U. of Cape Town Debates Affirmative Action

The University of Cape Town, once an institution of apartheid, is having an intense debate over the use of affirmative action in admissions, The New York Times reported. Supporters and defenders both cite statistics and ethics. Those who favor affirmative action note that even with admissions help, white students outnumber black students at Cape Town two-to-one in a country where 79 percent of the population is black and 9 percent is white. Others note graduation rates. Just over half of black students graduate in five years, while four of five white students do so.