(Refiles to fix typo)
* Experts see registration rush as sign of desperation
* Education struggles to adapt to post-apartheid changes
By Lisa Laventure
JOHANNESBURG, Jan 10 (Reuters) – One person was killed
and about 20 injured in a stampede on Tuesday by students trying
to register at the University of Johannesburg, reflecting
desperate demand for higher education among the poor in Africa’s
largest economy.
Thousands of potential applicants had lined up for days for
about 800 slots at the university, most of them from poor
families but who had scored high enough on national exams to be
considerated for higher education.
The application process has been open for weeks but many
poor students do not have Internet access and could not apply
online. The crush was caused by students pushing their way into
offices on the final day for applications, university officials
said.
“What led to the frenzy was a desperation amongst the
students because they see entrance into university as their only
chance,” said Ruksana Osman, a professor of education at the
University of Witwatersrand.
The person killed was a mother of a potential applicant,
university officials said, while emergency services official
Nana Radebe said about 20 people had been injured, at least
three of them seriously.
Continued…
