ABM University College students left in the lurch

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Parents of beginning students at ABM University College allege that the university has left their children in the lurch, with an unplanned mass transfer of students to the school's Francistown campus.

Frantic parents who spoke to Mmegi this week said their children, who were admitted to the school in March, were scheduled to start school at the Gaborone campus this month. They say this past week, the school informed them about their decision to transfer students to the Francistown campus, days before classes were scheduled to start.Classes in the Gaborone campus started yesterday, while they are scheduled to start on August 28th in Francistown. Students at the Francistown campus are expected to be taken for orientation today.  One parent who spoke to Mmegi, on condition of anonymity, said she was dismayed to learn of the school's decision, as she had already looked for and paid for her child's accommodation in Gaborone. Neither the Francistown nor Gaborone campus offers on-campus accommodation for students.

"I now have to go to Francistown to look for accommodation there, and it is already late," she said.  She said the school had not given them a reason for their unceremonious decision, but speculated that they might have admitted too many students, resulting in overcrowding in their Gaborone campus. She was also unhappy that the school opens later than all other tertiary schools, saying that this leaves parents with no option of taking their children to alternative schools. She said officials from the college told her that they have engaged area Members of Parliament Tshelang Masisi and Wnyter Mmolotsi to assist parents in looking for accommodation for their children. Masisi could not be reached as his cellphone was off.Mmolotsi was surprised when reached for comment on Tuesday.  He said it was absurd that he could assist in the search for students' accommodation, as he does not work for ABM College. He added that the school has not contacted him, but he is aware of the situation as some students have reported to his office.

Editor's Comment
BPF should get house in order

Speaker of the National Assembly, Dithapelo Keorapetse, has this week rightly washed his hands of the mess, refusing to wade into a party squabble that has no clear leadership and no single version of the truth.When a single party sends six different letters to the Speaker’s office, each claiming to be the authoritative voice, it is not just confusion, but an embarrassment.Keorapetse is correct to insist on institutional boundaries. Parliament...

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