Colleges enrolment increases
ENROLMENT at Polytechnical colleges has gone up by at least 10 percent in two years after the Government removed Mathematics as a compulsory entry requirement to some courses.
In an interview last week, Higher Education, Science and Technology Development, Innovation and Tertiary Education Minister Professor Amon Murwira said the scrapping of Maths as an entry requirement was only applicable to Polytechnical colleges where a number of courses offered do not require students who have passed the subject at either Ordinary or Advanced Level. He said Maths was, however, still a requirement for some degrees at universities and teachers’ colleges.
“We are saying there are Maths requirements for irrelevant courses, how can one ask for Mathematics as a requirement for a Drama course? Mathematics will be required for relevant courses like engineering and other science-related courses, note that this is for Polytechnics only,” he said.
Prof Murwira said the ministry was also in the process of putting in place a viable plan for lecturers that will give them the zeal to teach following the boycotting of classes at a number of universities as lecturers demanded salary reviews.
“The Government is willing to review salary scales for lecturers upwards but also the lecturers must deliver on their mandate to keep the country as number one in terms of the quality of education.
“We advise people to go for innovation and industrialisation to improve their lives. They must do projects that will generate income for them because looking at the current economic situation no money will ever be enough,” said Prof Murwira.
In an interview, National University of Science and Technology Educators Association (Nusteda) secretary-general Mr Blessing Jona said lecturers were sceptical about returning to work, basing on promises from the management as previously such promises have not been fulfilled.
Meanwhile, Processor Murwira has said his ministry has directed universities to charge those who are studying parallel students the same fees as convectional students. Some universities were charging extra for parallel classes.
“We have done away with the extra payments for parallel students. This semester parallel students are paying the same as conventional as long as they are doing the same programme. Fees will differ according to programmes only,” said Prof Murwira.