Mmegi/The Reporter (Gaborone)
Chandapiwa Baputaki
8 July 2009
The University of Botswana (UB) says admission to its programmes is based strictly on academic merit.
This explanation comes after teachers, who had been nominated by the Department of Teacher Training and Development (DTTD) at the Ministry of Education and Skills Development (MoE) for further training were rejected.
The teachers told Mmegi yesterday that UB would not admit them because they did not meet the cut-off points despite having other qualifications and experience.
"We have diplomas from colleges of education and have been teaching for more than 10 years. We are just wondering how they can treat us as if we were fresh from Cambridge?" one teacher, who requested anonymity, said.
However, the UB's public affairs officer (media), Una Gasemotho-Busang said that meeting the minimum entry requirements does not guarantee admission. "Admission will depend on the strength of each applicant's grades and availability of space," she said.
Gasemotho-Busang explained that the teachers wishing to upgrade their qualifications are expected to meet the UB general entry requirements. She said in addition each programme of study has its own specific entry requirements.
"These requirements vary with each programme of study and other programmes will also stipulate as a requirement that applicants with Diploma will be considered," she stated.
She further explained that the mature age entry scheme applies to specific programmes as stipulated in the university calendar. "Applicants of at least 25 years of age with a minimum of JC may apply as a mature age applicant if the programme they are applying for stipulates the scheme as one of the routes for application," Gasemotho-Busang said.
The teachers, who were happy to be nominated for further studies, then crossed the border into Mafikeng, South Africa, and were admitted to the University of the North West. Last week, MoE revealed that the DTTD could not send the teachers to study in external universities because of budgetary constraints.
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