Pretoria: Deputy Minister in the Presidency, Nonceba Mhlauli, and Higher Education and Training Minister, Buti Manamela, are set to engage with students in a Freedom Day BackChat Conversation on YouTube this coming Monday. The session aims to explore the constitutional rights of students and the responsibilities necessary to actualize these rights, under the theme: ‘Beyond Fee-Free Education: Are constitutional imperatives honouring the rights of students?’

According to South African Government News Agency, the BackChat session will delve into what the Constitution promises to students, the responsibilities it imposes on all stakeholders, and the existing gap between promised rights and the lived realities of students. The session will further explore what actions are required from the government, educational institutions, and students themselves to bridge this gap. The Presidency released a statement on Friday, highlighting the need to interrogate whether the post-school education and training sector fully honors the constitutional rights of students and what practical steps are needed to give effect to these rights.

This initiative will bring together students from universities, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges, and Community Education and Training (CET) institutions. The platform is designed to facilitate open dialogue between students and government leaders, providing an opportunity to discuss critical issues affecting students and potentially inform policy formulation. The conversation will be available for live streaming on YouTube from 6 pm on Monday, following the national Freedom Day commemoration in the Free State.