SACP urges students to get registered and exercise their right to learn
17 January 2016
The South African Communist Party (SACP) urges all students who completed their Grade 12 in 2015 or before and returning college or university students who want to secure their future to get registered and advance their right to learn. Space is being occupied as many students are already registered and continue to register at colleges or universities. The SACP believes that there is no contradiction in supporting the struggle for free quality education while simultaneously protecting and exercising the right to learn – which is important NOT to be disrupted and then wasted in vain.
The tripartite alliance primarily comprising of the SACP, the progressive trade union federation Cosatu and the governing party the ANC, which is the alliance’s leading component, remains committed to the goal of free quality education in terms of the Freedom Charter, our country’s Constitution and shared ANC Polokwane resolutions on education – as follows.
“Education shall be free, compulsory, universal and equal for all children; Higher education and technical training shall be opened to all by means of state allowances and scholarships awarded on the basis of merit” – Freedom Charter.
“Everyone has the right to a basic education, including adult basic education; and further education, which the state, through reasonable measures, must make progressively available and accessible” –Constitution of the Republic of South Africa.
We must “Progressively introduce free education for the poor until undergraduate level” – ANC 52ndNational Conference, Polokwane resolution.
Our ANC-led government’s record speaks for itself. Since, 1994:
For the first time in South Africa basic education is free at school level through the policies of no-fee paying schools and fee exemption for learners from needy families at fee-paying schools. In addition, many learners receive meals through the policy of school feeding schemes so they do not learn on a hungry stomach. This has helped a great deal in expanding access to basic education. Focus is now increasingly streamlining the quality of teaching and learning and improving outcomes.
Students from needy families are eligible to free education and training through the National Student Financial Aid Scheme at Technical and Vocational Education and Training Colleges on the basis of merit as declared in the Freedom Charter.
At universities, millions of students have received assistance from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme. The assistance offered under the scheme is being progressively expanded and now includes bursaries for the eligible students on the basis of merit.
The SACP welcomes the efforts that have been implemented by the Minister of Higher Education and Training Dr Blade Nzimande on expanding access to post-school education and training band and President Jacob Zuma who last week appointed a commission to compliment the work and add on the report already available from the study that was commissioned by the Minister in advancing this important goal.
Rather than an event, free quality education for students from needy families will be realised as a process. As the ANC-led government record shows, since 1994 there is reasonable and, indeed commendable, progress.
The struggle for free quality education must not be divorced from the objective of radical economic and curriculum transformation. Free quality education will be realised from radical economic transformation, including progressive taxation on the rich and the wealthy to support this development objective. To this end increased mobilisation is needed at the door steps of the private sector, by far the largest consumer of our education and training qualifications to come on board!!
Statement issued by the SACP, 17 January 2016
