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Outcomes on DENOSA Student Movement Meeting held over the weekend
MEDIA STATEMENT
07 March 2016
The Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) Student Movement held its two-day National Student Movement Meeting from Saturday until Sunday, wherein robust engagements on education in general and nursing in particular took place as is the nature of DENOSA Student Movement.
On Student Revolution
DENOSA Student Movement would like to categorically state its full support of the current student revolution at universities, and the language policy at some institutions whereby English and Afrikaans are used as parallel media of instruction. It is our firm belief that the use of two languages as media of instruction provides an unfair advantage to students who are taught in Afrikaans as majority of those students are taught in their mother tongue. We firmly support the use of one medium of instruction that is English.
Racism experienced at universities leaves a bitter taste in our mouth and we condemn it with contempt it deserves. We fully support the call for the Vice-chancellor of University of Free State to vacate his position as it is obvious that he failed on his mandate to deliver transformation to the university. It is appalling to find that young South Africans are directly involved in racist antics.
We condemn the violent protests in our universities whereby university property is being vandalized and burnt to ashes. It is uncalled for that property of the universities is being damaged while the very same property will be needed by the very same students in future. We need to isolate anarchy, hooliganism from radicalism and militancy. We call on our members not to partake in violent protests which could lead to destruction of university property.
On Student Victimization
We note that student leaders are still victimized at our institutions of higher learning – be it nursing colleges or universities. The victimization of students impairs the progression of the nursing profession as this results in the profession being more submissive. We call on all college and university management to stop the victimization of students by recognizing the roles and importance of student leaders in our institutions. It is unacceptable that at this day and age we still find that management at our institutions of higher learning remain untransformed and reactive in nature.
The organisation has noted that in many public nursing colleges have a tendency of changing of students’ results. Upon publishing of results, students always get a shock of their lives as at a later stage their results are changed from what was initially published or received. This has caused a great emotional stress upon students. This is pure victimization that must come to a stop.
On Funding
Model
ModelWe call on the Eastern Cape Department of Health to do away with the Social Compact bursary scheme which fewer individuals have benefited compared to the majority of deserving students. DENOSA Student Movement has long resolved in its National Congress that the funding model of student nurses should be uniform and all students should be on persal with full benefits. We call on the National Department of Health to do away with the bursary system and introduce the persal system with full benefits.
model of student nurses should be uniform and all students should be on persal with full benefits. We call on the National Department of Health to do away with the bursary system and introduce the persal system with full benefits. On Community Service
The community service has presented the nursing profession with huge challenges as it has been misused by the employer since its inception. Community service is more of exploitation and cheap labour of nurses than assisting student nurses with experience. Community service should be abolished with immediate effect. We will unleash campaigns calling for the abolishment of community service.
On the upcoming local government elections
DENOSA Student Movement will be out canvassing and supporting the ANC in the upcoming local government elections, as per DENOSA 7th National Congress resolution. ANC remains the pillar of hope for masses of our country. We still find the ANC relevant to the struggle of the nurses in the country despite some challenges that are putting us at loggerheads with the ANC-led government. We will employ the complimentary and contradictory approach to how we relate with the ANC-led government.
On COSATU Young Workers Forum
We note the threads against COSATU Young Workers Forum which hampers its functionality. There are stumbling blocks in terms of young workers within COSATU to have a voice. The majority of young people remain unorganized that leaves the youth vulnerable to capitalism which is looking to exploit our people. We want to see COSATU Young Workers Forum being fully functional. A functional COSATU Young Workers Forum will mean that the youth have a say. DENOSA Student Movement will continue to participate in activities of COSATU Young Workers Forum.
On Private Nursing Colleges
We call on the South African Nursing Council (SANC) and National Department of Health to keep a hawk-eye on private nursing colleges as we have observed in previous years that private nursing colleges have taken advantage of people who aspire to become nurses. Private nursing colleges charge exorbitant tuition fees that majority of our aspiring nursing cannot afford and are offering minimal opportunities for employment. Majority of private nursing colleges offer R2176 and R2175 which have also been phased out by SANC as the New Qualification Framework is introduced and implemented. We call on the regulation of all private nursing colleges.
End
Issued by DENOSA Student Movement
Nkululeko Mapaila Tshepo Monoketsi
National Secretary National Chairperson
0718722186 0795015808
Website: www.denosa.org.za
Facebook: DENOSA National Page
Twitter: @DENOSAORG
