Page 39 - DUT Annual Report 2020

Figure 9. Percentage success rates by gender, 2018 – 2020
Race
Figure 10 illustrates that all race groups, with the exception of White students, met the DHET target of an 80% success rate in 2020. Success rates for African and Indian students improved in 2020. African students’ success rate increased from 85% to 87%, and a 7-year high was observed for Indian students (87%). In contrast, the success rate for Coloured students declined by 1 percentage point to 84%, and there was a bigger decrease in White students’ performance, from 80% to a 78% success rate. Although Coloured and White students comprise a very small percentage of total headcount enrolments (2%), their declining success rates are a source of concern.
Figure 10. Success rates by race, 2018 – 2020
Race differences in success rates exist across the major fields of study. Indian students were the only race group that did not experience a decrease in success rates across all fields of study. While success rates in Business/ Commerce stayed constant at 86%, improvements were observed, particularly in the Humanities (a 5 percentage points increase to 86%) and in SET (a 4 percentage points increase to 87%). In comparison, the success rate of African students in the Humanities reduced from 90% in 2019 to 87% in 2020. The biggest decline in success rate was observed for White students in Business/Commerce, from 83% to 69%.
DURBAN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY ANNUAL REPORT 2020
92%
91%
90% 88%
86% 84% 82% 80% 78%
76% 74%
88%
88%
87%
85%
85%
828%
2018
82%
2019
83%
2020
FEMALE
MALE
TOTAL
88 86 84 82
80 78
76 74 72
86%
87% 87% 84%
85%
85%
84%
83%
82%
82%
80%
Indian
78%
2018
2019 Coloured
2020
African
White
The combined enrolments of Whites, Coloureds and Indians have been falling over time, and in 2020 comprised about 11% of the total headcount enrolments (down from 13% in 2019). Reasons for the declining success rates need to be identified and remedial action taken in line with ENVISION2030’s intent to position DUT as a locus for lifelong learning.
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