The National student financial aid scheme’s (NSFAS) failure to fund students has led to student protests, with students demanding that the financial institution scraps off students’ historical debts and offers the needed financial support to students.

TVET colleges are experiencing issues of improper infrastructure, student accommodation and NSFAS funding.

With NSFAS backlog and the financial institution still faced with settling students’ historical debts, this has been a challenge as students were not able to comply with the 80% attendance requirement and sitting in for tests and exams.

TVET colleges have concerns that their needs are not being adequately represented and are looking to ensure that they have a proper structure that will clearly support their needs and represent TVET colleges.

Taking that a total of 6.8 billion which was supposed to go towards infrastructure and upgrading TVET colleges has now been redirected, this has greatly fueled these frustrations.

In an interview with Newzroom Afrika Gauteng chairperson of the South African Vocational Education and Training students Association, Nkululeko Wayise also mentioned that Managers within these TVET institutions have been an obstacle to the implementation of the promises made by the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology.

” There must be a circular which must be issued to principals and campus managers to say that these are the agreements that we have agreed with the structure so that when we go down to them it must not be hard for them to approve these [agreements]”

Other issues include TVET colleges poor infrastructure which can not accommodate those with disabilities.

“Always when things are bad in universities, they sacrifice us as colleges and we are not taken seriously”, said Mayise

Another issue is that most TVET colleges had to turn away first-time students saying that they should come to apply in the next semester.

In addressing the issue of the 6.8 billion which was supposed to go towards infrastructure development Nkululeko said, ” Next year we won’t let this happen again, we going to make sure that we go on the ground until we given what we need to be given as TVET colleges.

Students at TVET colleges are faced with a challenge as underfunded colleges affect learning.

Students and staff have lodged several complaints about the operation and treatment within these institutions as they have failed to provide adequate learning to students due to being underfunded.

One of the institutions which have been severely affected by this is the Durban TVET colleges.

” We are underfunded. With the money that we get from government, we strike a balance between the six Durban campuses that we have”, said Nkosinathi Mchunu, college principal of eThekwini TVET college.

Other problems which were brought forward included; lack of safety for students, poor infrastructure, a short number of senior lecturers and outdated school equipment.

The Principal of eThekwini college also mentioned the poor conditions of equipment which they use.

“It is beyond our control. We have spent so much money on fencing but there are still openings,” he said. “We have raised the issue with the municipality, some days they will come and clear up the rubbish but it will be back there again in a day or two.”

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