Academic activities at all nine regional campuses of the University of South Africa (Unisa) resumed on Monday following a one-week strike by the Student Representative Council (SRC).
The SRC expressed dissatisfaction about registration challenges such as accreditation, enrolment planning and provision of laptops and students rejected the provision of laptops as a substitute for the R5 000 textbook allowance. They demanded an urgent resolution of the matter regarding Unisa qualifications not registered with South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) and that the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) must include all benefits and accord these to Unisa beneficiaries.
Spokesperson for Unisa Martin Ramotshela said they concluded and signed an agreement with the SRC on Saturday. He stated that it was the result of the breakthrough made by the parties during negotiations within the university, as well as constructive engagement by the parties with the Department of Higher Education and Training. He added that while several advances were made to secure laptops for students, the choice of either a laptop or a textbook allowance in any one year of student funding is informed by the policy of NSFAS. “Unisa further made an allocation of R5 million from its coffers to purchase additional textbooks that are now available to registered students at all Unisa libraries. The management committee in early December 2018 considered a report from the Senate’s Teaching and Learning Committee which outlined a list of qualifications without SAQA IDs and resolved that all these qualifications will not be offered to new students in 2019 but would allow only pipeline students to continue,” Ramotshela said.
“Unisa will continue to engage with the accreditation bodies to provide SAQA IDs for these qualifications and as soon as these are available, the qualifications will be re-opened and students allowed to register.” On NFSAS he highlighted that students are receiving tuition fees excluding aegrotat and supplementary exams. “They are receiving allowances for practical portion of qualification (specific qualifications or modules only), including full cost of accommodation and food.”
Story: Herbert Rachuene
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