16 Jul 2014

Parliament has been informed that the Ministry of Education and Skills Development is unable to ascertain the number of students who have not returned back home from abroad after completion of their studies.

Responding to a question in Parliament, Assistant Minister Patrick Masimolole said this was because upon returning home, some students found find their way back overseas while others took repatriation allowance and disappeared.

He said most of the countries where these non-returnees resided, had a confidentiality clause which did not allow access of information to a third party.

The assistant minister said in 2010, during the change of passports from old to new one, the ministry was able to identify at least 110 non-returnees in the United Kingdom, 46 in Australia and 30 in the United States.

However, the minister emphasized that this was an estimate as some might have returned or others joined them.

MP for Francistown West, Dr Habaudi Hobona had asked the minister to state the number of graduates in the medical field who have been trained abroad and have not returned home in the past 10 years. ENDS