‘The poorest of the poor have the same right to education’
In a country with the highest inequality in the world, how to finance the majority of students who come from disadvantaged backgrounds has been a difficult problem – for a long time. As the state began to fund the poorest students after the #FeesMustFall protests, the problem of “missing middle school students” became apparent, and many students with National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) funding struggled to meet their needs while studying, and completing. degree. All stakeholders, and all South Africans, must work together to solve the problem.
It appeared in an in-depth webinar held by Fundi, an organization of specialist finance and education fund management, and Mail & Guardians. Moderator Thembekile Mrototo, Radio and Television News Anchor at Newsroom Africa, engaged academics in a lively debate on the challenges and solutions to student funding in our country.
Professor Xolise Mtose, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Zululand, said in his keynote address: “The issue of student funding has been very much in the national consciousness and all body politics for decades.” He warned that when discussing this issue, people should adopt a critical and reflexive attitude about their own ideological stance, and practical and sustainable solutions should be created to promote the expansion and participation of youth in higher education.
To fix the apartheid system, which favored white students, the post-1994 government created White Paper 3 in 1997, which stated the transformation of higher education, to overcome the historical pattern of exclusion and respond to the needs of the new democratic society. . But nearly 30 years later, funding for the system remains an enigma.
Mtose said that the realization of transformation in higher education in South Africa has been robbed by two main elements that are in tension: the position of the government’s policy that finances higher education, and the main belief that the cost should be shared by the students and the students. family.
Researchers and policy makers have been trying for years to find solutions to the lack of public funding for higher education, subsidies for universities, student loans and debt, and more. The issue of the #FeesMustFall 2016 demonstration came together quickly to transform the sector. In 2017 then-president Jakob Zuma announced that higher education will be funded by the state, for students who come from households with an income of R350 000 per year.
The debate on student funding currently focuses on three main areas: access, quality and cost. There are self-paying students, loan-financed students who depend on their parents, and unfunded students. The “missing middle” are students whose household income is more than R350 000, but whose parents do not earn enough to secure a bank loan for their children’s tertiary education. We must examine and acknowledge the diverse needs of this group, their complexity and vulnerability, and examine the loan schemes available to them.
Mtose said: “The poorest of the poor have an equal right to be educated.” A practical and sustainable solution must be found for this problem, although several commissions and task forces have tried to solve this; A coordinated approach between all stakeholders is required. In a presentation shared with the audience, Mtose explained how funding student studies can be done, but he said that much work still needs to be done on the topic, which requires “a different understanding”.
Mrototo stated that according to the Minister of Higher Education and Training Blade Nzimande, NSFAS needs R47 billion to support 900 000 students by 2023. Another alarming statistic is that 60% of students in universities are funded by NSFAS, and in TVET colleges, 90% of students are beneficiaries NSFAS.
He asked Dr Birgit Schreiber, HELM Senior Associate, if we are in this funding quagmire because of education policy or because of socioeconomic conditions? He replied that it was mostly due to mismanagement of funding, and poor funding models. We must remember that educated students are a public good – necessary for society to function well – so most of the funding should come from the public sector. “Government is responsible for education, because through education we can sustain tomorrow.” The private sector can step in, but only in a supporting role.
Students are hungry and inequality is huge
In the question of people in the sector working in silos, Mtose said it was a “terrible mistake” to forget how some poor school graduates are actually eligible for NSFAS funding. We need to remember the depth of inequality in this country, and students often need a lot of support in their first year. Sometimes it was heard that students were lying in their rooms because they had no money for three days.
Professor Letlhokwa Mpedi, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Johannesburg, said universities have a responsibility to help students, especially those who are struggling financially. UJ is taking a calculated risk to help this year’s 800 students who are still hoping for NSFAS funding. The SRC trust fund at UJ provides R20 million per year to help students enroll. Many students get funding to study but cannot feed themselves, so we have a food scheme that provides a warm meal every day. “We need a culture of giving; every rand counts.”
Schreiber was asked, what is higher education? He replied that South African universities need to do a lot of work to create a learning environment, including, now, providing safety, lighting and water. We need to lobby more for the government to create a more functional environment.
Avuxeni Tyala, President of the SRC at Rhodes University said that there is often a lack of collaboration between university authorities and students, and protests often occur because the same problem is not addressed, again and again. He added that it is very difficult for most students to get into university; this year many are desperate and asking to enter after the final release of matric results. He said that student leadership should create a place where they can give graduates, to help those who enter the system.
Mtose said he sympathized with poverty, but not failure; students must provide value when money is invested in people. The majority of South Africans are in need, so those with the means must “stop playing”; many students come from expensive private schools and then in the NSFAS funding at the university.
Higher education costs
Mpedi says South Africa is the most unequal country in the world. Every year higher education institutions (HEIs) have protests about funding, because many students still “act”. There are more students every year, but not more funding. Tuition continues to rise, as does student debt. Demand for space has outstripped NSFAS funding; short-term solutions do not work. We also have to struggle with the dropout rate – 40% of students do not complete their degree.
Poor students need scholarships for graduate studies, and many who want to study further have to work part-time. The global ranking of universities depends very much on the research that is made, and lately, on the opinions of the students themselves, so if the funding is low, this is affected, and this also affects the ranking, and thus the funding of the third stream.
UJ spends R10 million per year on meals for almost 5 000 students, and has raised with private partnerships nearly R2 billion for middle school students. It also donates millions to help students enroll. The university supports those who are financially and academically deserving, and those who are ready to graduate but are struggling with debt. The community should work with universities and youth to support higher education.
Makgau Didakwane, CEO of Fundi, agrees, and says we need to pool all available resources. He said funding is the responsibility of ALL South Africans, not just government and corporations. Focus on “not enough”, but we better think about using what we already have to our maximum advantage.
He added that many students do not have the right information and many struggle to register, so the right information must be available, on the right platform, and technology can help a lot in this regard.
Online is the advanced answer
Schreiber said the university could be more flexible in its course offerings, and do more online courses. Mpedi agreed; UJ has several online courses, and is looking at the “carousel” option, where students can “go on and off” courses and curriculum.
Mtose said some University of Zululand students benefited from online courses, and hybrid learning was the future. Flexibility is required; for example, when a student is sick, they can still study online. Tyala said he agrees with the hybrid system, and that financial considerations will not hold students back from qualifying.
Dibakwane said Fundi finances higher education – even short courses – and concluded that solutions can only come from collaboration between all stakeholders. — Derek Davey