At many of our colleges, including the University of Botswana (UB), hardly a semester goes by without disruptions to classes over one problem or the other. We have at times taken a hard stance to these disruptions without informing ourselves on what could have led to these class boycotts. Quite often we think these disruptions are caused by student exuberance and the desire to be militant or to challenge authority. There are some recurring problems at tertiary institutions, which we believe authorities could easily sort out and minimize the unnecessary disruptions in our institutions of higher learning.
The paying out of allowances is one such area that could be dispensed easily. Students have invariably complained that allowances are inordinately delayed and they never know when their allowances will be paid into their bank accounts. The Ministry of Education and Skills Development, together with UB and college authorities, the Student Representative Councils (SRCs) and the financial institutions handling student allowances should sit together and harmonise the processes so students are paid without much ado.
