Media Statement on the Meeting of Minister with Higher Education Sector Stakeholders
20 October 2015
Today, I convened a meeting of various stakeholders of the higher education sector in Cape Town as a response to the current wave of student protests at a number of our universities. Present at the meeting were representatives of the Universities Chairs of Councils; Universities South Africa; trade union; student leadership from the South African Union of Students and government.
The purpose of the meeting was to explore ways and means of addressing the funding situation of our higher education system and craft a common approach for finding solutions specifically to fees and fee-increases.
The meeting took place on the back of a very successful Higher Education Summit which concluded on Saturday 17 October and covered a number of issues, part of which covered the funding of the higher education system and student fees. The summit has resolutions that are short-term and long-term which the various stakeholders will pursue, and these will bring about long-term solutions to the structural challenges that engulf the higher education system. In other words, the Summit laid a good foundation for the sector to deal with the enduring challenges of our higher education system.