07 Aug 2022

Palapye MP, Mr Onneetse Ramogapi has tabled a motion calling for the harmonisation of all acts establishing professional bodies in Botswana.

Tabling the motion on Friday, MP Ramogapi said professional bodies such as Real Estate Botswana, Engineers Registration Botswana, Botswana Health Professional Council and others should be harmonised with the Botswana Qualifications Authority (BQA).

The harmonisation of the acts, he said, would enable professional bodies to recognise and register graduates and programmes accredited by BQA.

He said graduates should practice soon after they completed and passed their studies without being subjected to further examinations and requirements by professional bodies.

“There are graduates in real estate who have not been registered to practice.

There are also graduates in the health profession who have not been registered.

There are many graduates that government funded with a lot of money who have not been registered to practice,” said the legislator.

Mr Ramogapi also noted that some professional bodies refused to recognise qualifications of graduates from some local training institutions accredited by BQA.

He said that had left many graduates in the fields mentioned above as well as in architect failing to practice despite passing their studies.

Mr Ramogapi said through the motion he was asking for the harmonisation of processes that would require BQA to consult professional bodies before accrediting institutions and programme modules.

He said it would help avert the scenario where government spent a lot of money financing students whose qualifications were not recognised by the industry.

“The education ministry should ensure that all courses accredited by BQA have gone through all stages of accreditation with the relevant professional bodies to avoid having graduates struggle to register for practice and work after completing their studies,” said the MP.

He argued that it was unfair for professional bodies to subject graduates to further examinations before they could be registered to practice.

He also said professional bodies should be regulated and coordinated because some of them forced graduates to pay exorbitant registration fees.

He said the situation made it difficult for graduates to enter their respective fields.

Mr Ramogapi also said professional bodies should be regulated and coordinated from a single place to ensure facilitation of graduates into the market instead of making things difficult for graduates. ENDS