TERTIARY institution students have commended the government’s undertaking to reintroduce grants and loans in 2014 saying it is an appropriate move that would improve their plight.
LINDA CHINOBVA OWN CORRESPONDENT
Higher and Tertiary Education deputy minister Godfrey Gandawa told Southern Eye last Thursday the government was set to reintroduce grants and loans in 2014 to alleviate the plight of students in tertiary institutions.
The Zimbabwe Congress of Students’ Unions secretary for information and publicity in Mashonaland Central, Wise Gumbeze, said reintroducing grants and loans was a good move by the government considering the challenges students have been facing.
“This move will enable students to fully dedicate their time to studies as some had resorted to working and studying at the same time so as to generate funds for their up-keep,” Gumbeze said.
He said the government should provide students with funds that will sustain the needs of students.
The National University of Science and Technology students’ representative council president Lucky Muza said anything for the students from the government was welcome and it was pleasing to note that the government was now prioritising students’ plight.
The grants system was scrapped about a decade ago due to the political and economic crisis and this resulted in most students countrywide struggling to survive for the duration of their courses.
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Muza said the grants would come in handy for students as they would reduce the financial challenges that they face.
He said the government should also consider addressing the issue of student accommodation as it was long overdue.
“The campus residence hostels in some institutions cater for 160 students only when intakes would be over a thousand students. Accommodation has been neglected for a long time and it has to be addressed,” Muza said.
However, some felt that the government’s pledge to reintroduce grants and loans was a mere attempt to put some government officials in good light.
“Soon after elections, Zanu PF has tried by all means to maintain a particular stance and image. This promise is just a strategy because in the past we have heard them speak, but failing to implement their promises,” Richard Mahomva, projects co-ordinator of Leaders for Africa Network, said.
Mahomva added that the government’s pledges were commendable, but it was questionable how it could offer grants that should cover all students yet it had failed to administer cadetships which are selective.
