Students reject book allowance card

Mpho Mokwape | Monday March 3, 2014 15:19

Ba Isago University College Student Representative Council (SRC), Sean Kgokgong, said at a press conference on Thursday that private institutions have decided to join forces in fighting the ministry over what he deemed as disrespect to the students’ opinions and well being.

“Ba Isago University College, Limkokwing University, ABM College and other institutions that are not present today are united to ensure that the MoESD does not take us for a ride,” he said in response to a recent letter from the ministry to the institutions informing them about the book allowance card.

He told the ministry to come up with better ways of addressing student needs rather than imposing unnecessary measures. He said they have written several times to the ministry, proposing that students should be given their book allowance in cash. This would allow the students to buy books at bookshops of their choice rather than at one store.

Meanwhile in the letter from the ministry, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Kgopotso Ramoroka said that what students have been proposing makes it difficult to come up with one model for all colleges due to the differences in the way institutions operate.

Ramoroka opposed the suggestion of giving all the book allowance to students in cash saying that it is a high-risk option that could result in abuse of funds by the recipients.

He said the proposed card system would allow students to purchase books at points of sale in different shops as a way of preventing the monopoly they have cried about when the card was introduced at Limkokwing last year.

He stated that there is a need to explore the issue of security of the card, optimum benefit from use and possibility of encashment and on-line procurement.