Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa

Media statement 

26 February 2021 

 

DENOSA Student Movement notes the clarification by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) regarding funding for nursing education by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS). However we still believe that there should be a tangible, effective and specific solution to the funding model of nursing education since the structure of the course itself is unique.

 

The 2020 academic year marked the year of the last group that was on the persal system and the first group of graduates from the bursary funding. Meaning that it has been four years that the bursary system has been implemented in all provinces. Since then we have faced many issues regarding the clinical practice and access to funding for nursing education to a point where the funding is discontinued in some parts of the country. Removing the BCUR course from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) funding list was going to further deny young South Africans the opportunity to study nursing. The past four years after the implementation of the bursary system have been challenging for access to nursing education.

 

Since the implementation of the bursary system in nursing many students in universities had NSFAS as an alternative funding model since there is no certainty in the government bursary, the dependence on NSFAS by nursing students in universities increased when the government bursary was randomly discontinued. Only nursing colleges benefited from the nursing bursary and that in itself signals the inequality in the funding model of nursing education.

 

The department of higher education and training and the department of health need to be very careful when it comes to the funding model of nursing education and the transition of nursing education in general. Since we are talking about the transition of nursing into higher education, the department must be careful not to inherit a mess created by the department of health.To avoid this situation the Persal system must be brought back as it was a working funding model of nursing education which was never supposed to be removed in the first place. With the persal system in place, the NSFAS will have relief because nursing students will have a funding option specific to them. The only focus will be to avoid dual funding.  

 

MORE ELABORATION ON THE FUNDING MODEL OF NURSING EDUCATION.

 

It has been years since the question of the funding model for nursing education existed; however some went to an extent of manipulating the confusion that rises within the debate to benefit their functions. For some it remains a lost victory stolen away from them, and for students it is unfairness as they are left with nothing. By that we mean nothing at all because all the replacements that were put in place are taken away from them. Students who receive a salary are regarded as ‘employees’ protected by labour law. This leads to several challenges: difficulty to terminate their training when they do not meet the academic standards; over reliance of the employing institutions on their services; potential abuse of privileges by the incumbent and failure of the employer to create learning opportunities and meet students’ learning needs. On the other hand, students with supernumerary status enter the workplace to ‘observe’ nursing care in the clinical situation which also does not provide sufficient preparation for students to take up their role as qualified professional nurses on completion of training. (Strategic Plan for Nurse Education, Training and Practice 2012/13 – 2016/17,pg 22).

 

What is quoted above does not begin to give a perspective of the student. The first point itself speaks about the difficulty to terminate training when the student fails to meet requirements, this is as if they’ve never successfully terminated training of any student during the previous funding model.no need to mention the student leaders targeted and perished in such processes. Instead of taking out the whole model and limiting the reason surely someone could’ve mentioned that student academic rules and regulations can inform the contracts for the persal system on when a student can face termination. 

 

The second point boldly admits to the over reliance of the employing institutions on students services as if that is not the case currently with a full student status.to be honest students go to the clinical practice area to work, clinical accompaniment is still limited and what happens during the rest of the 12 hour shift is just duties of a nurse. The nursing strategy speaks on a potential abuse of privileges by the incumbent as if the privileges are not well deserved because of the service provided in the absence of clinical accompaniment. Maybe we must ask the question why that gathering was so jealous of the individual benefits of the student from the little compensation they got.

 

The failure of the employer to create learning opportunities and meet student needs was surely not compromised by the previous funding model because if that was the case the situation would be different by now. Instead we are seeing funding being withdrawn just as seen in Gauteng where for three consecutive years students have not received any bursaries from the department of health. 

 

If we are asked to provide evidence we will refer you to the nursing students sleeping in libraries with only one meal per day (excluding breakfast before work) trying to save the little R500 from home to use for transport to “work” and rising trends of absenteeism.

 

Student needs include transport, food and accommodation to an extent of safety, not forgetting the provision of uniform, practice equipment, study material and even the social psychological wellbeing. You will be amazed how some students are calling home asking for money to buy uniform and equipment. Well it is entirely not true that students enter the wards to observe nursing care, instead we are part of those routines done in the clinical area. 

 

When planning is done, students are included in the plan, hence our appearance in the delegation of duties.

 

Difference between the persal and bursary system:

 

The bursary offered (which was not all provided as expected):

• Tuition fee 

• University/nursing college registration fee 

• Transport fee 

• Accommodation 

• Uniform 

• Books

• Meals 

 

Persal offered (which served as employment of young people):

 

• Salary

• Uniform allowance

• Housing allowance

• Medical aid subsidy

• Remuneration for working on public holidays, Sundays and night duty

• Incentive bonus

• Pay progression

• Pension subsidy

• Service bonus

 

It is expected that one would view this system as costly but my response would be a question on whether there is a significant cost difference between the two models.it may appear that the nursing students are spoilt or given a huge responsibility at a young age, however when one says that they must not overlook the opportunity of securing future financial savings through pension funds and current benefits in terms of medical aid subsidy due to the dangerous nature of the exposure in the work place. The benefit really doesn’t go to the student because it clearly goes towards tuition fees and all student needs. 

 

This doesn’t only teach the young nurse responsibility but also a lesson of financial education and management. It addresses the high number of unemployment in the country and at least when managed properly relieves certain families from the burden of poverty. Why was there an impression that the young people of South Africa do not deserve such opportunities? If ever there is a view that some of the students came into the profession because of the money what is the difference because even today they come into the profession because there are bursaries? Let the education, practice and the profession itself judge who came for the right reasons. At least there we won’t have speculations.

 

Fix the funding model of nursing education now!!

 

Issued by DENOSA Student Movement.

 

For more information, contact:

Nathaniel Mabelebele, National Chairperson

Mobile: 071 684 1646