14 Mar 2018

There are no learning programmes under provisional accreditation offered at ABM University College of Francistown campus.

This was said by Assistant Minister of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology, Mr Fidelis Molao in Parliament on Tuesday.

He said all current learning programmes under provisional accreditation would be expected to be accredited by December 2020.

He explained that there were three learning programmes under provisional accreditation offered by Botho University College, Francistown campus, while Gaborone Institute of Professional Studies (GIPS) at Francistown offered two learning programmes.

He further stated that the Botswana Qualification Authority (BQA) made provisions for only two distinctions, adding that “a programme will either be accredited or not accredited.”

The assistant minister said the offering and recognition of programmes that had a provisional accreditation status was part of a transitional phase.

“According to the transition arrangements all existing learning programmes should have been accredited by 2^nd December 2020,” Mr Molao said.

The assistant minister said students would continue to graduate from learning programmes until “we fully implement the BQA at the end of the already mentioned transition phase.”

He told Parliament that programmes carrying the provisional accreditation status were recognised.

The MP for Francistown South, Mr Wynter Mmolotsi had asked the minister to state the number of academic courses that were still under provisional accreditation but offered to government sponsored students at Botho University, ABM University and Gaborone Institute of Professional Studies in Gaborone.

Mr Mmolotsi also wanted to know when those courses would attain full accreditation status, and if there was any chance that some students would graduate before the said courses were fully accredited.END