*YCLSA welcomes Governments commitments to Free Education for the Poor!* *01 July 2009*
The Young Communist League of South Africa [uFasimba] notes and welcomes the Budget Speech tabled by the Minister of Higher Education & Training and SACP General Secretary Cde Blade Nzimande. The YCLSA is excited by Cde Nzimande’s commitment in broadening access to higher education for the poor students in sync with the ANC Alliance elections manifesto and the Freedom Charter. We are excited that there will be a major focus and improvement of infrastructure in the former historically disadvantaged institutions of higher learning. Over the past 15 years of higher education transformation, institutions of higher learning have been used to maintain and reproduce the racial, class and gender apartheid legacy inequalities. The Budget Speech as tabled by Cde Nzimande is a major departure from this apartheid inclined and neo-liberal approach to higher education transformation towards achieving people’s education as envisaged in the Freedom Charter. The YCLSA is also excited by the following commitments made by the Minister of Higher Education & Training Cde Nzimande; · The allocation of R2,144 Billion to the National Students Financial Aid Scheme; · The establishment of a coherent college sector and which includes 50 Further Education Training Colleges; · The increase of student enrolment in Further Education and Training colleges to at least 1 million by 2015; · The allocation of R1, 462 Billion for improving teaching, learning and residence infrastructure and academic efficiency. The YCLSA believes that these commitments make a firm and solid foundation for the attainment of people’s education and achieving the noble goals of the struggle of the martyrs of June 16. As the YCLSA we will engage the Minister of Higher Education Cde Nzimande to solicit his views on the expansion of higher education in the country. Therefore the establishment of Universities and Colleges is very key and critical in our country. The out-gone Minister of Education Naledi Pandor had earlier warned government that by 2010 South Africa will not have the capacity to absorb the growing influx of students. Issued by YCLSA Head Office 1 – 5 Leyds Street, COSATU Hse, Braamfontein Contact: *Castro Ngobese* *YCLSA National Spokesperson – 082 567 3557* --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You are subscribed. This footer can help you. Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to this message. You can visit the group WEB SITE at http://groups.google.com/group/yclsa-eom-forum for different delivery options, pages, files and membership. To UNSUBSCRIBE, please email [email protected] . You don't have to put anything in the "Subject:" field. You don't have to put anything in the message part. All you have to do is to send an e-mail to this address (repeat): [email protected] . -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
