Cape Town - Advocay group Equal Education says the government is not putting enough money into the country’s universities and a review of “vanity projects” could help to address this issue.
The group made an oral submission at the public hearings of the Commission of Inquiry into Higher Education and Training, known as the fees commission, which was held at the Centre for the Book.
The Commission was established in January to inquire into, report on and make recommendations on the feasibility of fee-free higher education and training.
It is expected to submit a preliminary report to President Jacob Zuma in November and a full report next year.
Equal Education’s parliamentary officer, Andile Cele, said a zero percent fee increase was not enough. She said South Africa’s cabinet was big, while several state-owned enterprises had repeatedly required bail-outs from the government, all indications that additional money for higher education could be found.
Cele said it was the group’s position that if you could afford to pay fees, you should.
The University of the Western Cape, in its submission, presented by Professor Vivienne Lawack, a deputy vice-chancellor at the institution, stated that it had heeded a call by the Minister of Education in 1995 to suspend fee increases and to allow indigent students to register without paying.
“This resulted in rising student debt with no assistance forthcoming from the state. At this time, UWC’s student numbers also dropped by almost a third to less than 10 000 students which aggravated the financial problems,” the submission stated.
Lawack said the university supported free education for the poor.
“State funding through subsidy has declined by 11 percent since 2000. If financial support for poor students is provided for by the State in accordance with current rate of subsidy funding increases this will results in financial loss in real terms.”
In their submission, the National Research Foundation said any funding decisions for students must include appropriate resourcing for postgraduate studies.
Towards the end of Monday’s hearings there was a disruption by a few protesters. The Fees Commission later tweeted that hearings had been “adjourned as interpreters are being brought in to meet the students’ demand of presenting in their own languages”.
The commission is expected to hear submission from UCT, Stellenbosch University, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, among others, on Tuesday.
Cape Argus