Higher Edu worried about funded students taking years to graduate
Higher Education wants varsities to look into why some funded students are taking up to nine years to complete their degrees.
The Minister addressed the media after meeting with the University of Zululand's management and student representatives in Durban yesterday.
Blade Nzimande says he doesn't understand why some students, who rely on funding from NSFAS, take so long to qualify.
The other question is, why are varsities allowing them to stay on.
"This thing of having students who are in an eighth or ninth year doing a three-year degree is just not acceptable, and they cannot be part of the deal because it goes against the procedures that we have actually set."
"I am concerned that some universities have allowed that to happen and then we end up with NSFAS or myself having to deal with problems that should not have been created."
READ: UniZulu suspends lectures following disruptive protests
Mxolisi Khanyile - is with the Young Communist League of SA at the varsity.
He says the students aren't to blame. Many of them study under challenging circumstances which results in poor performance.
"We have to face criminals each and every day. Those are conditions that have a direct impact on the academic performance of students. How can you study when at night we are facing guns? We don't have WiFi to do research. Now you are quick to blame the outcomes which are not conducive for learning."
UniZulu's academic programme has been suspended since last week.
Students had protested over funding, transportation and NSFAS.
