Access to Quality Education: A Study on How the Tertiary Education System of Mauritius and South Africa Reflects This Goal

Abstract For emphasis to be laid on the question, “for whom higher education is about,” it shows that there is a disparity in terms of the availability or accessibility of higher education to people around the globe. The right to education, in itself, is a fundamental basic human right which should be, if not, within the reach of every human being on the planet, regardless of any factors which might discriminate against them in any way, such as race, gender, religion, political affiliation, sexual orientation, etc. The purpose of this study is to analyze how, by making tertiary education accessible to all (including students with disabilities), the core missions of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) can be achieved. In Mauritius, free access to public universities contributed positively to the inclusion of diversity and equity. Similarly, as for South Africa, despite its challenges and differences in terms of its geography, history, and journey of economic and political stability, it has also been able to show a good record of more females pursuing tertiary education. Hence, the authors note that the goal is similar for both countries but the method of achieving the same result could be different. This study aims at looking into the inputs of each country to address the gap between access to quality education and equity, diversity, and inclusion and how does this help in creating a better future for human societies with education as a main focus.