Higher Education Minister Naledi Pandor says no student should be prevented from registering on the basis of historical debt and especially if they are funded by National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).
The Minister met with all presidents of Student Representative Councils in Pretoria during the weekend.
This follows a series of protests at institutions of higher learning last week resulting in the suspension of classes in some institutions.
Students were demanding among others that students with historical debt be allowed to register and for the institutions to help provide students with accommodation.
The meeting resolved to allow the student councils to report back to their constituencies on the outcomes of the meeting.
In some institutions protests were put on hold pending negotiations.
The minister’s spokesperson Lunga Ngqengelele says Pandor expects students to return to classes following the meeting.
“On issues relating to accommodation the minister explained that the department is committed to working with universities to make accommodation available wherein we are going to be supplying about 300-thousand beds. It’s a ten year programme.”
