Students’ gripes reach dead end

THE Ministry of Education has decided not to follow up on allegations made by Namibian teaching students in Zimbabwe that the college plans to deliberately fail them at the end of this year, saying that the allegations were speculative and could not be proven.

Education Ministry spokesperson Toivo Mvula told The Namibian on Thursday that the Ministry had instead decided to address what it considers the root problem of the students’ unhappiness – their financial worries. Two weeks ago, students from the Zimbabwean Belvedere Technical Teachers’ College alleged that they were informed they were to be failed at the end of the year in order to ensure continued foreign revenue from Namibia.The students claimed that Namibia had indicated that it would not be sending any more students to the college from next year.Contrary to the students’ claims, the agreement between the Namibian and Zimbabwean education ministries, under which Namibians are being trained at Zimbabwean institutions, was extended last Friday during a meeting between the two ministries, Mvula said.The agreement will be valid for the next three years, he said, and will be extended afterwards, unless either party objects to it.The students’ allegations were to be taken up with the Zimbabwean authorities at that meeting, Mvula had said earlier, but on Thursday he said that the issue had not been discussed.”The issues were not discussed in the meeting, because officials from the Higher Education Directorate in the Ministry contacted the colleges in Zimbabwe and found that the allegations were speculative and could not be proven.However, the Ministry is looking at some of the complaints of the students, more specifically their financial concerns, to see how we can make the students happy,” he said.Two weeks ago, students from the Zimbabwean Belvedere Technical Teachers’ College alleged that they were informed they were to be failed at the end of the year in order to ensure continued foreign revenue from Namibia.The students claimed that Namibia had indicated that it would not be sending any more students to the college from next year.Contrary to the students’ claims, the agreement between the Namibian and Zimbabwean education ministries, under which Namibians are being trained at Zimbabwean institutions, was extended last Friday during a meeting between the two ministries, Mvula said.The agreement will be valid for the next three years, he said, and will be extended afterwards, unless either party objects to it.The students’ allegations were to be taken up with the Zimbabwean authorities at that meeting, Mvula had said earlier, but on Thursday he said that the issue had not been discussed.”The issues were not discussed in the meeting, because officials from the Higher Education Directorate in the Ministry contacted the colleges in Zimbabwe and found that the allegations were speculative and could not be proven.However, the Ministry is looking at some of the complaints of the students, more specifically their financial concerns, to see how we can make the students happy,” he said.