TSLS needs revamp
THE Tertiary Scholarship and Loans Service (TSLS) requires a complete revamp and realignment with the Fiji Higher Education Commission (FHEC). The governance and management of the TSLS needs to be revisited along with current scholarship and tertiary loan programs. With millions of dollars of taxpayers’ money at stake, TSLS needs to be accountable for public spending of money and be a key organisation for setting frameworks, policies and international good practices on widening access, participation and success of students in tertiary education. The organisation should provide intelligent analysis to the minister on skills gaps, demand and supply of graduates and skilled professionals for workforce, and work closely with employers, professional bodies and industry on the extent to which tertiary education courses align with employer expectations. TSLS and FHEC need to work closely given one provides funding and the other supposedly regulates tertiary education institutions, sets policies and frameworks for quality assurance and maintenance of standards.
The current practices of TSLS are outdated and it needs to go beyond the current simple management of scholarship and loan programs. Education Minister Aseri Radrodro and Finance Minister Professor Biman Prasad have the opportunity to revisit TSLS with the aim of realignment, change in leadership, governance and management, and redefine the role of the organisation.
To the credit of FijiFirst, the tertiary loan scheme is a landmark policy introduced by the Bainimarama government. The tertiary loan scheme has provided access and opportunity for Fiji citizens to gain tertiary education which they could not afford in the past. The loan program acknowledged student diversity, race, and relieved financial pressures on parents from low-socio economic backgrounds. Thousands of students have completed diploma, bachelor and master’s programs through the loan scheme.
In the past, I have advocated for changes in the scholarship and loan programs and perhaps the current coalition Government has more appetite to make changes to fulfil the promises made in the elections campaign.
What changes are needed?
TSLS needs to establish and sustain a productive working relationship with the government, and tertiary education institutions. There is strong evidence to suggest that the relationship with the University of South Pacific (USP) has been further sabotaged due to the recent appointment of the TSLS chief executive officer and the current permanent secretary of Education. Change is needed in the leadership roles to reset relationships and respect universities as autonomous academic institutions.
Both organisations play a critical role in advancing tertiary education. At present TSLS only manages scholarships and loan programs. TSLS needs to work closely with FHEC to set framework and guidelines to monitor and report on student retention and success of tertiary education institutions. There is evidence to suggest that many first-year students fail and later withdraw from tertiary study with debt on their names. Most students who fail are from low socio-economic backgrounds facing learning barriers and require extra academic support. While government provides funding, TSLS and FHEC need to monitor retention
– and success. Institutions that fail to meet acceptable first year student retention rates should be held accountable to improve performance or risk the consequences of losing funding.
Toppers scholarship
Traditionally, National Toppers scholarship recipients are high academic achievers. Irrespective of their socio-economic status, students are eligible for Toppers scholarship if they score higher marks. It is widely known that students from metro locations whose parents can afford computers and internet, better housing and living conditions, health care, and facilities have better academic achievement. Metro schools also tend to have good quality teachers who live and work in cities. Toppers scholarship should be income tested. Those that fall above certain income bracket should only be eligible for 50 per cent of the scholarship funds.
The Toppers scholarship should also include criteria for students completing high school in remote regions. Students from remote regions who score 270 and above marks should be considered in the Toppers scholarship. Students from remote regions who first complete foundation studies should also be eligible for Toppers scholarship if they complete all units of study with distinction and high distinction grades.
First in family scholarships
I have for many years advocated that we need to introduce a First in Family scholarship to improve the socio-economic status of students and their families. First in Family scholarship would be aimed at those students whose parents and siblings have not had access or completed tertiary study at bachelor level. By introducing such a scholarship, we will alleviate poverty and improve social mobility of people from low socio-economic backgrounds. We all know that attainment of tertiary education has a generational ripple effect on the students and their families. This type of scholarship will innovate our approach and thinking towards widening the participation of students.
Skills qualification
The current funding of skills qualification is discriminatory and unfair. This is due to the deteriorating relationship between previous government and its allies who are securing senior positions. The current skills qualification funding is largely awarded to the Fiji National University (FNU). USP being the oldest and premier university in Fiji should be fully eligible for the funding. USP’s long and successful history in online learning and distributed learning centres provides access and opportunity for students from remote regions to access skills-based qualifications.
The current practices of TSLS are outdated and it needs to go beyond the current simple management of scholarship and loan programs.
Education Minister Aseri Radrodro and Finance Minister Professor Biman Prasad have the opportunity to revisit TSLS with the aim of realignment, change in leadership,
Mahsood Shah governance and
There is strong evidence to suggest that many academics who are teaching master’s level courses have bachelor or master’s qualifications only. In many developing countries, bachelor and master’s courses are taught by PhD-qualified, research active staff. We urgently need more PhD-qualified staff especially in STEM areas. We have one of the lowest numbers of female academics at associate professor and professor level compared with other comparable countries. The government needs to increase the scholarship of PhD students in STEM areas.
Recently one minister advocated to bring back multi-ethnic scholarships. Few political parties also argued the need to bring back the Fijian Affairs Board scholarship. These scholarships will take us 20 years behind. We need to recognise international trends in developing economies and align our policies and thinking with 21st century needs with a focus on equity and excellence. Focus on equity and excellence is relevant for small Pacific Island countries to meet the needs of our students who are mostly from low-socio economic background.
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