour: As E Grady Bogue insisted, we must restore 'the hallmarks of quality' — participation, expectation, risk, dissent, ambiguity, optimism and compassion. These cannot be measured by metrics, but they define true scholarship.
As E Grady Bogue insisted, we must restore 'the hallmarks of quality' — participation, expectation, risk, dissent, ambiguity, optimism and compassion. These cannot be measured by metrics, but they define true scholarship. Valuing Time: John Henry Newman understood that true education requires immersion: 'The general principles of any study you may learn by books at home; but the detail, the colour, the tone, the air, the life which makes it live in us, you must catch all these from those in whom it lives already.' We must give students time to breathe, to think, to fail, and to grow.
John Henry Newman understood that true education requires immersion: 'The general principles of any study you may learn by books at home; but the detail, the colour, the tone, the air, the life which makes it live in us, you must catch all these from those in whom it lives already.' We must give students time to breathe, to think, to fail, and to grow. Honouring Purpose: John Gardner's words remain essential: 'People would rather work hard for something they believe in than enjoy a pampered idleness… We want meaning in our lives.' Our doctoral programmes must be about more than degrees — they must be about the pursuit of truth.
To my colleagues: We became academics because we believed in the life of the mind. Let us have the courage to demand more from our students, from our institutions, and most importantly, from ourselves. The administrative machinery will always push for more graduates, faster completions, and easier standards. We must be the counterweight.
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IOL News
3 days ago
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The PhD Crisis: Are universities sacrificing quality for quantity in education?
About 1 500 graduating students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal's spring graduation. The writer says today we mass-produce doctoral graduates like factory widgets, sacrificing quality at the altar of quantity. Image: File/Supplied I WOULD like to address an aspect which has been bothering me for quite some time now. I hope that it will be read critically without necessarily creating any unnecessary consternation. If it does, I would let John Stuart Mill, in his book On Liberty defend me when he posits that: 'The peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is, that is robbing the human race; posterity as well as the existing generations; those who dissent from the opinion, still more than those who hold it. If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth: if wrong, they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with error.' There was a time when the words 'Doctor of Philosophy' carried weight — a sacred trust between society and its thinkers. Today, I watch with growing dismay as we mass-produce doctoral graduates like factory widgets, sacrificing quality at the altar of quantity. The brain, as Carl Sagan reminded us, 'is like a muscle. When it is in use, we feel very good. Understanding is joyous.' Yet, where is this joy in our current academic landscape? Mediocrity has become our unwritten curriculum. It manifests in doctoral theses that contribute nothing but recycled platitudes, in supervisors who prioritise speedy completions over substantive work, and in universities that measure success by graduation statistics rather than intellectual impact. I recall one particularly egregious example: A doctoral candidate whose entire thesis concluded that 'corruption will never end'. This wasn't scholarship — it was intellectual surrender dressed in academic regalia. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Alfred North Whitehead saw this coming nearly a century ago when he warned: 'The race which does not value trained intelligence is doomed. Not all your heroism, not all your social charm, not all your wit, not all your victories on land or at sea, can move back the finger of fate.' His words haunt me as I review dissertation after dissertation that fail to meet even basic standards of original thought. The problem runs deeper than individual failings. We've created a system that actively discourages excellence. Consider these disturbing trends: The Funding Paradox: Universities receive more funding for higher graduation numbers, creating perverse incentives to push students through regardless of quality. I've witnessed committees approve subpar work because 'the department needs the numbers'. Universities receive more funding for higher graduation numbers, creating perverse incentives to push students through regardless of quality. I've witnessed committees approve subpar work because 'the department needs the numbers'. The Death of Mentorship: Where once professors guided protégés through years of intellectual development, today's advisors often view students as administrative burdens. The art of nurturing thinkers has been replaced by the mechanics of processing candidates. Where once professors guided protégés through years of intellectual development, today's advisors often view students as administrative burdens. The art of nurturing thinkers has been replaced by the mechanics of processing candidates. We're increasingly governed by those who 'discount principle in favour of expediency, subordinate ideas to utility, and equivocate while critical issues swarm about them.' This managerial class has turned our universities into degree mills. The Rise of the Administrative Mind: The great social critic Neil Postman saw this coming when he argued that television had transformed education into 'edutainment'. His warning applies equally to our current digital age: 'Our bewilderment has resulted from our notion that salvation depends on information. The remedy may be a return to the process of rational thought.' Similarly, Nicholas Carr's research in *The Shallows* demonstrates how 'the internet is literally rewiring our brains and inducing only superficial understanding'. Is it any wonder our doctoral candidates struggle with deep, sustained thought when their entire education has conditioned them for distraction? All is not lost. We can reclaim academia's soul by: Reinstating Rigour: As E Grady Bogue insisted, we must restore 'the hallmarks of quality' — participation, expectation, risk, dissent, ambiguity, optimism and compassion. These cannot be measured by metrics, but they define true scholarship. As E Grady Bogue insisted, we must restore 'the hallmarks of quality' — participation, expectation, risk, dissent, ambiguity, optimism and compassion. These cannot be measured by metrics, but they define true scholarship. Valuing Time: John Henry Newman understood that true education requires immersion: 'The general principles of any study you may learn by books at home; but the detail, the colour, the tone, the air, the life which makes it live in us, you must catch all these from those in whom it lives already.' We must give students time to breathe, to think, to fail, and to grow. John Henry Newman understood that true education requires immersion: 'The general principles of any study you may learn by books at home; but the detail, the colour, the tone, the air, the life which makes it live in us, you must catch all these from those in whom it lives already.' We must give students time to breathe, to think, to fail, and to grow. Honouring Purpose: John Gardner's words remain essential: 'People would rather work hard for something they believe in than enjoy a pampered idleness… We want meaning in our lives.' Our doctoral programmes must be about more than degrees — they must be about the pursuit of truth. To my colleagues: We became academics because we believed in the life of the mind. Let us have the courage to demand more from our students, from our institutions, and most importantly, from ourselves. The administrative machinery will always push for more graduates, faster completions, and easier standards. We must be the counterweight.
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6 days ago
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ANC leadership shake-up: Disbandment of regional committees in KwaZulu-Natal
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'They are left out because they criticised Ramaphosa'- Analysts on exclusion of key foundations from National Dialogue
Political analysts are of the view that the Thabo Mbeki, Nelson Mandela, and Ahmed Kathrada foundations were 'excluded' from the National Dialogue process announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa, because of their criticism over Ramaphosa's administration. 'I think they are left out because they have been critical of Cyril Ramaphosa's presidency,' said Siyabonga Ntombela, a political analyst from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. 'These foundations have conducted parallel dialogues to discuss the failures of the ANC under Cyril Ramaphosa, the same way they did under (former) President (Jacob) Zuma.' The alleged exclusion comes after concerns about the makeup of the dialogue, with critics also expressing concern over the lack of youth representation. Professor Theo Neethling also expressed concern over the exclusion of not only the Mbeki, Mandela, and Kathrada foundations but also the FW de Klerk Foundation. 'I am disappointed that these foundations appear to have been excluded from helping shape the format of the planned national discussions,' Neethling said. 'Their significance and value as credible NGOs could offer invaluable input and insight.' He also emphasised the importance of involving business leaders and captains of industry, adding that their economic expertise was crucial to the dialogue's success. 'Before we get carried away with enthusiasm, we must ask: Who exactly constitutes the 'national' in this National Dialogue? Where will these dialogues take place? Who will participate, and how will role-players be selected?' he said. 'These critical details remain unclear and must be transparently addressed.' Ramaphosa officially launched the National Dialogue initiative, aimed at reshaping South Africa's future amid rising inequality, unemployment, crime, and systemic corruption. A National Convention will be convened on August 15, bringing together leaders from political, civil, religious, traditional, and business sectors. Ramaphosa said that this is not a one-off event, but the start of a phased, participatory process that will include local consultations, sectoral discussions, and provincial gatherings. The process will culminate in a second national convention in early 2026, where a comprehensive national program of action is expected to be adopted. 'At every turning point in our history, from ending apartheid to building democracy, it has been dialogue that led us forward,' Ramaphosa said. 'This is a call to every South African - young and old, rural and urban, from all communities - to help define our common future.' Ramaphosa announced the formation of an Eminent Persons Group to oversee and guide the process. Among the appointees are Bishop Barnabas Lekganyane of the Zion Christian Church, Grace Bishop Engenas Lekganyane of the St. Engenas Zion Christian Church, former COSATU general secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali, and Springbok captain Siya Kolisi. Those absent from the list were any of Ramaphosa's predecessors or leaders from the foundations. The foundation have consistently slammed Ramaphosa's administration on issues relating to corruption, accountability and governance. Despite the concerns, Ntombela said there was nothing wrong with the composition of the group. 'These are just categories of political, social, and economic organization,' he said. 'Among them, it's possible to have youth leagues and young people's formations. I do not think the criticism is fair.' Even though some have expressed concern and doubt about the effectiveness of the dialogue, Ntombela was blunt in his assessment. 'It will be another lip service, just as other dialogues conducted in the past.' Neethling, however, said there is value in seeking a shared national vision, provided the process is genuine. 'If genuinely inclusive and meaningful, the dialogue can play a vital role in shaping a shared understanding of our challenges and exploring viable solutions,' he said. 'Such engagement can enrich our grasp of the issues and help move us closer to a broadly supported vision for the future.' He stressed that the country's most urgent need is effective strategies to stimulate economic growth. 'Without reaching consensus on this, the national dialogue initiative risks becoming yet another talk shop,' Neethling said. He said the country has faced numerous debates and deep ideological divisions in Parliament over economic and financial policies, often without resolution. 'One of South Africa's most persistent challenges is not a lack of planning, but poor implementation,' he said. 'Even the best policies or visionary ideas will achieve little if implementation barriers are not tackled head-on.' He said the ongoing issues, such as corruption, bureaucratic inefficiency, limited financial resources, and capacity constraints, are all well-known problems that remain insufficiently addressed. [email protected] IOL Politics
