07 Apr 2024

Local tertiary institutions leadership have been commended for consistently and successfully holding the annual Joint Tertiary Institutions National Roadshow, since its inception in 2014.

Launching the 2024 Tertiary Institutions National Roadshow, recently, Department of Tertiary Education Financing (DTEF) director, Ms Neo Sebolao said the roadshow, themed: Promoting a seamless partnership in Tertiary education, was a commendable initiative providing opportunity to Batswana students to acquire relevant information required from them to apply for tertiary institution admissions.

She applauded tertiary institutions’ leadership for driving and aligning with government’s principle of taking services to the people, by jointly collaborating to annually organise the roadshow, set to begin in Maun on April 8 2024 and end in Palapye on May 3 2024.

The roadshow, she said was also in sync with international policy declarations of note, such as United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 4, which called for governments to ensure equal access to all levels of education, vocational training, for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, indigenous people and children in vulnerable situations.

“Some people may think this is just a roadshow, no it is not.

It is empowering the very child that is in Kgalagadi, Bokalaka, Maun, Shakawe and giving them the wings to fly to their own harmony, so that tomorrow that child becomes a very productive citizen of this country,” she said.

It also gives Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education or International General Certificate of Secondary Education and other equivalent certificate holders an opportunity to apply for learning programmes of their choice at a place nearer to them, as well as to reflect and choose what they want to do with their lives as they go forward.

You know, information is power and it is good for decision making,” she said.

Further, DTEF director said the roadshow theme spoke volumes about the kind of relationships the entire education fraternity should speak in this fast pace academic world, especially amongst the education and training providers.

Giving an overview of the roadshow, the roadshow chairperson, Mr Chris Moiketsi said the event marked 10 years of local tertiary institutions’ collaboration traversing Botswana, as a collective, with one objective of providing access to education.

The roadshow, he said aimed to take services to the people and showcasing diverse array of courses offered by tertiary institutions for students to make well informed career choices.

“This is a great milestone for us that is worth noting and it goes to show the level of maturity displayed by institutions of higher learning in Botswana.
Instead of engaging in competition, instead we opt to collaborate and partner,” he said.

He expressed delight that for the first time, since its inception, the roadshow would have 25 institutions traversing the country with the objective to provide equal opportunities, of access to tertiary education, to the widely spread applicants.

When the roadshow first started, he said there were only 10 tertiary institutions that participated.

He, therefore, expressed delight that the roadshow now comprised of 25 reputable public and private sector tertiary institutions ‘with a traceable record in the education space.’

Some of the institutions, the chairperson said boosts of International Organisation for Standardisation certification, amongst the many quality standards, such as; Botho University, Boitekanelo College and Institute of Development Management. ENDS