News24 reports that on Wednesday, the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education conducted an oversight visit at the Taletso TVET College in the North West province to assess its state of readiness for the 2025 academic year.

Unions, student leadership, and college management laid bare the many challenges faced by the institution. Representatives from the National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu) spoke out about the brutally visible differences in funding for students at TVET colleges and those at universities. It was pointed out that despite living in the same towns, there was a vast difference in state funding for students at universities and those at colleges. Letlhogonolo Sethlaganyane, regional Nehawu secretary, argued that it was unfair that different funding applied to different institutions. "Students are discriminated against despite facing the same challenges as university students when it comes to accommodation conditions. Lichtenburg town is more expensive, but our students get less compared to their university counterparts. In Mafikeng, they are subjected to the same conditions, yet they still receive far less than their university counterparts," he pointed out. An official from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme explained that less funding was made available for accommodation and other related expenses in rural areas, as opposed to urban areas and cities, which were generally more expensive.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jason Felix at News24 (subscription or trial registration required)

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