Cape Town - A accommodation crisis has arisen in the Bitou Municipality along the Garden Route, with students of the South Cape TVET College saying they have been left stranded with no place to go after management allegedly barred them from entering the school hostel.
The South African Union of Students (SAUS) said there were no students who were left stranded. However, the college had a general accommodation crisis that needed to be addressed.
A student who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals said they were staying in townships and exposed to criminal elements.
“I travelled from the Eastern Cape and we have no accommodation.
“We have tried to engage with the management but we don’t have any answers.
“The hostel is there for students, but we are not given access to it,” she said.
The management of the college did not respond to questions by deadline this week.
South African Communist Party (SACP) Southern Cape District Secretary, Langa Langa, said: “It has come to our attention that whilst most learners are in desperate need for accommodation the school continues to keep the school hostel empty and doesn’t allow learners to live in the school for reasons better known to them.
We have also noticed how many of the students have to walk long distances to and from school on a daily basis braving the bad weather conditions in pursuit of their careers and a better future.
These learners have to walk plus minus 25km daily to and from school whilst the school buses gather dust.
The SACP calls on the college to immediately make accommodation available for all needy students and stop making up all sorts of excuses for why they can’t provide accommodation for learners.
We further call on them to ensure that the school policy accommodates the transport and accommodation needs of the most vulnerable and needy learners of our society.”
Student accommodation remains a challenge across the country.
The enrolment of students within the public tertiary eduction sector was projected to remain high at 1.1 million for the 2023 academic year.
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme indicated that it spent about R13 billion on student accommodation in 2021.
“NSFAS is looking at public/private partnerships working closely with the National Treasury and the Development Bank of Southern Africa.
Also off take agreements, this is supported by a legal opinion that NSFAS sought.
“It allows NSFAS to issue agreements to developers or institutions.”
Cape Times