Students seek voice in policy issues

TERTIARY students in Mutare have called for more inclusive consultations to allow them to be part of the policy making process on issues which affect them.

Speaking at the public hearings on the Manpower Planning Development Amendment Bill held in Mutare on Monday, participants highlighted the need to have clear policies that govern tertiary student loans as well as remuneration and welfare of lecturers.

The main objective of the amendment Bill is to align the Act to the Constitution.

It seeks to ensure that all qualifications obtained in higher and tertiary institutions lead to the production of goods and services, to entrench the supremacy of the Act in all manpower development issues and to improve the design of the manpower planning and development landscape for Zimbabwe.

Mr Lawrence Jongi, a participant at the consultations said the Bill was too technical for proper consultations to be carried out since the majority of people it affected would not be able to comprehend it.

“The Bill must not be so technical because when you are consulting you are consulting the society, people from different backgrounds, so those in marginalised communities might not be able to take part, he said.

The Bill must also include the voice of the students because at the moment, we are not clear on the issue of grants and loans, the mechanisms of accessing them.

“For now, if you have not paid fees you cannot attend lectures and we are not aware if anyone has been able to access these loans. We want a clear framework on how student loans will be accessed and the terms at which they are given.

“The loans have to be available for those in real need at affordable rates and this should be spelt out in the Act,” he said.

Zimbabwe National Students Union (Zinasu) provincial chairperson Mr Lesaniel Kueli said many students had not participated in the consultations because there had not been much awareness raised on the Bill.

“There is need to enhance inclusiveness when it comes to these public hearings because students need to be part of these issues that affect them directly and indirectly,” he said.

Chairman of the Parliamentary Portfolio committee for Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Daniel Molokele said the Bill sought to refocus the education system from theory to a skills and innovation-oriented system to create employment.

“This Act is important as it decides on our skills database as a country, our human resource capital and seeks to make sure that our education is relevant to our economy and development of the country,” he said.

Education should have a meaningful bearing on the development of the country which would be attained through the new education 5.0 model adopted by Government.

“Under the old order, we were focusing more on research, community engagement and gathering knowledge,” said Mr Molokele. “But now we are saying let us go beyond that, let’s link the education with the economy.

Universities are producing graduates that are an increasing burden to the economy in terms unemployment, so the focus is shifting to have less of learners, but more of innovators and new industrialists to move the economy forward.”