Wits students protest over tuition fee increase

schumi

schumi

Honorary Master
Joined
Mar 26, 2010
Messages
25,094
Reaction score
2,032
Location
Durban
JOHANNESBURG – Wits University students are protesting over proposed increased in tuition fees for next year.

The institution has proposed an increase of 10.5 percent.

This morning, most gates leading into the campus were closed which resulted in huge traffic delays.

University spokesperson Shirona Patel says the demonstration was only expected to start at noon.

“The students, in line with the Rhodes Must Fall movement are planning the protests this morning. They notified us that they’d be protesting from 12pm to 2pm. However, having monitored social media, we’ve also seen that they’ve invited external people to come onto campus and join this protest and to disrupt lectures.”
Click to expand...

More at http://ewn.co.za/2015/10/14/Wits-students-protest-over-proposed-increased-in-tuition-fees
 
While I'm against the protests, that increase is a bit high.
 
Pity we don't have free university....with I must add, respectable entry level requirements.

Even now, if your marks are good enough, there are lots of scholarships out there

I'm sure the country/universities would benefit more from free higher education than R26 billion purple lights on the highways
 
Anger erupts at Wits over fees

Johannesburg - Enraged Wits University students blocked off entrances to the institution on Wednesday morning in protest against planned fee increases.

Fees are expected to go up by 10.5 percent from next year due to declining government subsidies, but the students will have none of it, saying the “exorbitant” increase excludes working class students from the chance of getting a higher education.

They blocked cars trying to enter the university from 6am, disrupted classes, opened lecture hall doors and chanted struggle songs.

“In barring the cars from coming in, we’re showing how many students won’t be able to come back next year #WitsFeesMustFall,” tweeted Fizzy Schwarzeneggar (@Fizzy_Mabz).

The confrontation got physical shortly before 9am when a student on a motorcycle tried to force his way through and was pushed back out by the crowd.

Security had to intervene and stop protesting students from fighting with those trying to enter the campus.
“There are people who are writing tests. I’m upset because I drove here from far away and classes are cancelled,” said Shahil Singh.

However there were many who supported the action. “When I started at Wits in 2007, the registration fee was about R5 000. It’s now almost R10 000. #WitsFeesMustFall,” wrote @ThatDasia.

Others, like @valavoosh, said to cut costs the university should stop outsourcing services.

“Universities are meant to be centres of learning but they are looking more and more like businesses #WitsFeesMustFall.”

Wits chief financial officer Linda Jarvis said since Wits announced the fee increases, she has been inundated with students asking her why it was necessary.

She said the increases were necessary because:

* The rand-dollar exchange has fallen by 22 percent, which now means the university has to spend more to buy library books, journals and other items overseas.

* Salary increases for academic staff are set at 7 percent on a three-year cycle

* Inflation is hovering at 6 percent while rates for utilities are increasing at a rate higher than that.
Click to expand...

More at http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/gauteng/anger-erupts-at-wits-over-fees-1.1929770#.Vh4fPG6-Opo
 
I keep hearing about these cancelled lectures but I've been in lectures since the morning.
 
Students were consulted over fee increases - Wits

Adam Wakefield, News24

Johannesburg - Students were consulted a number of times on fee increases at Wit University, the institution said on Thursday.

This comes as students staged a protest at the university's entrances on Thursday morning, stopping students and staff from entering the varsity premises. The entrances have since been reopened.

"Council made the decision last week. We had five meetings about the fee increases specifically with student representatives and they were consulted for five months. It was a council decision and only counsel can overturn it," spokesperson Shirona Patel told News24.

"Some of the admin staff are being prevented from going to their offices but we have made alternative arrangements. The academic programme is continuing as usual."

There had been one disruption at a class, with the university monitoring the situation to see to if there were other incidents.

"People can come on to the campus. We've had almost one altercation but since then students have calmed down. We've had no violence," Patel said.

The varsity undertook to keep students informed of any changes via the Wits homepage, and to send updates via e-mail and SMS.

A march by students has been arranged, starting at noon on West Campus and expected to run to 14:00, likely finishing at Senate House. A memorandum was expected to be handed over to university management.

"We will have to look at what comes through from the student memorandum and take it from there," Patel said.

Earlier on Thursday, the university's chief financial officer Linda Jarvis said in a statement that since the fee increases were released, her office has been inundated with requests for information regarding why increases were necessary.

Reasons for fee increase

She said some of the key reasons were the increase in the cost of library books, journals and research equipment, making provisions for salary increases for academics to ensure they retain critical talent and the inflation rate.

Jarvis said the subsidy increase from government was expected to come in at around 5%.

"The net effect is that we have to make up our income to cover our expenditure in order to remain sustainable.

"If we do not do so, we put the quality of our academic project at risk."

Following "extensive consultations with the SRC and other university structures", Wits reduced the average 2016 tuition fee from 11% to 10.5%, with the upfront fee increase also reduced to 6% from 10%.

Social media users posted pictures of the protest on Thursday morning, along with their views on the fee increases, and students gathering for the coming march.

News24
Source
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Students-were-consulted-over-fee-increases-Wits-20151014
 
From my understanding from the article and from what I know from UJ. It is the SRC that approves the increases that the university submits proposals to. SRC and university negotiate and SRC approves the increases.

So basically the students are protesting against the wrong organization, they should be protesting against SASCO/ANC which allowed it to happen.
 
what is the 10% increase based on? is the economy worse off than we thought? is the school having financial problems? are they planning some big upgrades? or trying to hire more staff?
 
Adoxographist said:
From my understanding from the article and from what I know from UJ. It is the SRC that approves the increases that the university submits proposals to. SRC and university negotiate and SRC approves the increases.

So basically the students are protesting against the wrong organization, they should be protesting against SASCO/ANC which allowed it to happen.
Click to expand...


Uhmm... The PYA is leading the protest. So maybe the university is going above the SRC's head on this one. Oh and I don't know if different universities work the same.
 
crackersa said:
what is the 10% increase based on? is the economy worse off than we thought? is the school having financial problems? are they planning some big upgrades? or trying to hire more staff?
Click to expand...


Apparently to offset decreasing government subsidies and provide for current staff salary increases.

There are also two student residences which are gonna be torn down. One to build a parking lot and the other to "apparently" build...wait for it...a hotel (second one unconfirmed).
 
Here's a fun fact.
Conference paper submission: $800

The rand dollar hits academics hard. Equipment and textbooks make it even worse.
 
crackersa said:
what is the 10% increase based on? is the economy worse off than we thought? is the school having financial problems? are they planning some big upgrades? or trying to hire more staff?
Click to expand...

According to a statement from the Wits CFO's office:

“Some of the key reasons are:

The rand-dollar exchange rate has fallen by approximately 22%, which has resulted in a substantial increase in the amount of money that we pay for all library books, journals, electronic resources research equipment that are procured in dollars and euros.
Salary increases for academics are set at 7% based on a three-year cycle and these increases are necessary to ensure that we retain the best intellectual minds in the country.
Generic inflation is hovering at around 6% which impacts on all other expenses that the University has to cover.
Utilities are increasing at rates substantially higher than the inflation rate.
The subsidy increase from government is expected to come in at around 5% and the nett effect is that we have to make up our income to cover our expenditure in order to remain sustainable. If we do not do so, we put the quality of our academic project at risk.

We are mindful of the current economic climate and the financial strain on students and families. In light of this and following extensive consultations with the SRC and other University structures, we have reduced the average tuition fee for 2016 from 11% to 10.5%, and the upfront fee increase from 10% to 6%.
Click to expand...

Mustard
 
Wits staff locked in by protests

Karabo Ngoepe, News24

Pretoria - Students at Wits university, where protests have been ongoing for most of Wednesday, have now blockaded all the gates leading into and out of the institution.

A lecturer who asked to remain anonymous told News24 that students were continuing with their protest and staff could not leave the premises.

"They have blocked all the entrances and exits. Management refuses to call the police to resolve the issue. No one can get to their cars in the parking lot. We have also been told that [this] might last until the early hours of the morning," he said.

Classes and academic activities at the institution were suspended on Wednesday following a protest over fee increases. The university said there was an altercation on Wednesday morning and some classes were vandalised at the Wits Business School.

University spokesperson Shirona Patel said management was devising a plan to ensure that staff members could leave the university and go home. She confirmed that the gates were still blocked.

"We are trying to open an alternative gate for the staff to leave. We are also giving the students about 30 minutes to an hour to disperse. Failure to do so will see the university calling the police,” said Patel.

She added that management had advised staff to leave their cars on the premises and to use the pedestrian gate to go home.

News24
Source
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Wits-staff-locked-in-by-protests-20151014
 
Gates opened at Wits

Karabo Ngoepe, News24

Pretoria - Staff and students at the University of the Witwatersrand have all gone home following a student protest that saw gates barricaded for most of Wednesday.

University spokesperson Shirona Patel said all the gates except for one had been opened.

"All staff members and day students have gone home. The protesting students are being addressed by the SRC in front of the Senate Building," she said.

Patel said learning would resume on Thursday.

"Tomorrow [Thursday] it will be business as usual. We will have extra security but if anything changes, we will let the staff and students know," said Patel.

Classes and academic activities at the institution were suspended on Wednesday following a protest over fee increases. The university said there was an altercation on Wednesday morning and some classes were vandalised at the Wits Business School.

News24
Source
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Gates-opened-at-Wits-20151014
 
The Rhodes must fall people are like the EFF, it is dangerous to your image to strike with them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X