Students need State support

EDITOR — The proposed meeting between the President and students this Saturday could not have come at a better time considering there are many grievances that have remained unsolved for a long time.

The higher education sector today faces numerous challenges compared to years gone by. There are many challenges that students are facing, but were never faced by those who were enrolled at universities or colleges in the 80s and 90s.

A closer look at the problems that are being faced today shows that they are largely financial. Students in the past were able to cater for their needs and indeed other family members.

In some cases, they were able to pay school fees for their siblings, thanks to the grants that they got.

Many promises have been made to bring back this grant facility, but up to now, the issue has not been resolved.

All students in tertiary institutions should benefit from this. Of course, the number of students in the country has greatly increased. We, therefore, do not expect large amounts

Any amount, no matter how little, will make a difference in the lives of students. Student life is very expensive and demanding and this has become a barrier to those who are academically gifted, but are disadvantaged financially.

A lot of social vices that are plaguing our institutions of higher learning can be blamed on financial issues.

I hope the issue of employment will be addressed through this meeting. This is a great opportunity because our President is the Chancellor of all State universities in the country. We look forward to a fruitful meeting. Tatenda Shumba.