The Member of Parliament (MP) for Mahalapye East and Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) Chief Whip, Botlogile Tshireletso, joined the chorus yesterday, saying the government is making more people destitute by denying them access to education. She said that Form One and Form Four students in her constituency have been returned home, either to collect school fees or because they could not get their certificates. "We are increasing the number of destitutes in the country. Why should we punish children for the sins of their parents?" she asked. What hurt the legislator most is that even orphans are denied education, or their certificates after completion, if they are in arrears.
Tshireletso's outcry comes at a time when the main opposition Botswana National Front (BNF) has stated that it is against the re-introduction of school fees since they would deny education to many children. It also comes at a time when BDP's Specially Elected MP Botsalo Ntuane is expected to table a motion, requesting government to place a moratorium on cost sharing pending a review of its impact on access to education.
