Batswana encouraged to take up PhD scholarships

NELSON DIRENG
Correspondent | Friday February 19, 2010 00:00

 

He said this yesterday during a visit by Charles Tibone, assistant minister of Finance and Development Planning. Fidzani said if Batswana remain reluctant to further their education, then the country will continue outsourcing skilled personnel from other countries.

He said one common reason that arises for people who don't want to further their education is that they want to build houses before they can leave to further their education. He said this mostly backfires as by the time people think of going back to school, they will have numerous commitments.

'This is a challenge we are experiencing at BIDPA as well, we have scholarships availed to our staff but they too are reluctant to take them up,' he said.

Fidzani said among BIDPA's challenges is the fact that they have an uncompetitive salary structure. 'As one of the first parastatals we have fallen victim to being the benchmark of newly established parastatals. Newly established parastatals such as CEDA and PEEPA use BIDPA to draw up their salary scales and as a result draw them up to beat ours,' he said.

Tibone, who was on his second familiarisation visit of ministry parastatals said he was impressed by the achievements BIDPA has accomplished in the past 15 years.

He said he is astonished by the number of expert personnel BIDPA has. BIDPA has a total of 41 employees, 26 are researchers, 10 of them with PhD qualifications and there are two currently studying for their PhDs.

There are 14 employees with masters degrees, one with a first degree and another one undergoing training. The rest of the staff comprise BIDPA's support structure.

 'By the time I finished my degree, there were less than 25 degree graduates in Botswana. The fact that one institution can house 10 PhD holders reflects that the country has to some extent stepped forward,' he said. Tibone acknowledged that people's refusal to take up PhD scholarships was a challenge. 'If we are going to be a centre of excellence, we have to come up with ways of encouraging people especially the youth to take up these programmes.

'This for instance can be done by holding publicity campaigns and making regular visits to educational institutions such as the University of Botswana and raising awareness to scholars,' he said.

Tibone further said BIDPA should concentrate on the eradication of poverty. He said that nothing is impossible if worked with the right formulae. Issues of Citizen Economic Empowerment (CEE) also need to be concentrated on.

'The government so far has nothing to show that such a programme as the CEE exists and thus BIDPA needs to help make visible such programmes,' he said.