Ministry finally secures funds for scholarships

BABOKI KAYAWE
Staff Writer | Monday August 12, 2013 00:00

 

In a statement made to Parliament on Friday, Education Minister, Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi, said after she was granted time to consult, 3,644 progressing students and those to be admitted in brigades, technical colleges and other vocational training centres will be sponsored.However, not all repeating students will be offered sponsorship.'Repeats will not be covered only in exceptional cases such as final year students with a record of good performance in preceding years, or where the student may have had a case of ill health,' Venson-Moitoi explained.  

Two weeks ago, Gaborone Central legislator Dumelang Saleshando asked the minister about the status of tertiary education sponsorship for the 2013-2014 placement cycle. At the time, the minister's consultation process to secure funds was at the initial stage.'My consultation process to secure funds was too premature for me to give any answers to this House with any degree of certainty, and therefore my apparent hesitation,' she told Parliament.

The availability of the scholarships comes as a relief to students whose hopes of furthering their studies hit a snag after the Department of Tertiary Education Financing (DTEF) said there was no money. After Venson-Moitoi's announcement on Friday, DTEF director, Marcos Maedza, said he was fully involved in finding a solution to the problem. He explained to The Monitor that money has become available to sponsor the students after the ministry shifted funds from other projects. He said the ministry management has the prerogative to shift funds as and when the need arises or priorities change.

'What is important is that funds have been sourced elsewhere and we are busy placing progressing students who applied on or before January 31, 2013,' said Maedza.The Tertiary Students Representative Council Advisory Committee will meet with the ministry next week to discuss the book allowance issue.