tribal college, noun phrase
In historical contexts. During the apartheid era, a university located in an ethnic ‘homeland’ for the exclusive use of students belonging to that ethnic group; loosely, any university for a particular ethnic group; also called bush college (see bush adjective1 sense 2). See also homeland sense 1.
1962 L.E. Neame Hist. of Apartheid 140The National Union of Students, representing the English-speaking students, declared the proposal that ‘tribal colleges’ would not be able to search for the truth as their foundation rested on ‘a belief in the racial inferiority of the Africans’.
1991 A. Van Wyk Birth of New Afrikaner 15It was as a verligte that I parted with journalism in 1969 to join the Department of History at the University College for Indians on Salisbury Island in Durban harbour...Small wonder that I was annoyed when I learned that fellow Nats were sneering at us for working at a ‘tribal college’.
During the apartheid era, a university located in an ethnic ‘homeland’ for the exclusive use of students belonging to that ethnic group; loosely, any university for a particular ethnic group; also called bush college (see bush adjective1 sense 2).