PHUTI MOSOMANE

AFTER a series of countrywide protests by students at higher education institutions regarding the newly introduced accommodation cap and fee payment blocks, the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) says it will intervene to resolve the impasse.

“NSFAS held robust consultations with the South African Union of Students (SAUS) to mitigate these challenges ahead of the commencement of the academic classes,” NSFAS spokesperson Slumezi Skosana said on Thursday.

Skosana said NSFAS will take extraordinary measures to ensure that all funded students are not left stranded “due to skyrocketing accommodation costs.”

There have been protests in most universities against a new accommodation cap of R45 000 per annum.

During a meeting held in Gauteng on Monday, NSFAS management and SAUS agreed that the student union would assist the scheme in collating details of all students who do not have accommodation and are allegedly sleeping in public places.

“The scheme is also engaging universities in a bid to receive credible information to fast-track the process. In the meantime, NSFAS is in the process of identifying alternative accommodation to be provided within the stipulated rate of R45 000 per annum,” Skosana said.

The priority will be the universities affected by the accommodation cap, and these include the University of Pretoria, University of the Witwatersrand (WITS), Stellenbosch University, University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZ), Rhodes University and Sol Plaatjie University.

NSFAS said SAUS has made an undertaking to contact all SRCs in affected universities to supply the information.

The Portfolio Committee on Higher Education, Science and Innovation held an urgent meeting this week on Monday with the South African Union of Students (SAUS) and the South African Technical Vocational Education and Training Students Association (SATVETSA) where the student governance bodies expressed areas of concern across the post-school education and training sector (PSET), highlighting specific universities and colleges.

Chairperson Nompendulo Mkhatshwa, who is a former Fees Must Fall activist, said the committee supports SAUS and SATVETSA on their stance in support of the R45 000 cap on student accommodation allowances for NSFAS students.

Mkhatshwa said the exorbitant prices of student accommodation cannot be normalised as they are “tantamount to price fixing.”

The committee recommended that the Department of Higher Education and Training and NSFAS reach out with speed to the Competition Commission to address issues of alleged collusion between private accommodation providers and officials of the institutions.

“The committee reiterated that a cap on student accommodation not only looks at NSFAS-funded students, but takes into account self-funded students who need to be protected from price fixing by private accommodation providers,” said Mkhatshwa. 

INSIDE EDUCATION 

PHUTI MOSOMANE

THE University of Cape Town (UCT) has confirmed that a group of students have disrupted lectures on upper campus on Wednesday over fee payment blocks and student accommodation.

“These acts of disruptions are unlawful in terms of the interim interdict granted by the Western Cape High Court on Friday, 17 February 2023. As a result, the relevant members of the executive have alerted the SAPS, who will intervene and respond to these disruptions,” the university said in a statement.

The Cape Town High Court granted an interdict on the 17th of February 2023, barring further violent protests, protecting infrastructure and students who wish to learn without disruption and move about freely on campus without intimidation.

What the UCT crisis is about. Please share for awareness and support pic.twitter.com/pxh8k1azWy

— UCT SRC (@UCT_SRC) March 8, 2023

The University said it is upholding the right to legitimate protest, but will act against any unlawful activities.

“The executive further remains committed to a process of engagement over any issues, noting that an array of measures has been put in place already to enable over 4 000 students with fee blocks to register for the 2023 academic year.”

“Only a few classes have been disrupted. The rest of the classes have continued. Where practically possible, classes scheduled for the remainder of the day are to continue while the executive activates measures to respond to the unlawful disruptive acts,” it said.

On Tuesday, UCT Student Representative Council (SRC) held a mass meeting in which it told students that the university council and its executives are prepared to let the future of 7 435 fee blocks come to an end.

“The SRC refuses to allow so many of our fellow students to fall deeper into the cycle of poverty. We will peacefully demonstrate and stand together as students against oppression. We have vowed to leave no student behind,” it said.

UCT SRC said it had a five-hour meeting with the University Council on Monday “in which the proposal to lift fee blocks was not accepted”.

It accused the university of having no care for poor and black students who are unable to afford the exorbitant costs (tuition and accommodation fees).

The DA in the Western Cape strongly also condemned the “illegal protests” currently underway at the University of Cape Town.

“We firmly support the Acting Vice Chancellor’s request that SAPS immediately respond to the matter and bring the protest under control. Today we have seen aggravated disruption and assaults on students. We hope to see the SAPS regain control and protect this institution and its students so learning may continue undisturbed.”

“Although we acknowledge their right to protest, they must do so peacefully and follow necessary protest action procedures,” DA Councillor in the City of Cape Town, Yusuf Mohamed, said.

Chairperson of the Portfolio committee on higher education Nompendulo Mkhatshwa said the committee remained concerned by the broader policy.

“Structural issues such as funding for the missing middle and thus implores once again on the DHET to finalise its work on the Ministerial Task Team on Student Funding and submits its report to the committee.”

INSIDE EDUCATION

EDWIN NAIDU

LOVE or loathe her, in her five tumultuous years, Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng has taken the University of Cape Town on an exhilarating, sometimes exasperating, even exciting, roller-coaster ride since her appointment on 1 July 2018.

She leaves behind a university deemed the best in Africa – the best-performing, according to five global rankings: Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2023, Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings 2023, U.S. News & World Report Best Global Universities Rankings 2022–2023, Center for World University Rankings 2022–2023, and Shanghai Ranking’s Academic Ranking of World Universities 2022.

Before she took office, they featured in one, however, the tenure of the first black female South African to achieve a PhD in mathematics education began at UCT on a sad note.

Just three weeks into the job, UCT was plunged into crisis when Professor Bongani Mayosi took his life.

He had attempted to leave twice under former vice-chancellor Dr Max Price but was given reassurances about his future, including the university’s offer of a Pro-Vice-Chancellor role which never materialised.

The 157-page report by Professor Thandabantu Nhlapo, Dr Somadoda Fikeni, Professor Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela and Ms Nomfundo Walaza dismissed the notion that students had pushed the professor over the edge. UCT executive was also criticised for not adequately responding to the warning signals from Mayosi, which showed someone struggling emotionally and needing serious intervention.

The panel was told of several incidents, one in October or November 2016, where Mayosi was to address members of the Western Cape Government at a hotel in the city. He did not show up and was found sitting in his car at a car park nearby, staring into space. While attending a conference in Egypt in 2016, a colleague reported that Mayosi had problems speaking.

In London, following the visit to Egypt, Mayosi did not arrive at a session in which he was scheduled to participate.

A family friend found him in his hotel room, apparently after he had been walking around the city.

Although Phakeng was not yet in charge during Mayosi’s most challenging period during the 2015 student protests, she faced criticism for failing to follow the panel’s recommendations in its report in 2020.

During the second year of her tenure, UCT was shocked at the brutal murder of Uyinene Mrwetyana, one of around 47 student killings at tertiary institutions in 2019. It brought safety at universities into the spotlight.

In 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown failed to keep UCT out of the news.

Former Ombud Zetu Makamandela-Mguqulwa accused Phakeng of bullying in a report, alleging that the outgoing council chair Sipho Pityana had not acted on the complaints.

Phakeng labelled the report inconsistent with the terms of reference. But Pityana left this hot potato for the new council, which also ignored it.

More drama followed in 2021, when fires on Table Mountain spread, ravaging the Jagger library and
other buildings. UCT could not escape the news as the clean-up operation took shape.

In 2022 came the bombshell allegations that council chairperson Babalwa Ngonyama allegedly lied to Senate.

“Through all these, UCT took leadership of all the five major university world rankings. It is important to note that when I took office in 2018, UCT led in only one world ranking and the Business school had fallen off all the rankings. People also forget that we had lost students from our feeder schools when I took office. Today we have them back, and we are telling a different story about UCT’s performance under my leadership. I am a decisive leader who holds people accountable, which has produced results,” she told Inside Education.

When news of the end of her reign emerged, it was the former Stellenbosch University Vice-Chancellor Professor Chris Brink, a member of UCT’s remuneration subcommittee, who initially made an offer on 9 February to drop the governance charges and disband the panel led by retired Supreme Court of Appeal president, Judge Lex Mpati, in return for her departure.

This was stated in a letter by attorney Halton Cheadle. Retired judge Dennis Davis also expressed a view on the alleged evidence against Phakeng.

Phakeng signed the letter accepting the offer to leave, citing that her position had become untenable. But the council said the panel would continue its governance probe following condemnation by the Black Academic Caucus of the proposal to withdraw it if Phakeng went.

In recent months, Ngonyama, along with Phakeng, were persona non grata and instructed to stay away from council meetings. At the same time, the governance charges against them for their role in the departure of 61-year-old Argentinian Associate Professor Lis Lange DVC: Teaching and Learning at the end of April were being formulated.

Lange’s grievance was not being given a chance to finish her work.

It led to Senate breaching its own governance rules in admitting her complaint without the protocols they usually employ. Her letter was read out to Senate by Professor Sue Harrison, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and
Internationalisation, while Phakeng was abroad.

She disputed Ngonyama’s version of events leading to her departure before the Senate, wanting to end speculation and misrepresentation by the council chair. She signed the NDA on 17 March 2022.

Digesting the news that Phakeng had gone, a Council Member said: “Anti-transformation is the real enemy here. Just wish some people did not sell us out so badly, not referring to the Chair, but those with struggle credentials.”

A staff member said UCT could start from a clean slate and build on Phakeng’s good works.

Controversies and colour, she provided aplenty. Despite the heat, in September 2022, Phakeng won the inaugural Africa Education Medal, honouring changemakers who transform education.

Television personality Oprah Winfrey sent congratulations in a video.

Phakeng’s exit won’t end the probe into the governance allegations. But it will deprive South Africa
of one of higher education’s most vocal, sometimes outrageous, and outspoken voices.

Yet she kept silent when celebrated spinal surgeon Professor Robert Dunn was investigated for a
crude email in which he used the term “clinic bitch” against a young black medic.

He apologised, labelling it a joke. It was not funny. Phakeng addressed it internally, however. But things remain the
same.

The same month, the Twitterati vice-chancellor was endorsed when UCT was voted the
coolest university in a youth survey. No other vice-chancellor in the country posts videos exercising or dares to do the Jerusalema Dance challenge with a beaming smile. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdgn64U9LmY].

While the dust settles and UCT focuses on searching for a successor, Phakeng has returned to Johannesburg.

She plans next to conquer Mount Kilimanjaro.

INSIDE EDUCATION

INSIDE EDUCATION REPORTER

DESPITE the ban on corporal punishment more than 20 years ago, South African schools still use it as a form of discipline. In 1997, the Abolishing of Corporal Punishment Act, No. 33, was enacted.

But despite the ban, corporal punishment is still used as a form of discipline more than 20 years later, according to a recently released report by Statistics South Africa called Children Series Volume I Children exposed to maltreatment, 2021. 

Of those that reported experiencing violence at school, the most common form of violence experienced was corporal punishment by teachers.

In 2019, just over 1 million out of 13 million school-going children aged 5 – 17 years reported that they had experienced some form of violence. Of those who experienced violence at school, close to 84% experienced corporal punishment by teachers, followed by verbal abuse by teachers (13,7%) and physical violence by teachers (10,6%).

Between 2009 and 2019, the percentage of children who experienced verbal abuse by other learners increased by six percentage points from 18,1% in 2009 to 24,1% in 2019.

Apart from home, school is the most important place in most children’s lives.

Their experience of school will play a vital part in their lives and will determine their academic, social and, probably, their occupational future. However, many children’s school experiences consist of bullying and abuse from other children.

Violent disciplinary methods were used more on females than males.

In 2009, close to 90% of females were subjected to corporal punishment by teachers. By 2019, this figure reduced to 85,5%.

Similarly, the percentage of males who experienced corporal punishment reduced to 82,3% in 2019 from 87,3% in 2009.

In 2009, both genders’ experience of physical abuse by teachers were close to 5%. 

This percentage declined to 3,2% for males in 2019 but remained unchanged for females. On the other hand, more males were victims of verbal abuse by teachers in 2019 (5,6%) compared to females (4,4%).  Females also experienced more verbal abuse by peers in 2019 compared to males (14,3% and 13% respectively).

However, the reverse was observed with regards to physical abuse by another learner where more males (11,9%) experienced more abuse.

While schools are expected to provide a safe and nurturing environment for children to fully benefit from educational opportunities, teachers and peers are the source of a fearful learning environment in South Africa.

The percentage of children aged 5-17 who reported experiencing some form of violence at school reduced by almost half from 18,5% in 2009 to close to 8,2% in 2019. In 2009 children in rural areas experience violence at school compared to those who lived in urban areas.

Moreover, children in urban areas were three times more likely to experience verbal abuse by
other learners compared to their rural counterparts in 2009; and this increased to six times more
likely in 2019.

Children in rural areas were more likely to be subjected to corporal punishment and other abuses compared to those in urban areas. However, verbal and physical abuses inflicted by other learners were more prominent in urban areas.

Violence against children requires a major shift in what societies regard as acceptable practices. Corporal punishment and verbal abuse by teachers are socially accepted and not considered maltreatment of children.

In addition, media reporting typically focus on extreme cases that involve deaths or sexual abuse of children. Nevertheless, it is important to note that the use of violence to punish children may be used with no intention to hurt the child, but this may have negative short-term and long-term consequences. 

These include physical injuries as well as emotional scars.

INSIDE EDUCATION