Zuma’s free education plan greeted by chorus of concerns

THE plan by President Jacob Zuma to provide free education for first-year students does not solve key concerns of the Fees Must Fall movement, according to the Universities South Africa (USAF).

“This is not a fee-free system‚ but a positive extension of the NSFAS [National Student Financial Aid Scheme] to disadvantaged students,” USAF chief executive Professor Ahmed Bawa said.

“It’s still not free education for all as those who do not qualify for the NSFAS or have not applied will not get funding.”

USAF‚ which represents universities‚ was thrown off by Zuma’s lack of consultation before making the unexpected announcement.

“We were annoyed that we were not consulted before the decision was made,” Bawa said.

“We needed at least a year to go through the strategy and implementation.

“But, if the system works, it will be a huge boon for our students.

“This is a huge advance for students as long as it will be sustainable with a delivery mode that works.”

The organisation is concerned that it might result in more student protests.

“Because this is only for first-years‚ second-year and third-year students will have to continue with the packages they had and not expect free education,” Bawa said.

“This is going to bring a significant challenge. There will be a lot of confusion and possible protest by those students excluded.”

The Department of Higher Education and Training had reassured institutions that there was enough money to fund the five-year funding plan‚ Bawa said.

On the question of a possible influx of students due to possible free education‚ Bawa said universities would stick with their agreed enrolment plans.

The organisation would seek meetings with the Treasury early next year to get clarity on the allocation of funds.

The plan by Zuma disregards recommendations by a commission of inquiry into the feasibility of free education‚ headed by former Judge Jonathan Heher‚ which found that free education would strain the country’s fiscus.

In his announcement, Zuma revised the definition of poor and working-class students to enrolled TVET [technical and vocational education and training] college or university students from South African households with a combined annual income of up to R350 000.

Nelson Mandela University Democratic Alliance Student Organisation chairman Avela Mboniswa said the plan was based on playing politics with the hopes and futures of millions of young people.

“Poor students will flood institutions of higher learning in January with the hope of full funding, while the minister of finance will only touch on the matter in his February budget speech,” he said.

“This January intake will be a nightmare for students as we will face a chaotic and confused administration in institutions of higher learning with no answers to our questions‚” he said. – TimesLIVE