MMEGI ONLINE
LAWRENCE SERETSE
*Poor French language curriculum
*DPSM ignored the matter
*Insufficient allowances
Batswana students studying in Morocco have expressed dissatisfaction with the education system and the insufficient allowances given to them. The students are on scholarships from the government of Morocco. Seven of them (names withheld) have said the Directorate of Public Service Management (DPSM) sent them to study in the North African country without doing research on how the education system there operates.
The students lament that the six-month French language course they have just completed has not fully equipped them with the language skills needed to learn curriculum material that is all taught in French and Arabic. They said the worldwide practice of using course guidelines at universities was ignored, as is their welfare as foreign students.
“Most explanations are done in Arabic, most English speaking students never make it or struggle to make it.There are cases of people repeating first year four times or changing courses every year,” they said.Classes commenced in September but they are still to be placed in universities.
The scholarship for Batswana is offered by Agence’ Marocain de Cooperation Internationale’ (AMCI). The Moroccan government made the scholarships available under the bilateral relationship with Botswana. Morocco pledged to enroll 30 students, pay for their return flight tickets, accommodation and other expenses. The students studying in Morocco report to AMCI because there is no Botswana consulate there. However, they say the place is more like a refugee registration centre for black Africans. They said AMCI has failed to intervene in their education and social welfare issues.
“They have proven to be unreliable and untrustworthy. We have reported this issue to the senior trainer at DPSM (name withheld because he was not available for comment) and they chose not to say anything,” the students said.
After the issue was raised in Parliament in February, DPSM sent the senior trainer and two officials to Morocco where AMCI gave them VIP treatment.The students say the report that was given to the DPSM director was edited and did not present the real picture. It is the student’s opinion that the officials were afraid of being sacked over the scholarship, so they opted to protect their interests.
“When we talked to (the senior trainer) about our problems here, he told us that the DPSM would not be able to offer us any alternate scholarship. He feared to turn down the AMCI offer, so now they are trying to force us here,” the students revealed.
Since the visit, students say there have been no changes. The students complain that upon completion of their six-month French programme, they purchased flight tickets with their own money to return home. They say this was not part of the agreement between them and AMCI.
The students say their experience in Morocco has been bad. They want to return home to be offered better learning conditions. For the past month the senior trainer at DPSM could not be reached for comment as he was said to be in a weeklong workshop.
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