Ministerial Committee reviewing the National Student Financial Aid Scheme

Statement on article in The Star on the report of the Ministerial Committee reviewing the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS)

8 March 2010

A report in today’s edition of the Star and other Independent Newspapers daily publications, which purports to be based on the report of the committee reviewing the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, is mischievous and misleading.

The Minister has not yet received the final version of the report as it is still being edited and finalised. A final draft of the summary of findings and recommendations of the committee was presented to Cabinet at its last sitting and a final version of the report will be released to stakeholders and the media on March 16, 2010.

The Star has through means that have not followed normal protocol obtained copies of working documents of the committee. For example, a quote in the story “Inappropriate appointments to senior management posts, the absence of a performance management system, poorly defined job descriptions, senior management vacancies, temporary appointments and poor management of internal information have all contributed to the current management problems at NSFAS”, is in fact not the review committee’s finding but an extract from a submission to the committee by one of the stakeholders.

It is offensive that the integrity of members of the NSFAS Board have been impugned in this sensationalized article. The journalist has managed to obtain working documents of the committee and has used these to undermine a legitimate process aimed at improving governance and efficiency of the scheme.

We are committed to an open process of public comment on the report. By reporting on unconfirmed information, the key issues in the report are obscured and this undermines the intention of establishing the committee and of opening critical issues to the public.

We remain committed to improving the NSFAS to better deliver on its core mandate to assist poor, academically deserving students to access higher education. We urge all interested parties to respect the process that has been set in place and to engage actively in the process of consultation to be opened next week.

Mary Metcalfe

Director-General Higher Education and Training
Tel: 012 312 6349/50

For media enquiries:

Ranjeni Munusamy, Head of Communications: Ministry of Higher Education and Training
Tel: 012-3125555
Cell: 0828986082
E-mail: munusamy.r@doe.gov.za

Issued by: Department of Higher Education and Training
8 March 2010