It’s high time govt followed the example of free education in Cuba

South Africans can no longer shy away from the fact that inequality is still a persistent disease in our country.

It is almost 29 years since the advent of democracy in South Africa and the current generation of students is still disadvantaged regarding access to education. With the start of the academic year, students found themselves faced with the dilemma of fighting for their right to education, or succumbing to the unpleasant situation of staying home.

And the latter route tends to add to poverty and high levels of unemployment. Students at Wits University and Tshwane University of Technology are currently confronted with the harsh reality that education is not free, nor is it inclusive. The interests of the privileged few continue to be favoured.

This is evident from the scenario that took place during the protest. As most black students were shutting down Wits university last week, some white students were demanding that the university be opened because they did not appreciate that the protest was denying them their right to education.

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This takes us back to the fact that the privileged and underprivileged in this country are differentiated by skin colour. As at Wits, black students throughout the country have taken their grievances to the streets and are rightfully demanding to be included in the education system.

It is unfair that these students pass their exams and because of lack of money, they are not afforded an opportunity to better their lives.

It has been years since the #FeesMustFall movement began and it’s saddening to find that students today are still fighting unjust exclusion, which was fought for during the liberation struggle. Students are fed up.

If government and university managements continue to be reluctant to come to the table, these unwanted violent protests and the disruptions of the academic calendar will not go away. Therefore, the government must do the right thing.

It is high time they followed the example of free education in Cuba. If education continues to be too expensive for the poor, this country will not progress at all. And each year students will protest over the same issue.

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But many may say the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas) is doing the job of making education free – and what it does is appreciated. But it is not enough because many students continue to be sidelined by Nsfas as it is considered that they can afford to pay when, in reality, they can barely meet their daily needs.

Nsfas needs to go the universal route and provide funding to all students. Then, no student will be left behind and the ugly head of inequality will not surface in the country.

And Nsfas might even end up being more effective in speeding up funding because there will not be a rigorous and tedious process to check if one is eligible. Some might think this is demanding a utopia and that this type of model is unreal.

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Some might say there is not enough money, especially those in government. But to remedy that, a tax that targets wealthy families and corporations in South Africa could be introduced.

This tax can be solely used to fund the education system and make free education a right for all.

-Mthembu is an independent commentator