Anatomy of students� protests
Innocent Selatlhwa | Friday March 4, 2016 18:00
In educationist Edward Tswaipe’s view, the problems started when the government, with the hope of affording more students access to tertiary education as well as reducing costs associated with sending students to study outside the country, gave private institutions accreditation. Despite this, many did not meet the required standards.
“The idea was that as government would be sponsoring students in these institutions, they would overtime get their houses in order, but a lot of them never actually did that,” he said.
On public institutions, Tswaipe said it would never be easy for the regulator to shut down its handler’s institutions even though a good number of them were not up to par and some should have been shut down. Tswaipe said there was need for the regulator to be independent so as to be able to carry out its mandate. The Ministry of Education and Skills Development (MoESD) is not moved by the strikes, as they believe Botswana Qualifications Authority (BQA) is doing its job of regulating these institutions.
“We know that students are very fond of striking even for non issues including that their meals are not nice. There are structures such as SRCs (Student Representative Councils) which students can use to raise their grievances. If it is on issues such as accreditation of courses and lecturers, they are supposed to take them to BQA,” said assistant Minister Fidelis Molao.
Molao further blasted the students for always wanting to be given what they want at the snap of a finger. He however assured that the BQA is currently investigating some reports of non-compliance at New Era College and Francistown College of Technical and Vocational Education (FCTVE) amongst others.
BQA took over registration and accreditation that was done by the then Botswana Training Authority (BOTA) and the Tertiary Education Council (TEC). Botswana Qualifications Authority Act, 2013 Section 33 (1) provides that ‘Any subsidiary legislation made under the repealed Act, and in force prior to the coming into operation of this Act shall, in so far as such legislation is consistent with the provision of this Act, continue to be in force as if made under this Act’.
The BQA chief executive officer Abel Modungwa issued a press release last week acknowledging that they are aware of unrest in some of its registered and accredited education and training providers.
“The section provides for retention of registration and accreditation status of institutions, assessment centres, trainers and assessors accredited/ registered under the legacy organisations. To this extent registration and accreditation of learning programmes, their names and levels will remain in force until the BQA Regulations have been approved,” said Modungwa. However, BQA promised they would continue addressing issues of non-compliance as and when they arise.
He explained that once the regulations have been approved BQA would review content, names and levels of qualifications and learning programmes to align them to the National Credit and Qualifications Framework (NCQF). “Any changes that may arise will be communicated to all stakeholders. BQA would like to assure students, parents, stakeholders and the public that it is committed to ensuring quality education and training in Botswana.”