20 Feb 2020

Minister of Employment, Labour Productivity and Skills Development, Mr Mpho Balopi says the number of students admitted at brigades exceed capacity.

Mr Balopi said some students were enrolled for courses that did not attain regulatory accreditation, adding that government had no intention of abandoning students that were not absorbed by brigades at the beginning of the year.

Answering a question from the Member of Parliament for Palapye, Mr Oneetse Ramogapi, Minister Balopi said students were enrolled in August 2018 and started their studies at the beginning of 2019.

Mr Ramogapi had asked the minister to state what caused crisis at brigades and technical colleges, and whether the minister was aware that the public, students and parents viewed the crisis as a way of campaigning by the BDP, as government was intending to abandon the move after elections.

He also asked if there would be any counselling offered to the affected learners for the whole period spent without learning.

Mr Balopi said the enrollment was done with an anticipation or expectation that resources would be raised and timely allocated to cater for the learners and adhere to the required regulatory compliance.

He said the action was informed by a historical practice of shifting students as a way of optimising the limited resources.

“The rationale behind the move was done with the perspective of up-skilling more youth, but has in retrospect proved that a different approach must be pursued,” said Mr Balopi. He said consultation with all relevant stakeholders were ongoing with the view of rectifying the situation.  

Going forward, Mr Balopi said the learners and the economy would benefit from the collaboration involving government, the private sector and other development partners.

He said all concerned parties must aggregate resources, which would increase training capacity, but also enable regulatory compliance with Botswana Qualifications Authority (BQA).

Mr Balopi said he was looking forward to finding financial and budgetary support during the 2020/2021 committee of supply presentation.

In an effort to deal with delayed learner intake, Mr Balopi said his ministry was in talks with that of tertiary education, research, science and technology with a view to absorb more learners at technical colleges.

As a result of the proposed move, Mr Balopi said some students at certificate and national craft certificate level courses were expected to be admitted during the latter course of 2020.  

Mr Balopi said the proposed development would admit part of the about 4 700 students who were not absorbed at the beginning of the year as a result of the rationalisation exercise to comply with BQA regulations.

Mr Balopi also said he was not aware that the public, students and parents viewed the challenge that had engulfed students at brigades as a way of campaigning by the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP).

He said allegations of campaigning by the BDP were mischievous and quite disheartening.

He further indicated that the plight of learners regarding the period spent without core learning had been addressed through consultative meetings involving learners.  ENDS