We must take the emotion and populism out of the free education debate. For years universities have awarded merit bursaries to high-performing students. This means anyone who passes with an average of 75% or more per subject got a rebate on their tuition for that financial year. Not many students are aware that they qualify for such merit bursaries. A snap survey found that 60% of students did not know they existed. Putting an emphasis on merit can inculcate a sense of achievement. It has been proven that a "free without obligation" reward system does not promote achievement. It does the opposite by promoting entitlement without any willingness to achieve. To realise free education, students must take it upon themselves to achieve high marks so that more merit bursaries can be awarded. Universities get throughput subsidies from the state based on the number of students graduating at each level. As of 2018 the state will pay more for each postgraduate student that finishes her studie...
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