Sinister signs in the sponsorship quota horizon

Uncertain future: Govt has imposed quotas on sponsorship at tertiary level
Uncertain future: Govt has imposed quotas on sponsorship at tertiary level

Government hails its new quota system for tertiary education sponsorship as addressing skills mismatch, prudent resource deployment and graduate unemployment. Other commentators are seeing more sinister side-effects and intentions, reports Staff Writer, BABOKI KAYAWE

The ‘truism’ that tertiary institutions are producing non-market ready graduates, has been the talk of conferences and workshops held to strategise the country’s human capital development. In the past decade, institutions tasked with aligning higher education courses and market needs have been busy at work to resolve this national headache.

Essentially, the efforts have been around ensuring that the billions of Pula government pumps into sponsorship of tertiary students goes towards qualifications and skills that are required in the economy.  The idea is to avoid ‘wasting’ scarce national resources, inflating the numbers of graduates in already surfeit sectors, to the detriment of sectors where hands are required.

Editor's Comment
Two-tier education system demands action

Whilst we join Botswana Sectors of Educators Trade Union (BOSETU) and other stakeholders in commending the rise in top grades, a testament to the unwavering effort of many teachers and pupils, this progress is fundamentally shadowed by a failing that shames our society. The stark, persistent urban-rural divide is not just a statistic, but an active betrayal of thousands of young Batswana.The figures are a damning indictment. When pass rates in...

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