(Budget Review: Department of Higher Education)
The Department of Higher Education is the government department that prepares young people for the workplace. In contrast to most people's expectations, it is more beneficial, from an employment perspective, to have grade 9 with a technical qualification than grade 12. Furthermore, graduates make up the one group where unemployment is still at a fairly manageable level.
For these reasons, it is regrettable that certain aspects of higher education are being managed so poorly. Student financing through NSFAS is in chaos and in the FF Plus's view, built on a poor foundation as well. Financing should go hand-in-hand with counter-performance.
In addition to the poor management, the FF Plus is opposed to the Department's oppression of Afrikaans.
While the UN's International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights stipulates that all peoples have the right to fully develop their culture, Minister Blade Nzimande considers the use of the Afrikaans language as a hindrance to access.
And based on that, he condemned private Afrikaans higher education.
The FF Plus views this Department as one that oppresses cultures.
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