As the 2023 academic year is fast approaching, students at universities and colleges are concerned that the continuous power cuts could harm their studies, as it impacts their preparation and ability to complete their work.
Post-School Education and Training
Many are worried about the negative impact of loadshedding on the Post-School Education and Training (PSET) system.
The Minister of Higher Education, Blade Nzimande, recently acknowledged the challenges faced by students due to loadshedding in his annual address regarding the state of readiness of tertiary institutions before the academic year kicks off. Power cuts disrupt exams, teaching and learning, as well as the functionality of institutions.
Both my Departments of Higher Education and Training, and Science and Innovation, will be establishing a working group consisting of our universities and TVET colleges to ensure that an inclusive approach is adopted to allow for collective beneficiation from the local Intellectual Property (IP) efforts, developed by my Department of Science and Innovation and its entities.
Throughout last year, the South African Union of Students voiced their concern over the powercuts, and described it as what appears to be "an imminent collapse of the country."
Union spokesperson, Asive Dlanjwa explains that blackouts are hitting students who rely on connection and access to the internet, and who need to charge the devices they need to complete their examinations and assignments.
The charging of devices is made more difficult when the loadshedding continuously changes without warning.
According to Nzimande, universities, colleges and the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) are all working on different strategies to combat and hopefully reduce the impact brought on by the ongoing powercuts.
"I will update the public on these effort following the conclusion of our internal consultation processes," concluded Nzimande.
