SA Education

19/11/2015

FINAL CALL FOR 2016 APPLICATIONS FOR NSFAS FUNDING

Grade 12 learners and students wishing to apply for financial assistance to study at any of the selected public universities and TVET colleges in the 2016 academic year have until 30 November 2015 to submit their applications.
Online applications are only limited to students applying to study at the following selected institutions:

Durban University of Technology
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
University of Venda
Sol Plaatjie University
University of Mpumalanga
King Hintsa TVET College
Motheo TVET College
Umfolozi TVET College
South Cape TVET College
Ekhurhuleni East College

The applications for financial assistance are only open to learners/ students from poor and working class families who cannot afford to pay for their studies. This may include eligible students who were not funded by NSFAS in the 2015 academic year and those who were not funded in the previous years.
NSFAS opened online applications at the beginning of August 2015 to give applicants adequate time to submit their applications early. This period allows NSFAS to directly receive applications, process them and award funding to eligible students using the new funding model.

Postal address: Private Bag X1 | Plumstead | Cape Town | 7801
More than 30 582 online applications were received since the beginning of the application period and a significant number of applications have been processed thus far. NSFAS will communicate with all applicants via SMS or email as soon as 2015 Matric results are released. Applicants can also contact NSFAS directly through the Contact Centre on 0860067327 or [email protected] for further assistance.

The new Student Centred-Model
The new model is part of the recommendations by the Report of the Ministerial Review Committee on NSFAS. The model was piloted with approximately 15% of the NSFAS funded student population in the 2014/15 financial year, and it is expected to be rolled out to more institutions in the next financial year. In essence, approximately 85% of the student population remains with the old model. R1.3 billion was disbursed via new model to 67 277 students including the R250 million paid through sBux voucher system for allowances (food, accommodation, books, and transport).

11/11/2015

Statement by Minister Debbie Schäfer

Western Cape Minister of Education

11th November 2015

Urgent and final call for parents to enroll their children

The December summer holidays are less than one month away. Schools will close their doors on the 10th December 2015 so that our educators and school staff can go on a much deserved break.

Teachers will return to school on the 11th January 2016, whilst learners will return on Wednesday 13th January 2016. Educators start the school year a little earlier so that they can address any last minute administration matters before getting off to an effective start by Wednesday.

Between this period, (10th December 2015 - 13th January 2015) the WCED will be unable to confirm with schools, the progress of an application for the registration of a learner.

I would therefore like to take this opportunity to make an urgent and final appeal to parents to enroll their child before the end of the 2015 school year. This can be done by contacting their nearest district office for assistance. It is extremely important for parents to enquire about enrolling their child within the next month.

Their lack of action in this regard will result in their child losing valuable learning and teaching time at the start of the 2016 academic year.

The school population in the Western Cape is growing rapidly year-by-year and I am concerned at the number of parents who have, in the last couple of months, moved to the Western Cape from provinces such as Gauteng and KZN and who, on arrival, demand places in schools of choice for their children. This is simply not possible at this late time of the school year.

The responsible way to go about your relocation would be to apply at schools before moving to other provinces. Schools of choice were full as early as May of this year.

The WCED has an obligation to assist all parents with placement of their children. This however does not mean that we guarantee a place in a school of choice, even if these schools are the closest to your new home.

Those parents who fail to enroll learners on time place a massive burden on our officials at the start of the school year.

In addition, this disrupts teaching and learning time for their own children, and we call on the public to work with us so that we can prevent undue disruptions.

23/09/2015

17/09/2015

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) and the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) are inviting emerging black filmmakers to submit proposals for consideration under the Emerging Black Filmmakers Transformation Fund (EBFTF).

07/09/2015

Deadline: October 1, 2015 Harvard University is now accepting applications for the 2015 Academy Scholars Program. The Academy Scholars Program identifies and supports outstanding scholars at the st...

30/08/2015

Bursaries

27/08/2015

Dear members of the media

Yesterday an application was brought before the South Gauteng High Court by the national leadership of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) against Wits University for an interim order interdicting:

1. the decision by the University to suspend certain Wits EFF student society members from the University;

2. the decision by the University prohibiting Wits EFF candidates from contesting in the 2015 Wits Students’ Representative Council (SRC) elections;

3. the conducting of the SRC elections.

Today the Court found that the SRC elections should continue, and that the prohibition of the Wits EFF candidates from contesting in the 2015 SRC elections should remain in place. The University is appreciative of this ruling and the SRC elections will continue as planned.

The Court further found that the suspension of students from the University should be set aside and that the disciplinary procedures for these individuals should be convened within 10 days. The University is more than willing to comply with the time stipulation regarding the disciplinary procedures. We disagree with the ruling regarding the lifting of the suspensions, given that the evidence suggests that these students broke the Code of Conduct for Students by engaging in or threatening physical altercations, and the fact that the University has an obligation to protect the safety and security of its students, staff and visitors. However, the University will respect the decision of the Court.

The University would like to put this matter behind us so that we can focus on our core activities of teaching, learning, research and social engagement.

As the SRC elections proceed, we trust that all members of the University community, and the students and student societies in particular, will conduct themselves in a proper manner within the rules of the University.