This
site is designed for Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator versions
4 and above and a screen resolution of at least 800x600
|
|
|
Districts to give university loans
By
Hope Musukwa - 15-08-2002 |
|
|
Assemblies to decide recipients
The University of Ma-lawi has finalised 2002 selection but will withhold results until government clarifies how students will get loans through the district assemblies, University Council chair Ben Dzowela said yesterday.
Dzowela said going through assemblies is part of a decentralisation process based on where students come from so that they can be easily identified.
“I am here to believe that they (funds) will be channelled through the district assembly because the students are categorised on the basis of where they come from. But for the exact details I am afraid I don’t know. It will be announced,” said Dzowela.
He said the delay is also partly because the university wants to know if there is enough money for the new intake.
“In the past once we announced the results the students believed there would be 100 percent funding. I am not very sure if that will be the case,” he said.
He said the university would be meeting the Ministry of Education today to discuss the funding for new students.
Out of 2,330 who sat for the university entrance examinations less than 1,000 have been picked.
Bunda College of Agriculture opens on August 26 while Polytechnic starts on September 2.
Commenting on the K900 million allocated to the university in the national budget this year, Dzowela said this is only half of the required figure. He said the solution is to commercialise the university.
This he said can be done by amending the University Act, which is expected to be done during the next sitting of Parliament. The amended Act will, among other things, allow for private students as one the way of expanding the higher learning institution’s revenue base.
Once the amended Act is in place, the University will have three categories of students: Those with good grades will have 100 per cent funding, the second category will pay 50 per cent of the fees and the third is that for private students, who will pay 100 per cent of the fees.
Education Minister George Mtafu said that the University Act amendments were still at the draft stage.
“The aim is to expand access to the university,” he said.
|
|
|
|
|
|
