25 April 2004
The Young Communist League of South Africa (YCLSA) calls on the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) to meet with student organisations and Student Representative Councils in order to discuss and review the blacklisting of 21,000 graduates for their inability to repay student loans to the scheme.
The YCL particularly condemns the decision of the scheme to blacklist these students. Blacklisting means effective exclusion from participating in the economy. The NSFAS cannot claim to be committed to the poor who once they cannot repay their loans it decides to condemns them to perpetual poverty. Many of the students who cannot reay come from poor communities and are not able to get employment given the investment strike by South African capitalists. By doing this, the NSFAS cannot be regarded as different from private commercial banks who put their profits first at the expense of social development goals.
We agree with the South African Students' Congress (SASCO) that the interest charged by the NSFAS on student loans is not in line with its mission to provide affordable education finance to poor students. This blacklisting also raises the need for a review of fees charged by tertiary institutions. These fees are an effective barrier to access to higher education. The YCL believes that government must increase its funding of tertiary education in order to drastically reduce fees. This is what young people expect to gain from a democratic South Africa - quality and free public education!
In the view of the YCL, the Minister of Education must open policy debate towards the consolidation and increased funding of the NSFAS. This debate must also ensure that the NSFAS is informed and guided by policies and programmes which support poor students.
The YCLSA will be meeting with SASCO and other student and youth organisations to take forward the YCL call for a meeting with the NSFAS.
CONTACT
Buti Manamela
National Secretary
Young Communist League
Cell - 082 567 3557