More than seven years after the #FeesMustFall protests, the embers of the student movement for access to quality education are still burning on university grounds and beyond.
The protests started in Johannesburg in mid-October 2015 and spread to many parts of South Africa, with placards reading “education is not a privilege” and “freedom includes education”. Against the backdrop of a dire economy, desperate cries for access to education and funding reverberated through parliament and the Houses of Union.
Reflecting on this period, Professor Susan Booysen says in the introduction to her book, Fees must fall: Student Rebellion, Decolonization and Governance in South Africa: “[The movement] release social and political forces that challenge the established political order, bring university management, and change the social structure of universities and parts of society. Basic values must be reconsidered, and ideological foundations discarded and discarded; policies are changed, and institutions are transformed – and the power of direct action to achieve radical results is asserted.
It has been eight years since then but the problem still persists. South Africa is still considered the most unequal country in the world. It’s a title they’ve held for years, according to the World Bank. In the higher education sector, the gulf is wider, and the divisions are sharper. Narrowing the gap between those who have access to university and those who do not seem to have been relegated to the background.
Then, there is a division between students – those who are financed by the state, those who are self-financed and those who make the “missing middle”.
According to the World Economic Forum, education is the shortest bridge between the haves and the have-nots, bringing progress and prosperity to individuals and countries.
The #FeesMustFall protest shows the burden of higher education in South Africa – a concept institutions contest every year. Despite interventions in the form of scholarships, government funding through the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) and initiatives by individual higher education institutions such as the University of Johannesburg (UJ), there are many students enrolled in the programme. cracks
Higher education is still in crisis. Audit firm PwC estimates that the cost of delivering a university education is about R50 billion a year. The state contribution is decreasing while the student burden is increasing with the increase in tuition fees.
Compounding this, economic malaise led to NSFAS. Statistics South Africa reports that NSFAS’s share of funding has increased from 20% in 2011-12 to 44% in 2020-21. The government’s focus on short-term solutions to student funding is one of the reasons this crisis is escalating. Unless we find ways to reduce the cost of delivering higher education, increased access will require increased funding.
There are far-reaching consequences. For example, students with unfunded qualifications are at risk of poor academic results, increasing dropout rates. It is estimated that over 40% of all first year students in South Africa do not complete their degree. According to a government review of the first 25 years of democracy published in 2019, in the 2010 cohort, 22% of students obtained a three-year degree in three years, only 39% completed it in the fourth year, and only 56% of students completed their degree in the sixth year .
In addition, the majority of students come from poor backgrounds. At UJ, 59% of students come from disadvantaged backgrounds. They need bursaries to support their postgraduate studies. But bursaries for full-time study are limited, especially in the social sciences and humanities.
Because of this, many choose to study part-time while working. This often interferes with performance.
As the government’s review states, “The determination that has seen these students fight against all odds to enter the first year, shows hidden talent and resilience, which the state cannot do. Therefore, measures are needed to ensure success when they get to university.
The cost of student loans has a ripple effect for institutions. Capital projects and strategic initiatives are on hold as funds are diverted to pay student loan costs.
Another factor to consider is the income received from student tuition fees and from government subsidies as the main source of income for the institution. Although UJ continues to increase third stream income generated from external funds and the introduction of reskilling programs such as Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), short courses and online campuses, the university remains dependent on fees for financial stability, sustainability and longevity. .
Thus, student funding dictates spending and the allocation of institutional income to resources to further advance and enhance the university’s academic and research agenda. This includes investment in professional development, retention and recruitment of quality academic and research staff, as well as research projects and the Global Excellence and Stature strategy at UJ.
The effect on research has a direct impact on university rankings, as most global ranking systems focus on research-intensive universities based on metrics such as research productivity, research quality and impact, research excellence, research collaboration with international academic colleagues, income generated. for research purposes, etc.
In addition, university rankings are beginning to incorporate metrics on student perceptions of the university experience, including student funding. The difficulty students have with funding will inform their university experience, which will ultimately affect ranking results. Rankings are important for third stream funding, for university status and competition, collaboration and cooperation.
Given that complexity, how do we respond? It is worth highlighting some of the initiatives at UJ. The university spends more than R10 million on its student meal assistance program each year to help around 4 600 students a month. In partnership with industry, the university has raised almost R2 billion since 2016 to help middle school students who are missing out. Since 2009, UJ has made R20 million available each year to assist 5 000 students in financial need with annual registration fees. Based on the university’s determination to support students with academic and financial needs, it recently launched the Double Our Future Impact Campaign, which aims to help 10 000 students by 2023. To date, UJ has raised almost R3 million.
Despite these achievements, there are wider sector considerations. First, what is needed is the collaboration of private partnerships to address the lack of student funding. Second, a strategy to manage student funds is needed, supported by the government. Third, efforts should be focused on raising funds to help students who have completed their studies and graduated but still have a lot of debt.
If we have any hope of expanding access to education, these are some of the issues that need to be addressed as soon as possible. If we want to overcome the condition of South Africa – damaged by inequality, inequality and “inaccessibility”, universities must play a role while simultaneously calling for higher changes.
Professor Letlhokwa Mpedi is the vice chancellor and principal of the University College. He is the co-author, Labor Law in Ghana and editor Santa Claus: Law, the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Decolonization and Covid-19. Follow him on Twitter @Lgmpedi.
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect official policy or position Mail & Guardians.