Education Fair a major first step - Venson-Moitoi

CHANDAPIWA BAPUTAKI
Staff Writer | Friday March 5, 2010 00:00

Speaking at the official opening of the Botswana Tertiary Education Fair 2010, which she described as a major first step, the minister said yesterday that this is not only about the lack of capacity within the system that absorbs only a fraction of the traditional 18-24 age group, but also about issues like workforce development, the geographical location of institutions, which are mainly in Francistown and Gaborone and rigid qualification structures.

'There is also lack of clear consideration of access for people from disadvantaged backgrounds such as those with disabilities and forms of impairments, which represent a further challenge,' Venson-Moitoi said.

She said the private education sector has grown tremendously and widened the range of programmes that Batswana can benefit from. 

The minister stated that her concern is that not all of them have delivered up to the expected level. 'I have asked the Tertiary Education Council to tighten up their role as the regulator so that the current overlaps and snags can be resolved and delivery attained at a higher level,' Venson-Moitoi said.

She said there is a problem with the quality and relevance of the programmes offered in institutions, as new graduates have expressed major concerns they face in securing employment. She addeed that employers have also expressed concerns about the quality of graduates they employ and the need to provide further on-the-job training.

The minister revealed that institutional climate has been a further issue of concern for everyone and in particular President Ian Khama, who is dismayed at what goes on in education institutions.

'There are too many examples of poor governance as well as the quality of management, the behaviour, the attitudes and a lack of responsibility amongst students as well as staff. All these should become issues of the past because we just cannot allow them to persist,' Venson-Moitoi said.

She said once these challenges are resolved endless opportunities await the ambitious scholars.  'The fair is a first step in thinking differently and an important accomplishment. I would like to see the tertiary education sector building on this and by tirelessly working together to develop institutions that we can all become proud of, with an academic portfolio that is of high quality and befitting of the education hub we intend to become,' she said.

For his part, TEC executive secretary Patrick Molutsi revealed that his team is currently developing a comprehensive Tertiary Education Management Information System (TEMIS) and a research and innovation strategy for tertiary education in Botswana. He said the fair is also aimed at giving government an opportunity to assess the impact of its policies and decisions.

The fair ends tomorrow.