Masimolole raises alarm on student allowances
Gothataone Moeng | Tuesday March 25, 2014 15:21
He told Parliament on Friday that even if government built accommodation for students, it would never be enough to cater for the growing numbers.
He declined to say whether the ministry would adjust students’ allowances, saying that they are discussing the matter with the Student Representative Councils (SRC).
He stated that the ministry made a mistake by giving on-campus and off-campus students the same amount in allowances.
Masimolole said the ministry acknowledges that the cost of living has gone up but the government has also not been spared in the rise in costs.
“It should be noted that for every student that government sponsors, the government has to bear a huge cost right across the education spectrum.
“The increase in costs for tuition, books, equipment and other related resources across all levels of education has been felt by government over time,” he explained.
He said it is difficult for government to balance the escalating costs of education with the increasing student population.
“The review of the tertiary student allowances cannot, therefore, be done in isolation from related and other costs in education,” he said.
Masimolole stated that the current arrangement in which government meets almost all education costs is not sustainable in the long run.
He said the government has already initiated the process of developing a test of determining the parent-portion in a cost-sharing venture.
This is meant to alleviate the burden of education costs on government.
The Assistant Minister was answering a question from Gaborone West South legislator Botsalo Ntuane who wanted to know, in light of ongoing talks between government and unions over salary increases, whether the Education Ministry would accordingly adjust students allowances.