DESTIGMATIZING THE EXTENDED CURRICULUM PROGRAMME (ECP): A PATH TOWARDS REALITY, EQUALITY, EQUITY, AND JUSTICE

The stigma surrounding Extended Curriculum Programmes (ECPs) and the misconceptions about their academic value took centre stage during a recent benchmarking engagement between representatives from Walter Sisulu University (WSU) and a visiting delegation from the University of Johannesburg (UJ) at WSU’s Potsdam Site.

The visit, aimed at fostering collaboration and mutual learning, opened an important dialogue about the social justice imperative of ECPs in the South African higher education landscape.

The session was led by WSU ECP Manager, Ms. Dorris Mngeni-Gweva, who emphasised that the continued stigmatisation of ECPs undermines the transformative intent behind their creation.

“The ECP programme is a social justice issue,” said Mngeni-Gweva. “We know that the higher education sector wants to remove barriers to access, yet many of those barriers persist. Through the interventions we offer, ECP ensures that despite the gaps, students still have a fair chance to succeed.”

The discussions highlighted how both WSU and UJ have developed innovative strategies and institutional values to reposition the ECP as a legitimate and essential academic pathway, rather than a remedial or secondary track.

Participants exchanged ideas on how to bridge the perceived divide between ECP and mainstream academic programmes, focusing on practices that affirm student potential and normalise academic diversity within university spaces.

Adding a national dimension to the conversation was Dr Tshegofatso Setilo, Departmental Head at UJ, who leads the institution’s Access Programmes Unit.

Dr Setilo initiated the engagement with WSU as part of her and her colleagues’ visit to the Potsdam Site while attending the HELTASA (Un)Conference.

She underscored the urgent need for equitable access to quality higher education, noting that the ECP space has been instrumental in addressing this challenge through robust foundational support structures.

“At the foundational level, it’s very important that you guide students as they adjust to university life,” explained Dr Setilo.

She added saying: “By equipping them with the tools and resources to navigate these new environments effectively, we begin to close the perceived deficit between ECP and mainstream programmes.”

Her remarks reinforced a shared belief among both institutions: that ECPs are not about lowering standards, but about levelling the playing field—providing students from under-resourced backgrounds with the confidence, academic literacy, and self-efficacy needed to thrive.

Mngeni-Gweva further outlined the comprehensive scope of WSU’s ECP, which includes developing the Programme Qualification Mix (PQM), managing student admissions and enrolments, designing inclusive curricular frameworks, and implementing student and staff development strategies. The programme also oversees financial management and reports to the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET).

By Thando Cezula