Province aims to push for policy on universities

Poor excluded by high fees – Ngcukayitobi

IF THE Eastern Cape ANC has its way, the governing party should come out of its national elective conference with a clear programme to end the “institutional autonomy” that is enjoyed by universities in South Africa, which frustrates the attainment of free education.

This was said by the ANC’s provincial secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi prior to a twoday provincial general council (PGC) today and tomorrow, which will refine policy positions ahead of the national conference at Nasrec in Johannesburg.

Ngcukayitobi said the Eastern Cape would reject the Heher Commission’s recommendation that NSFAS be replaced with the Income Contingent Loan System, which would be financed by the banks.

Instead, the province will push for the ANC to see to it that free education is delivered to students from poor and working-class communities.

However, he said the Eastern Cape will also argue that the ANC-led government develop policy to challenge the “free-for-all” autonomy exercised by universities.

“We are of the view that universities must be regulated because their so-called autonomy contributes towards the difficulty to attain free education,” said Ngcukayitobi.

“The cost of education in our universities is too high because there is a free-for-all in how they determine their tuition fees and other student costs which is a concern because it excludes the poor and that is a concern that the ANC must address decisively.”

Also, the Eastern Cape ANC would propose that part of the regulation of universities would include probing how the qualifications offered and the curriculum linked up with government’s development goals.

“The graduates universities produce must have the necessary skills that are in demand in the market and government and, as such, the university curriculum must speak to that to avoid further escalation of the unemployed graduates’ scourge.”

Ngcukayitobi said the province was also concerned about the high dropout rate in the basic education phase in light of statistics that revealed that only half of all pupils that started Grade 1 made it to matric in South Africa.

Today and tomorrow is meant to give party members and members of the public, who will converge at the East London City Hall, a chance to discuss policy positions to ready the province to make a meaningful contribution on policy matters at Nasrec, where the ruling party will adopt policies and elect a new leadership.

Discussion commissions at the city hall will dwell on issues of strategy and tactics, economic transformation, organisational renewal, peace and stability, communication and the “battle of ideas”, education, health and governance.

Ngcukayitobi said there would be another one-day PGC next week before the national conference to consolidate suggestions.

The province, said Ngcukayitobi, will also strive to lobby for its unique proposal that the ANC considers electoral reforms on how it elects its leaders.

The policy proposal shot into ANC debate circles when it was initially brought into the public discourse by ANC provincial chairman Oscar Mabuyane in June.

Ngcukayitobi said the province was happy that their party electoral reform suggestion was embraced by the ANC veterans’ league and party stalwarts. — dispatch.co.za