28 Mar 2017

Some parliamentarians have called upon the government through the Ministry of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology to increase allowances for out of school tertiary students.
Debating the 2017/18 budget proposals for the ministry on Monday, Okavango MP Mr Bagalatia Arone and Gaborone North MP Mr Haskins Nkaigwa said the living allowances had remained stagnant for a number of years and students had to pay rent and buy food.
MP Nkaigwa said the allowances for locally based students should be at par with their colleagues in external institutions.
Mr Nkaigwa has also said the Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources should be housed under the Ministry of Tertiary Education, Research and Science and not the Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food Security.
MP Nkaigwa said when the Botswana College of Agriculture was transformed into an University, it was just a change in the name as everything has remained the same including the salaries of the lecturers.
He further said Target 20 000 might have changed its course as the initial plan was to offer short term training to students who did not qualify for tertiary education.
The MP said currently, target 20 000 students were enrolled in long term training.
MP Nkaigwa said he did not understand why the government continues to sponsor students for unaccredited courses at New Era adding a number of graduates had been thrown in the streets with unrecognised qualifications.
Meanwhile MP Arone has said some students from his constituency were forced to ask for accomodation from his residence because of high rentals.
He also said the colleges of education were doing a better job than the University of Botswana in training teachers.
He however said he wondered why teachers were being trained at Diploma level.
MP Arone said the government made a mistake by abolishing the Teaching Service Management which resulted with teachers falling under the Department of Public Service Management.
He said there should be a different body managing the teaching service.
Specially Elected MP, Ms Bogolo Kenewendo said she was concerned with about 30 000 Form 5 leavers who were not able to continue to tertiary education because of low points.
She said there had to be alternative avenues for the students, adding education should not just be about academic qualifications but should also be given other skills in order for them to add value to the economy.
MP Kenewendo also wondered if technical colleges offered the right courses and said stigma associated with such institutions discouraged students from attending them.
She further called for increased funding for research and development saying this would boost innovation in the country hence it would lead to a knowledge-based economy.
MP for Ghanzi North, Mr Noah Salakae said Minister Dr Alfred Madigele in his request said nothing about the Tertiary Education Policy of 2008, which he said had the potential of improving education in the country.ENDS