The Sunday Independent reports that proposals by the Department of Higher Education and Training that students will be required to commit themselves to 80 hours of community service in return for free education has been met with mixed feelings.

While the EFF Student Command rejected the proposal outright, the ANC-aligned SA Students’ Congress (Sasco) and the DA Students Organisation (Daso) said they were amenable to the idea.

EFF’s Student Command president Peter Keetse said they were against the implementation of the proposal as it would “demoralise the spirit of voluntarism” among young people. He said it was not necessary for students to do work in return for free education, which he said was rightfully theirs.

“We are not prisoners, we are not going to be treated like people who are on parole,” he said.

Daso referred The Sunday Independent to the DA’s shadow MEC of education in Gauteng, Khume Ramulifho, who said the proposal would give students work experience and allow students who can afford the fees to pay for their studies while enabling the government to focus on those who need help the most.

Sasco provincial secretary Buthanani Goba agreed.“The issue of community service is not a problem because we believe that students should be integrated into society and we must teach them patriotism.

“But it should not just be those who benefit from free education. All students must be required to give back to the community,” said Goba.

The department’s spokesperson, Madikwe Mabotha, said students may undertake community service at any time during the year. He said such students would be expected to submit a report once a year, confirming participation, signed by the manager of the programme. Confirmation of participation, he said, was a requirement for continued funding.

Mabotha said those students who qualify for the bursary would have to sign a contract binding them to the conditions stipulated in the form.

“Accepting DHET bursary funding will not require a beneficiary to pay back the funds in monetary terms.

“However, it does require that the beneficiary meets and maintains certain academic conditions/criteria, as well as service requirements for the duration of the study period, as well as a commitment to the country over the longer term.”

“Any graduate funded through the DHET bursary wishing to migrate to another country will be required to pay back the money before they leave.”

The proposal has not yet been regulated but is being communicated to tertiary institutions. Second-year students would be expected to participate for a minimum of 10 days (80 hours) of community service or special project work of the student’s own choosing. This includes an environmental clean-up project or assisting at an early childhood development centre.

The original of this report by Lesego Makgatho appeared on page 5 of The Sunday Independent of 28 January 2018

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