07 Mar 2018

Since 2009, more than 306 students who studied medicine and health related courses did not return home.

Assistant Minister of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology, Mr Fidelis Molao explained to Parliament that sponsorship required that beneficiaries return to Botswana on completion of studies to seek employment in any sector of the economy.

Answering a question from MP for Francistown South, Mr Wynter Mmolotsi, the assistant minister stated that there were constraints to knowing the actual number of beneficiaries that did not return because of data protection laws in developed countries, whereby no one could disclose information about other people without their consent.

Mr Molao highlighted that the common reasons advanced for not coming back home included; attractive working conditions, lack of particular industry aligned to their career here at home, no opportunities for specialisation in the country, excelling students offered further scholarships and employment in the country of study as well as marriage to citizens of those countries.

He noted that health related programmes had been identified as areas of critical need and in order to encourage uptake of those programmes, students were given sponsorship as a grant and were guaranteed employment upon completion of their studies.

Mr Molao further said those incentives had been considered attractive to encourage them to return home.

“Currently, government through Directorate of Public Service Management is reviewing public service conditions of service,” he said.

Mr Mmolotsi had asked the minister to give the number of students who were sponsored by government to do medicine and other health related courses outside the country, who had decided to remain there after completion.

He also asked the minister to state reasons advanced for not coming back home and what was being done to encourage them to return. ENDS