09 Jun 2021

Oodi College of Applied Arts and Technology (OCAAT) management has been implored to conduct themselves in a manner that would not bring the college into disrepute.

During a consultative meeting with the college management, staff and students representatives recently, Assistant Minister of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology, Mr Machana Shamukuni called for orderly conduct in the workplace. 

The assistant minister made the call following reports of a plethora of challenges besieging the college, among them, unaccredited courses, staff disputes allegedly emanating from lack of transparency and poor communication.

The challenges also include disruption of courses, budgetary under spending, extension of programmes due to complacency by some lecturers, staff welfare problems, lack of resources as well as unaccredited lecturers.

Mr Shamukuni called on staff members to work as a team to solve some of the fundamental challenges resulting from poor basic management skills.

He reminded them that the ministry had been charged with the responsibility to deliver requisite skills in the market through Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

In that regard, he stressed that they should put in place interventions that would guarantee the ministry achieved its mandate to transition the country into a knowledge-based economy.

“I am imploring you to pull together as a united force, both lecturers and student community to ensure we deliver technical skills needed into the economy,” he stated.

Mr Shamukuni requested for submission of a detailed report to the ministry within a month on interventions to address problems raised by staff and students. 

In addition, management should submit a comprehensive report on why multi-media students could not complete their programme as well as measures to address the matter.

Earlier on, OCAAT principal, Ms Maggie Khumalo had briefed the meeting about the challenges among them low student enrolment, reluctance of lecturers to accredit with professional bodies, which she stated, could lead to closure of the college for lack of compliance with set standards.

Area MP, Mr Mabuse Pule called for speedy interventions from the ministry, lest the quality of education was compromised. 

Furthermore, he suggested that the ministry should institute a forensic investigation because the problems at OCAAT had long been pending.

Mr Pule stated that he had received numerous parallel reports, something he argued indicated that there were serious problems at the institution that has a capacity of 1000 learners against the current 240.

“Fingers are pointing all over, we need to get a clear picture of what is going on here,” he stressed. Ends