We cannot shy away from talking about the abuse of the NSFAS finances by the students themselves. As much as we strive for ensuring that poor students access education and successfully get the necessary financial assistance through the system, we also find certain practices that are not comforting. NSFAS is meant to assist academically deserving students who come from poor backgrounds to access education and further training. We are concerned, however, about recent developments in events at institutions of higher learning. From our recent oversight visit to such institutions we learnt that students are refunded their NSFAS money at the end of the year. For example, at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, a student reported to the committee that he was refunded R11 000 and was excited because he was sorted for the December festive season. What does this mean? One will be tempted to assume that students use this money for entertainment, including buying whatever makes them happy. Ironically, we found that the same student who was refunded R11 000 at the end of 2010 could not afford to register the following year. [Interjections.]
Yes, we applaud NSFAS and say that it must continue but, Minister, the main question that comes up is this: Are the NSFAS issues managed well? That is important.
Ngalokho ngiphonsa inselelo kuzo zonke izinhlaka ezihola abafundi ezikoleni, nakuzo zonke izinhlaka zomphakathi ekutheni lokhu okuncane uhulumeni akwenzayo masiqikelele ukuthi kufeza izinhloso ezifanele ikakhulukazi ezinhlakeni zabafundi. Ngifisa ukuthi ngiwuvuselele lowo nembeza wokuthi izimali ezikhishwa nguhulumeni ukuyosiza umfundi ukuthi enze okungcono ngempilo yakhe, hhayi ukuthi athi ngibuyiselwe imali. Nayo imikhakha ayikwazi ukuphindisela imali kubafundi mayelana nezinto ezinjalo. (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)
[With that I'm posing a challenge to all the structures that lead the students in schools and to all the community structures: the little that the government is doing, let us make sure that it achieves the relevant objectives, especially in the student structures. I wish to revive that conscience that says: the financial aid that is offered by the government to a learner is to help the learner improve his or her life. He or she must say that he or she got a refund. Even the institutions are not able to refund students for such things.]
So, that is the planning that needs to happen in our institutions so that we can see education being taken forward in future.
Another funny issue is that of variation in the admission policies of institutions of higher learning. The Department of Higher Education and Training has set minimum standards for admission to institutions of higher learning and the point system is the policy that is currently being used. However, meeting their requirements is not a surety that you will be admitted to these universities, given that on top of these minimum requirements, institutions place their own requirements per programme or per faculty. These are sometimes higher than what students can reach, especially those from a previously disadvantaged background.
Again, the National Benchmark Tests are used as a compulsory assessment for prospective first-year students for entry into higher education. These assessment tests are not free. How on earth can you expect a child coming from a poor family to pay for the test that will allow him or her to get entrance into university? Sometimes these things are done very carelessly, Minister. We need the department to take care of them so that we see our people being freed in totality.
We are not saying that institutions must lower their standards, but we argue that in terms of Section 37 of the Higher Education Act, Act 101 of 1997, their admission policy must provide appropriate measures for the redress of the inequalities of the past and may not unfairly discriminate in any way.
Disparities in terms of application fees still persist in our institutions of higher learning. The exorbitant application fees really contribute to the walk-ins that we see at the beginning of every year because prospective learners from poor families cannot even afford to pay these application fees. One is tempted to ask this question: What makes the application process at the University of the Western Cape different from the one at the University of Stellenbosch? For 2013, the University of Johannesburg is charging a nonrefundable R400 per application. The University of Stellenbosch is charging R300, while the University of the Western Cape is charging R50. Why do these disparities exist? Minister, we really call for the regulation of this process. [Applause.]
It is not always true that learners do not want to apply in time. It is because they cannot afford these nonrefundable fees. Minister, we are advocating for a standardised application fee for all the institutions - that they be regulated one way or the other - while we are still waiting for the centralised application system, which you have mentioned and promised by 2013.
One other concern that we as the committee have around our institutions of higher learning is the accreditation by professional bodies.