Varsities full to bursting

08 April 2014 - 02:02 By Nivashni Nair
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Parents are forking out thousands of rands in university fees for their children to sit on the floor, stand or share seats in overcrowded lecture venues.

Council on Higher Education CEO Ahmed Essop said there was evidence to suggest that the growth in enrolments had not been matched by growth in resources, including physical infrastructure.

"This has been recognised by the government, and as a result in the past few years additional funding has been provided specifically for infrastructure development.

"However, there is a time lag between the provision of funding and the actual building of infrastructure, so overcrowding may well be a problem," he said.

First-, second- and third-year students studying finance, economics, accounting and management at the University of KwaZulu-Natal claim their classes are overcrowded.

"Classes are always full. Students share seats or sit on the floor. It's difficult to pay attention. Eventually many students resort to self-study and stop attending the lecture unless to hand in assignments or for tests," a third-year BCom student said.

UKZN spokesman Lesiba Seshoka said accounting and economics were offered in multiple blocks to allow students to sit comfortably.

"The finance three class almost doubled in 2014 and an additional timetable block was added to accommodate students," he said.

Students at the University of Johannesburg also claim they have to sit on the floor or stand at the back of the class during lectures.

"It's unbelievable to think that our child can't even hear the lecturer," a parent said.

UJ has set aside R20-million for more teaching resources and is building new facilities at Kingsway and Doornfontein campuses.

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