USAf punts Cach system

UNIVERSITIES SA (USAf ) has called on universities to provide support to students in order to help them make use of the Central Application Clearing House (Cach) system to seek space at universities.

USAf said that during a meeting on Monday, feedback was received from a number of universities that had started to register students and positive feedback was received about the orderly manner in which registrations were progressing.

“It was decided that a more flexible approach would be adopted to address the question of walk-ins, so as to ensure a successful registration period,” said USAf.

“Universities that do not have vacant academic seats available will endeavour, to the extent that their resources and facilities permit, to provide a support facility to walk-in students to facilitate their use of – and access to the Department of Higher Education and Training’s Central Application Clearing House (Cach) system.”

USAf said that the use of the Cach system provided students with access to vacant academic seats across the university and TVET college sectors.

“Universities that do have vacant seats available will process walk-in applications where there is a match between the candidate’s chosen field of study and the vacant seats.

“Universities may also require students to use their institutional online application systems. To the extent possible, each university will provide information on academic programmes that can still accept new students. Each university will make its position known to the prospective students and to the public at large through various forms of communication.”

USAf added that they looked forward to an effective, smooth and successful registration period over the next three to four weeks as about 208 000 firstyear students were entering the system for the first time, while more than a million students are registered across South Africa’s 26 public universities.

Meanwhile, the National Education Health & Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) has warned employer NSFAS (National Student Financial Aid Scheme) to put measures in place to avert a full-blown strike that they are preparing to have as it might have dire consequences for the poor.

“This looming strike is as a result of the failed negotiations in the Bargaining Council between NSFAS and Nehawu,” said Nehawu secretariat Zola Saphetha.

A list of Nehawu’s demands include a review of CTC salary structure for level 1-12; medical aid cover subsidy to extend to parents of the NSFAS employees of which the employer must pay 100% of such costs, a fulltime employment of workers who are on fixed-term contracts among others. – African News Agency/ANA/ Staff Reporter

A MORE FLEXIBLE APPROACH WOULD BE ADOPTED TO ADDRESS WALK-INS