14 Feb 2019

Government is aware of the existence of Gaborone Institute of Professional Studies (GIPS) Faculty of Technology in Phakalane.

Answering a question in parliament on Tuesday, Assistant Minister of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology Mr Fidelis Molao said the campus offered learning programmes approved under the old accreditation system of the Tertiary Education Council.

He said the faculty offered Advanced Diploma in Automotive Electrical Engineering, Advanced Diploma in Motor Vehicle, Body Repair and Finishing; and Advanced Diploma in Diesel Plant Engineering.

The MP for Gaborone North Mr Haskins Nkaigwa asked if government was aware of the existence of GIPS Faculty of Technology in Phakalane, if the learning environment was conducive for technical learning and if the assistant minister was aware that the faculty had been operational for the past four years without proper equipment for learning. 

Mr Nkaigwa also wanted to know what was being done to address the situation.

When further answering MP Nkaigwa, Assistant Minister Molao said for the learning environment to be considered to be conducive, there were key requirements to be met, citing that the content of the programmes had to be aligned to the industry needs and had to match the level of the programme.

He also said qualified academic and support staff had to be in place as well as equipment for practical sessions to allow the learners to implement the theory that was delivered in the lectures.

Mr Molao further said the learning space (classrooms, air circulation, toilets and others) had to be sufficient, taking into account the number of students enrolled.

The assistant minister indicated that the Botswana Qualifications Authority undertook an audit exercise at GIPS Phakalane on November 21, 2018 and another one was scheduled for this month.

He said the November 2018 audit whose scope covered only one programme, Advanced Diploma in Diesel Plant Engineering, had established that the programme met the requirements.

The staff engaged for the three learning programmes are qualified to teach as they have Bachelor’s degrees in the relevant fields.

The audit also found out that the equipment provided by the institution for the Advanced Diploma in Diesel Plant Engineering was inadequate.

Mr Molao further said the classrooms were adequate and were air-conditioned. 

He however said there was need to improve the learning space in the workshops.

“On the basis of this, the authority concluded that the learning environment for the Advanced Diploma in Diesel Plant Engineering is partially conducive due to the issues related to equipment,” he said.

The assistant minister further said the institution only started offering the afore mentioned programmes in 2016, only three years back.

He said the authority having established that there was non-compliance regarding the delivery of the learning programmes offered by GIPS at its Phakalane campus directed the ETP on January 29, 2019 to submit a corrective action plan, whose implementation would be monitored.

Mr Molao said the authority was awaiting the submission of the plan, adding that the authority would further audit the other programmes that were not covered in the first audit being Advanced Diploma in Automotive Electrical Engineering, Advanced Diploma in Motor Vehicle, Body Repair and Refinishing.

He said the authority was putting up a team of subject experts to start auditing the programmes by end of this month. ENDS