Cape Town - Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande warned of a high risk of coronavirus infection in tertiary institutions if students who do not fall into categories that qualify to return to campuses do so anyway.
Addressing a virtual press briefing on Saturday, Nzimande said only 33% of students would be allowed to return to campuses, two to three weeks after President Cyril Ramaphosa moved the country from level 4 down to level 3 of the lockdown.
SA Students’ Congress national deputy president Buyile Matiwane said the announcement was indicative of a department that was out of ideas and too committed to admit it.
“We appreciate the commitment of the department to saving the academic year but we are not sufficiently satisfied that there is enough consideration to the polarising effect of a staggered/phased approach for those students that we know to be the missing middle,” Matiwane said.
He said it appeared as though, the missing middle would remain missing.
UCT student representative council chairperson Akha Tutu welcomed Nzimande’s presentation, and said it was centred on ensuring a balance between safeguarding lives while saving the academic year.
South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) general secretary Mugwena Maluleke said the measures were in line with level 3 regulations that allowed for a maximum of 33% student population to return to campuses and residences, on condition that they could be safely accommodated and supported in line with the health and safety protocols.
Maluleke said students would start contact tuition two to three weeks after the announcement of the level 3 or 2 to allow for travel back to effectively prepare the campuses for the return.
“This clarity is critical and demonstrates the importance of caring for the students and workers.
"The collaboration between the department, digital technologies, electronic network providers and electric network providers in order to ensure the zero-rating of education content sites of public universities, TVET and Community Education and Training (CET) colleges, agricultural and nursing colleges is welcome,” he said.
“But we call for the speedy introduction of educational data bundles to all the National Student Financial Aid Scheme students in universities and TVET colleges so they can access additional content not covered through the zero rating.”
Maluleke said that should be attended to as a matter of urgency so poor students could be on par with their counterparts who had access to materials not provided for in institutional websites. He said Covid-19 had exposed the critical situation of the CET Colleges which depended largely on the Basic Education department.
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