We must conquer fear to institute changes for real free education
It is possible to achieve an affordable solution if all role players suspend disbelief and act boldly
Can SA afford free education? If so, how soon? This depends on what we mean by "free education". The term is sometimes used to describe affordable fees. Others mean that the whole educational experience is free, including meals, accommodation, books, study materials, travel and a stipend for living expenses. Still others mean free tuition: no student would have to pay for their courses. I will focus on free tuition, which is the first step to a fully free educational system and the most achievable policy option in the short term. The best figures we have for total university fees revenue come from a report published by PwC in 2012. In that year, total fees revenue was R15bn. The South African budget was about R1-trillion. Therefore, to fund tuition for every student at SA’s universities, the government would need to find an additional R15bn per year, on 2012 prices. The government routinely spends amounts of R15bn. To put the number in perspective, the projected amount to be spent o...
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