06 Jun 2016

Government is struggling to recover money loaned   to tertiary students, principal publicity officer in the Department of Tertiary Education and Financing (DTEF), Mr Mothusi Ntikile has said. 

Mr Ntikile said this when addressing the South East District councillors recently.

He said some students who were sent to study abroad decide to stay there and pursue careers making it difficult for the government to trace them and recover the loans.

“When we call the government in those countries that we have sent the students to, asking for help to trace them, it seems like we are looking for a criminal that has fled the country, “said Mr Ntikile.

He also indicated that some students did not report back to the department after they had completed their studies, so that the department could start the loan recovery process.

However, he said government was working on modalities that could help it best recover the loans.

On other issues, Mr Ntikile said the cut off points for tertiary education admission were determined from time to time and were influenced by budgetary considerations.

He said that cut off points for orphans and vulnerable children are five points lower making them 31 points instead of 36 as a way to give them support so that they can realize their career goals as well.

Mr Ntikile said DTEF is being assisted by the Department of Social Services in relation to  orphans and vulnerable children.

Furthermore, he said students in tertiary education are failing in high numbers and he encouraged parents to motivate their children to learn hard.

During comments, councillor Dilo Abram of Mogobane commented that some of those students that are sent abroad do not come back because Botswana pays them peanuts.

Councillor Semakaleng Sebogodi of Lesetlhana said Botswana is raising a spoiled generation where students get paid to go to school and yet some still decide to neglect school work and fail. ENDS