Why TEC registered sub-standard colleges

The executive secretary of the Tertiary Education Council (TEC) has explained why they registered some private colleges that did not meet all the requirements. Dr Patrick Molutsi said they took a developmental approach when registering such institutions. "When we registered them, we did not say they were perfect.

We noticed some shortcomings like absence of libraries and took them on a developmental approach and at the same time, we were monitoring staff qualifications and the other facilities."
Molutsi was speaking after government-sponsored students at Gaborone Institute of Professional Studies (GIPS) protested about poor facilities at the college. He revealed that a TEC delegation visited GIPS on Monday on a monitoring tour and met the management. He said they have requested the management to avail to them a long-term development plan.
"They were also told to show that citizens who qualify as lecturers are employed according to our national policies," Molutsi stated. He said they realised that most of the lecturers at the institution are from Zambia, Zimbabwe and India.
The TEC delegation and the government's department of Student Placement and Welfare will meet the registered private institutions next week to discuss their shortcomings after the GIPS saga. Molutsi said that they view the allegations by students as a healthy development but they are not encouraging them to fight management unnecessarily. "They are the learners at these institutions and that is why we are demanding that they be represented at management level through the Student Representative Councils (SRC)."
He indicated that they have demanded that SRCs be formed in all the private institutions where government is sponsoring students. "That will close the gap between the public and the private institutions. The views by the students are a welcome dialogue as they happen in any institution, be it public or private and they are a natural process that will create dialogue and good monitoring of the institutions," Molutsi said. He added that the private institutions have been training students and putting them in the labour market with no one monitoring the quality of their education.
Government started sponsoring students in local private institutions this year as part of cost saving exercise. About 15,000 students were sponsored to study at local colleges like GIPS, NIIT, Ba Isago College, Limkokwing University and recently ABM and IDM colleges. This is meant to save costs of sending students abroad for courses they can do locally. 

 

Editor's Comment
Congratulations Anicia Gaothuse!

The contest had 10 beautiful young girls as finalists and unfortunately only one could wear the crown.The judges picked Anicia Gaothuse. To all those who feel their contestant should have won ahead of Anicia for whatever reason, hardly; the judges found Anicia to be the best among the best, so desist from disrespecting our newly crowned queen on social media or anywhere else, for that matter! Each of the 10 beautiful young women had supporters...

Have a Story? Send Us a tip
arrow up