A shutdown won’t solve historical debt – Universities SA

Times Live 31 January 2020

Universities South Africa says individual institutions cannot write off students’ historical debt, as demanded, and there cannot be a solution wrought by protests, writes Nomahlubi Jordaan for Times Live.

“No solution will be found by shutting down universities. In fact, the impact will be on the academic year: on the quality of teaching and learning, the general learning environment and the extent to which students will graduate,” said Universities South Africa Chief Executive Ahmed Bawa.

Bawa’s comments come as the South African Union of Students (SAUS) has called on students across the country to embark on a total shutdown until the Department of Higher Education and Training has wiped off historical debts of students funded by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme. Bawa said the historical debt was sitting at ZAR9 billion (US$603 million) and government could not afford to simply wipe it off, as students demand.
Full report on the Times Live site

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