Varsities scramble to catch up after protests

UNIVERSITIES in Pretoria have stepped up efforts to make up for lost time and salvage what is left of the academic year after the #FeesMustFall protests.

At the University of Pretoria, computer labs have reopened for students who don’t have internet access for researching, typing and submitting assignments and studying.

The labs in the technical services building have been made available for this purpose and have proved popular.

Final-year information science student Nomalungelo Mkhabela welcomed the opportunity. “Some of us don’t have access to computers at home. The computer centre allows us to have extensive access to the university database,” she said.

Another information science student, Andile Mkhize, said the gesture showed that the university management had the students’ interests at heart.

“I support #FeesMustFall, but equally I realise that the show must go on and the academic year needs to be completed,” he said.

Lecturers upload lectures for students and some met students in parks and coffee shops, while others are forming study groups.

At the Tshwane University of Technology, students were requested to attend classes and prepare for the remaining tests.

Spokesperson Willa de Ruyter said the university remained steadfast to ensure that all students successfully completed the academic year.

“In view of this, academic activities and tests scheduled will continue at all campuses (today),” she said.

Students were encouraged to use virtual platforms for test schedules and other important information.

But some students said they needed more time to catch up. Martin Rabede, a second-year education student, said the university was exerting too much pressure.

“How are we expected to attend classes, at times submit two or three assignments in a day and still write tests in between presentations and other academic engagements?”

Engineering student Masego Skhosana said the pressure would affect academic performance.

Some staff members said a social media message indicated that students would interrupt classes, but it was condemned.

Students promised to defend their precious academic time. “This showed they are in no mood for a protest or anything that could compromise their semester any further,” a staff member said.

Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe has warned that failure to complete the year could see matriculants losing their placements in universities and colleges.

Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University interim vice-chancellor Chris de Beer has announced that fees for next year wouldn’t increase in order to ensure stability on campus and successful completion of the academic year.

In a full-page advert, vice-chancellors of 26 universities, under the banner Universities South Africa, expressed their commitment and conviction that the 2016 academic project would be completed and they were ready to receive new students for next year.