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To: Minister of Higher Education and Training and Universities South Africa
Universities should not withhold certificates of impoverished graduates
Universities should not withhold certificates of impoverished graduates as they have other options that they are already using to force graduates who can afford to pay their debts to pay.Holding graduates certificate condemn impoverished graduates to perpetual poverty as some employers dont want to go the trouble of confirming if you do have necessary certification or not.Employers are uncomfortable with some letter confirming your certification if its not certificate itself.
Withholding certificates has proven to be ineffective tool to force graduates to pay for certificates.#ReleaseGraduatesCertificates
Why is this important?
The vice-like grip on graduate certificates by universities frustrates not only the graduates but also their entire families. These certificates, to black families, represent a symbolic break with generational poverty.
The documents are an inspiration to their siblings, hence they are hung on the walls in our homes as a reminder and motivation that hard work pays off.
Our universities are still mercilessly holding on to certificates of many graduates who cannot afford to settle their tuition fees due to unaffordability as South Africa is suffering from high levels of unemployment hence many graduates are still unemployed to this day.
The manner in which institutions are behaving towards their alumni is no different from loan sharks who would hold on to identity documents and bank cards of their victims - so that they are condemned to perpetual poverty and debt.There is no valid reason why universities are holding on to certificates when they can resort to debt collectors and other means to get debts settled.
Remove this unnecessary hurdle by giving all graduates their certificates and use other means to get the debts settled.#ReleaseGraduatesCertificates
