Sponsored students can now work part-time
Chakalisa Dube | Thursday May 11, 2017 15:17
Addressing members of tertiary education students representatives councils (SRCs) in Francistown this week, Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology minister, Dr Alfred Madigele announced that the Government would review the grant and loan agreement and most notably get rid of a clause preventing students from working.
The review is meant to allow students to work part time while they are studying. The decision to allow students to work is meant to help them augment their paltry allowances.
The Government has often resisted calls to get rid of the clause preventing tertiary students (who are sponsored by the government) from working part-time. But it appears authorities have now bowed to pressure and are ready to scrap off the clause.
Yesterday, youth leagues were quick to welcome the Government’s decision.
Youths from opposition parties have been at the forefront of advocating for the removal of the clause barring students from securing part-time employment.
Botswana Congress Party Youth League (BCPYL) president, Tumiso Rakgare said the review was necessary to allow students to supplement their allowances. The BCPYL has often called on the Government to allow students to work part-time to augment their ‘paltry’ allowances.
“The Government has often maintained that it does not have enough funds to increase student allowances while barring them from working to supplement their allowances, which is not a wise move. We hope that through the review it will be scrapped,” the BCPYL president told Mmegi.
Rakgare said the review could reduce instances where students protest over low allowances. While serving as the University of Botswana’s SRC president several years ago, Rakgare also lobbied Government to allow students to work, to augment their living allowances and gain work experience. “I believe that through part-time work, students can also gain basic employment skills such as the nitty-gritty of customer service. The majority of students finish school without the basics required for one to start employment. Having these employment basics can attract employers,” he said.
He added: “If you take Gaborone for example there are booming shopping malls where I believe students can secure part-time employment”. The Botswana Movement for Democracy Youth League President (BMDYL) Jacob Kelebeng equally welcomed the review of the clause.
He, however, maintained that under the current conditions, allowances should be increased. “Not all the students will get part-time employment because the job market is saturated at the moment. That is why we maintain that for now allowances should also be increased to reasonable levels,” said Kelebeng, who is also a former SRC member at the University.
Students have often complained that their living allowances cannot sustain them as a result of inflation. The issue of low allowances has reportedly lead to a rise in vices such as alleged prostitution and drug dealing among desperate students.