Nondelivery of study materials rattles students

Student nurses at a Gauteng college boycotted classes yesterday as they protested against lack of textbooks since the start of the 2018 academic year in January.

The students of Ann Latsky Nursing College in Johannesburg abandoned their classes and started singing as they also called for the bursary system to be scrapped.

The Young Nurses Indaba Trade Union also released a statement threatening to shut down all colleges in the province should the department fail to deliver resources by tomorrow.

SRC member Dumisani Nhleko said students were frustrated because they had been attending classes without textbooks for pivotal subjects such as human anatomy, physiology and midwifery.

“We cannot expect students to render quality services when their education is compromised. Our students are also exposed to communicable diseases but they are told that they are not eligible for medical cover,” Nhleko said.

He said they were also faced with other problems like lack of uniforms, the poor condition of student living quarters and stipend disparities.

First year students who were already seated inside a lecture hall were seen leaving class and singing as they joined the others near the reception area.

Sowetan also saw one of the letters addressed to the department which stated that poor planning and implementation of the bursary system was causing problems at colleges.

“The bursary system under these conditions has left both students and stakeholders severely affected on various levels: being academically depleted and psychologically distressed,” the letter states.

A 21-year-old second-year student, who asked not to be named for fear of victimisation, said they were sick and tired of being forced to work without resources.

“When we get to class we just sit there but we can’t engage with our lecturers because we don’t have the material. When we fail, it looks like we did not study. It’s not fair,” she said.

Another student added that they were expected to work under the same conditions as permanent staff.

“We are expected to perform the same duties and work similar hours. But we don’t have medical aid. If I get injured on duty, who is going to look after me?

“We work in acute wards where we are exposed to diseases but we don’t get compensated for that,” he said.

The Gauteng health department’s comment was not forthcoming by the time of going to print yesterday.