Violence tactic fails students

STUDENTS should stop violent acts and find solutions to the ongoing disruptions.

The rumpus that has engulfed our universities regarding the payment of fees and the call for free education compels all stakeholders, specifically students, university management, business, government, civil society, parents and society to come together to find solutions.

Universities have habitually been the preserve of those who could afford the exorbitant fees.

To increase access, government has over the years made money available through its student funding programme, NSFAS, to help those who couldn t afford to pay for their education.

The unfortunate nascent pandemonium has, in a way, pitted students against universities and government, as the call has shifted to the demand for free higher education.

The protests have turned violent, wherein millions of rands worth of damages to some universities has been recorded.

These acts of violence will leave institutions and government with no choice but to close down the facilities to ensure no more casualties are recorded. What the students fail to fathom is that they encumber academic progress by employing these tactics.

The timing of the unrest and the methods used are in no way favourable for learning to continue.

Students should go back to class and think about how to move for the ultimate objective of ensuring free higher education for those who cannot afford not for all, as this may compromise the quality of education.

Phaladi Seakgwe By e-mail