The thing about the instant nature of social media is that misinformation can spread rapidly, people retweeting and clicking ‘share’ without bothering to fact check what they’re disseminating.

If you’ve been following the #FeesMustFall protests (and you really should be, it’s a pretty special thing that’s going on) you’ll know that our government isn’t all that popular with our students. I’ve heard some people say ‘inflation happens, fees rise’, but what that points to is a clear lack of understanding with regards the essence of the protest.

Here are a few things you really NEED to know to fully understand why frustrations have reached such drastic levels. Below from TimesLive:

How important is the government contribution to university budgets?

University budgets in South Africa come from three main sources: government, student fees, and private sources (donors, fund-raising etc.). Over the last decade, the government subsidy has decreased as a component of total university income from 49% to 40%, while the contribution from student fees has risen from 24% to 31%…

What is the actual value of the government’s contribution to universities?

In 2012/13 the government contributed just over R24 billion in total funding to universities (block and earmarked grants). This amounts to 2.3% of total government spending in that year and about 0.76% of GDP…

To put this into perspective, Roshuma Phungo of the South African Institute of Race Relations writes that this is low by global standards. “A more appropriate number would be 2.5% of GDP”…

…the state contribution [may have] grown with increased student tertiary enrolment. But many institutions started from a low base, and educational inflation…has exceeded the consumer price index. Also, students entering tertiary institutions in recent years are on average a lot poorer than in the early 2000s.

Can the student demands be met?

The student protest movements are demanding that there be no fee increase. At UCT they are also demanding improved wages for outsourced maintenance and security staff, including that the university should employ these staff directly. The academic staff will also hope for at least inflationary increases in 2016.

For the student demands to be met, for academic staff to get an increase too, and for there to be no serious infrastructural cutbacks at institutions like UCT, the state has to increase its student subsidy.

Roshuma Phungo argues that not only is this possible, but that higher education can be free: “If higher education was to be funded solely through taxpayer subsidies then a further R71 billion, over and above the existing R25bn, would be necessary. Our analysis suggests that, with sufficient prioritising, that R71 billion could be raised.”

It looks like with an organised, sustained effort there is a very real chance to enact meaningful change. At the very least the hornet’s nest has been kicked, and silky-tongued politicians too often let off the hook are going to struggle to weasel their way out of this one.

[source:timeslive]