How the Heher report differs from Zuma’s free education plan
The Heher commission recommends a cost-sharing model of bank loans backed by government - but free technical and vocational education
The Heher commission’s report on funding tertiary education has recommended that all undergraduate and postgraduate students be funded through a cost-sharing model of government-guaranteed income-contingency loans sourced from commercial banks. This would be for students attending private and public universities and colleges, regardless of their background, according to the report released by President Jacob Zuma on Monday. In the technical and vocational education and training sector, however - where most students were from poor backgrounds and needed more support - education should be free, the commission said. “Through this cost-sharing model, the commission recommends that commercial banks issue government-guaranteed loans to the students that are payable by the student upon graduation and attainment of a specific income threshold,” Zuma said in a statement. “Should the student fail to reach the required income threshold, government bears the secondary liability.” To implement t...
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