Between a rock and a hard place:
Navigating the complex terrain of student debt in South Africa
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It’s just over a month since students at multiple universities marked the beginning of the 2021 academic year by protesting against financial exclusion and calling for a national shutdown. Such protests have become an annual event. One that often result in short-term victories for students, without solving the intractable issue of higher education funding in South Africa.
The disquiet over free education and the handling of student debt locally, takes place within a global context in which higher education institutions are wrestling with questions about funding models, debt and sustainability, all of which is intensified by the devastating economic consequences of COVID19.
Is writing off all historical debt the right approach? What are the consequences for higher education if we do? Does the unemployment crisis in South Africa have a role to play? Is free tertiary education attainable, or a fallacy? There are many angles one could look at this from, and we plan to interrogate them all.
Panellists and Facilitator
Shane Perrier
Johan Wiggins
Siyabulela Plaatjies
Thulani Dube
Panellist: Shane Perrier: Senior Exec.-Fundraising & Strategy, ISFAP Foundation
Panellist: Johan Wiggins, Founder, Student Hero
Panellist: Siyabulela Plaatjies, UCT Student Leader & Bcom PPE Student
Facilitator: Thulani Dube, Faculty Programmes Coordinator, Cornerstone Institute
29 April 2021 at 19:00
Watch Live on the Cornerstone Institute YOUTUBE and FACEBOOK.