He issued a ministerial statement in the National Assembly
on Tuesday on the fee hikes that have sparked protests, and resulted in the
arrest of some learners.
MPs demanded a ministerial statement after university fees
rose astronomically from $19 000 to $51 000 per semester.
“Maintaining 2021 tuition fees per semester would threaten
the achievement of sustainable development goal (SDG) 4,” Murwira said.
“In fact, it would result in education and training
institutions cutting down on essential budget lines such as internet bandwidth,
e-library subscriptions, workshop practice for engineering, practical sessions
for life sciences, outdoor field trips and supervision of students on attachment
would be totally removed. This would be the death of the credibility of our
education system.”
He added: “With regard to tertiary institutions, the fees
structure that was agreed in 2020 has never changed, except for catering and
practical fees that are determined by market forces. However, the student fees
and other income are generally inadequate to meet all other costs because we
always have to moderate them.
“This is because the income source and student fees are
generally inadequate. To ensure institutions operate on a balanced budget,
universities and colleges should receive more support or charge higher fees,
but normally we ask for more support.” Newsday
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