DASO urges students to focus attention on funding for poor students
19 September 2016
We welcome the fact that the Minister of Higher Education, Blade Nzimande, has responded to the call from DASO to ensure that poor students and the missing middle are not forced to pay any fee increases in the short term.
We echo the call made by the DA Shadow Minister of Higher Education, Belinda Bozzoli MP, that the money to make this happen now needs to be made available and the plan set out clearly.
A 0% fee increase across the board would have meant that the rich and those that can afford would also be exempted from fee increases. We agree with the Minister that support must go towards the poor and missing middle and not those who can already pay.
We call on students to resist being misled to protesting on behalf of a 0% fee increase – effectively protesting for students who can afford to pay. Importantly, the right to protest does not grant students the right to deny others their right to education.