#Feesmustfall – Public has their say
In the light of the recent student protests regarding university fees, the RECORD asked residents what they thought about the situation and how it affects them.
In the light of the recent student protests regarding university fees, the RECORD asked residents what they thought about the situation and how it affects them.
* Leon van der Merwe: “Are they going to pay back my study fees? Many students still owe thousands of rands and had to look for work to pay off their loans.”
*A young woman, who wishes not to be named, said she will not pay off her student loans if free education is at the order of the day. “I worked two jobs while I was studying and now I am working and paying off loans. Nothing in life is for free. Universities make provision for deserving students in the form of bursaries and now every Tom, Dick and Harry gets onto the bandwagon and expects education to be free. If it is free for all then the banks should scrap student loans as well. These ‘beggars’ are all going to experience a rude awakening when they enter the workforce.”
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- REFILWE SEKWATI: This second year hospitality management student at Boston City Campus and Business College feels that fees must fall away. She received a bursary of R15 000 but still had to cover the remaining R22 00 this year. “I work five days a week in retail to cover my fees. It is stressful as I know Boston will terminate my studies if I don’t pay.”
*Derrick, who prefers his surname not to be published, said being a student himself he can understand where students come from.
“However, it will be a waste of good funds if free tertiary education is dished out as if it was hot cakes going to everyone who applies. Such education should be reserved for the students who worked hard and deserve to be at varsity with results that proof that. Free tertiary education does not mean that everybody who applies to go to varsity will make it or deserves to be there. There should be very strict academic standards. A 50 percent is not good enough and standards should be upped.”
