New tertiary strategy on cards

NELSON DIRENG
Correspondent | Tuesday November 9, 2010 00:00

 

Speaking for Minister Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi, deputy permanent secretary Dr Theophillus Mooko said that the demand for tertiary education continues to increase, thus placing immense stress upon limited government resources.

He said that the cost of providing tertiary education is high thus there is a need for public tertiary education institutions to aim for high levels of efficacy.

He said there is a need for the nation at large to engage in a dialogue on cost sharing. Mooko said that the institutions themselves need to secure other income generating alternatives.

'We want to appeal to parents who can afford to pay for their children at tertiary education level to consider doing so,' he said.

The ministry has however emphasised that the means testing system would ensure that no deserving child is denied access to tertiary level education just because their parents cannot afford to sponsor them.

Meanwhile, the UB Vice Chancellor, Bojosi Otlhogile revealed that UB is planning to increase the number of students graduating locally by 2,014.

He said that this would be made possible by the fact that they are planning to open a campus in Maun. He said that the university exists to serve the nation thus it is only proper for the nation to enjoy its benefits. 

'As we strive to meet the human resources needs of the nation, we are particularly committed to extending the range of offerings and student enrollments at the graduate level, a deliverable that we are performing well given the support and guidance of the University Council,' he said. UB currently has more than 15,000 students, in eight faculties of which 10 percent are graduate and six percent international students.

This is a significant growth from 1992 when the university had only four faculties with almost 3,000 undergraduate and about 200 graduate students.