NEWS has reached Le Nouveau Seychelles Weekly's office that most of the Students who qualifies for a bursary from the Social Security department are yet to receive their monthly allocation in full for 2008. According to the students, delaying tactics are seemingly being employed by the authorities to further delay the payments. Some has been paid inclusive of arrears, whilst others have to wait longer for their payment to be brought up to date. However, the bulk of the students are yet to receive one single cent from the Social Security department.
Last year students were promised an increment of SR100 starting January 2007, but they were made to apply for the extra SR100 by filling in a form. According to the students, information provided to them at the time indicated that the extra SR100 was to be automatically added onto their allowances, at least for students who qualified and were already receiving the benefits.
Post secondary students are still not very happy about the criteria under which the allowances are being paid out. Under existing rules, a student is not eligible to receive the allowance if the combined salaries of both parents exceed SR6,000 (six thousand rupees) per month. This criterion is grossly unfair and bias according to the students. The students are unanimously against this rule, because parents' outgoings are not taken into consideration. Most families with children in post secondary education has financial commitments in the form of loans, rents, bills and other expenses, especially with the recent across the board price increases, which the students feels should be taken into account in allocating the bursaries in 2008.
The students are unanimous in their wish for government to review the criteria governing the allocation of bursary. Furthermore the students see themselves as adults and in choosing to stay on in full time education, they should not be a burden, financially on their parents. They feel that the Government of the day should contribute towards their expenses because at the end of their apprenticeship, Society and the Government of the day stand to benefit enormously from the skills they have acquired.
One student pointed out that on reaching 63 yrs old everyone without exception is paid a retirement pension of SR1750 per month, regardless whether one has saved any money or not during his or her lifetime. This includes ex-Presidents who earns two thirds of the official salary of the sitting President, ex-Ministers, millionaires and other business people, with hundreds of thousands in the banks. In fact, there is no discrimination when it comes to paying out the “Pansyon vye dimoun”, the students remarked. “Why can't we be treated as their equal?” another student asked.
The students this year has a stronger case more than ever before. In December last year, in approving the 2008 budget, MNAs from both sides, SPPF and SNP, in the National Assembly felt it necessary to vote themselves huge salary increases, which were largely unjustified. Despite being aware of the plight of the students especially since the rise in prices late last year and most recently, no MNA from either SPPF or SNP, has had the decency to propose a motion to increase or to allocate allowance to every student still in post secondary education. This is a clear sign that the MNAs are not in touch with reality and they are all looking out for their own pockets. The students are saying that this is something they will not be forgetting in a hurry especially since they will all be of voting age at the next election.
This newspaper is of the view that all students who chose to stay in full time education after their formal secondary studies should be paid an allowance without exception. This is because at that level education is a major financial burden on family incomes. And the students need all the help they can get to keep them focus on their studies and not having to worry on how to meet their financial commitments. In addition, it will be an indication that the Government appreciates the value of further education and its contribution in the economic welfare of the country.
Millions are being wasted every year on IDC and elsewhere. If President Michel acts now by closing down IDC and other non productive sectors, the government will have millions of rupees each year to spare to finance post secondary education. Privatising the outlying islands will generate substantial sums as well which can be put to good use in supporting post secondary education for the largest number of people. There are other areas where State resources are being plundered. 4.5 million dollars (the equivalent of SR27, 681,300 (twenty-seven million rupees) was gifted to a bogus construction company in
We are publishing the chart below to show the inequality that currently exists in the salary structure in the country and that the politicians in government and in the National Assembly should be doing more for students attending post secondary education!!
