Declaration of the 3rd Summit of YCLSA Campus-Based Branches
November 15, 2015
Midrand, Johannesburg
The Young Communist League of South Africa [uFasimba] convened its 3rd National Summit of Campus Based Branches from November 13 to November 15, 2015 in Johannesburg. The Summit was attended by delegates drawn from YCLSA branches based in universities and TVET colleges across the country.
Convened under the theme “Education for the youth, and youth for education”, the aim of the Summit was to reflect on and map a way forward in relation to the role that must be played by YCLSA cadres in the sphere of higher education and training. Delegates were seized with finding solutions to a number of challenges confronting the sector, and the responsibility of developing a comprehensive program of action to be undertaken by our branches in both universities and TVET colleges.
The summit was convened against the backdrop of the relentless campaign waged by progressive students who are not only concerned by the commodification of higher education, but by other transformation issues bedeviling the post-school sector. The summit congratulates the class of 2015 for successfully waging this historic struggle against commodification of higher education in our country. This important political breakthrough scored by united workers and students reaffirms our long held belief that working class solidarity is conditional for the advancement and deepening of the struggle for socialism.
The recent wave of student protests popularized by the #FeesMustFall hashtag has further given impetus to the need for all progressive forces to strategize on a programme that will be responsive to challenges faced, with institutional autonomy continuing to be used as a scare crow when decisive, progressive decisions have to be taken.
The summit received messages of support from our allies in the Progressive Youth Alliance [PYA]. Delegates had the pleasure of being addressed by two former Presidents of South African Students Congress [SASCO] in Gilbert Kganyago and David Maimela, who shared their experiences in pursuit of students’ battles and struggle. Also noteworthy is the presentation by Professor Steven Friedman that interrogated the current state of higher education in the country and its class content.
The Summit resolved on a number of pressing issues, most of which demand immediate action from all stakeholders in the sector, with the YCL’s role being clearly defined:
Free compulsory quality higher education NOW
Efforts aimed at ensuring the implementation of free compulsory quality higher education should be intensified by all stakeholders, primarily the Department of Higher Education and Training, the National Treasury and the private sector. However, those who afford should pay tuition fees.
The decision for no fee hikes in the next academic year is welcomed with caution and work should be undertaken to ensure that no university managers do not backtrack from this decision and hide behind institutional autonomy. No academically sound and financially needy student should be subjected to exorbitant registration fees and upfront payment. Universities with funding reserves must re-direct such funds towards students’ outstanding debts and the student funding shortfall.
The work of the mooted Presidential Commission on Funding should be guided by recommendations contained in Reports of Ministerial Committees commissioned recently, namely, the Ministerial Committee on the Review of NSFAS, the Ministerial Committee of the Review of Funding of Universities and the Working Group on Fee-Free Education.
Recommendations of these Committees should be implemented immediately without fail as they will move us closer to the realisation of free quality higher education.
Curriculum transformation
Curriculum in institutions of higher learning should be transformed to be reflective of and be responsive to South African realities. Work that would ensure the Africanisation and decolonization of our curriculum content should be fast-tracked.
Outsourcing
The Summit reaffirmed the YCLSA’s resolution to ensure an immediate end to outsourcing and all exploitative employment practices in institutions of higher learning. Services provided by outsourced companies should be provided in-house. This will also go a long way in the de-tenderisation of institutions of higher learning and rooting out corruption.
Institutional Autonomy and the Higher Education Amendment Bill
Institutional Autonomy that has disregard for public accountability must fall! Institutional Autonomy that continues to be used as a scare crow and a defense tool to maintain the status quo and prevent transformation in our universities must be done away with. The Summit welcomes the Higher Education Amendment Bill as a measure to address problems that come with Institutional Autonomy.
Governance in institutions of higher learning
The Summit pronounced strongly against inefficiencies of Governance structures in our institutions of higher learning. University and College Councils must be restructured to be more representative of the biggest constituencies, namely, students and workers.
The Summit resolved to make it mandatory for all Student Representative Councils to make submissions on transformation issues in all Council Meetings and ensure the fruition of proposals contained therein.
Institutional Forums as toothless talk shops should be done away with and their functions should be referred back to Councils, given the need to accelerate transformation and the binding nature of Council decisions.
Re-opening of education, nursing and agricultural colleges
The Department of Higher Education and Training should speedily implement the decision to re-open Education, Nursing and Agricultural Colleges. Funding should be availed to all students who intend on pursuing those higher education pathways.
Student accommodation
There must be adherence to minimum norms and standards for student accommodation as recommended by the Ministerial Committee on Student Housing. The exploitation of students by private providers of student accommodation must come to an end. Universities should prioritise the expansion of their accommodation given the growing demand for student accommodation that enables academic excellence.
TVET Colleges as institutions of choice
The YCLSA will campaign relentlessly to ensure the rebranding of Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Colleges as institutions of choice and not institutions of last resort. Young people should be exposed to a wide array of post-school education and training opportunities, with no pathway taking primacy over the other. It must also be easy for students to articulate from one post-school education and training pathway to the other.
Corruption in the higher education sector
Anti-Corruption measures in institutions of higher learning should be devised where they do not exist, and strengthened where they do exist. Corruption in the higher education sector is not only prevalent among student governance structures, contrary to the popular opportunistic narrative that leaves university managers spotless. The YCLSA and the broader PYA must tighten its accountability, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to ensure that cadres deployed in student governance structures are corruption-free including Ministerial appointees. International students
Strengthening the YCLSA and the PYA for battles ahead
Emerging out of this Summit, all structures of the YCLSA will be engaged on intensive work that would ensure the rebranding of the YCLSA and its members as fighting soldiers for socialism in all spheres and sections of society, with a particular focus on institutions of higher learning as breeding grounds for the country’s intelligentsia.
The unity among PYA components remains sacrosanct and as such, the YCLSA will foster cohesion in the PYA and prioritise programmes of mutual interest that will be responsive to the plight of the youth of our country.
A clear, comprehensive Programmee of Action will be sent out to all structures of the organisation and our sister organisations in the PYA for immediate execution, with clear timeframes.
We continue to reaffirm the importance of education and training in youth development, and our mantra shall remain Education for the Youth, and Youth for Education.
On Professor Mokgalong
We call on DHET to be more decisive and fire Prof Mokgalong who is a champion of student victimization. The Council of the University of Limpopo must also be disbanded and we call on the minister of higher education to implement reports and outcomes of investigations and commissions on the University of Limpopo.
Socialism in our lifetime! Free Compulsory Quality Education NOW!
Statement issued by Khaya Xaba, YCLSA National Spokesperson, 15 November 2015
