Deputy Education and Vocational Training minister Gaudensia Kabaka addresses journalists on the formation of a committee to review the issuance of student loans in higher learning institutions in Dar es Salaam yesterday.
By Vicent Mnyanyika and Orton Kiishweko
The Government yesterday directed the public universities to readmit only those students willing to pay for their education through the cost-sharing loan policy.
The ministry of Education and Vocational Training told the administrations of the public universities to lock out those demanding that the Government fully finances their tuition and accommodation.
Deputy Education minister Gaudensia Kabaka, addressing a press conference in Dar es Salaam, said the universities had been instructed to re-admit only those students who would agree to be bound by the cost sharing policy.
She came out to reinforce the policy following the closure of the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) and other institutions of higher learning due to student protests to demand the scrapping of the cost sharing policy.
Ms Kabaka said: “Any student who does not agree to cost sharing will not be re-admitted when the institutions reopen. The Government has no extra money to grant 100 per cent loans.”
Ms Kabaka’s statement reiterated an earlier stance by Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda, who while winding up the last sitting of Parliament, said that the Government would not change the policy.
She said: “I wish, therefore, to assure the public that cost sharing will remain. It cannot be scrapped as the students demand.”
Her remarks underlined the hardline stance the Government has taken to curb the growing student unrest in public universities.
“We have directed that the exercise be conducted immediately so that those agreeing to cost sharing can resume studies.”
Seven campuses of public universities and constituent colleges were closed over a week ago, sending home some 30,000 students after protests, some of which turned violent.
The students were attempting to force the Government to order the Higher Education Students Loans Board (HESLB) to fully pay for their tuition and accommodation.
Besides the University of Dar es Salaam’s Main Campus, also closed are Ardhi University, the Dar es Salaam University College of Education (DUCE), Mkwawa University College of Education (MUCE), the Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology (DIT), the Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) and the Moshi University College of Co-operative and Business Studies (MUCCoBS).
Yesterday, Ms Kabaka said it would be unwise for the Government to provide full loans because thousands of other deserving students would be locked out of higher learning.
Through the current loan policy, Ms Kabaka added, nearly 60,000 students had benefited. Should the Government yield to the whims of the protesting students, less than 40,000 students would still benefit, she said.
It would also require Sh163 billion to fund all loan applications 100 per cent, she said, noting that the facility was being reinforced each year, with Sh117 billion allocated this year.
A committee has been formed to investigate and suggest ways of improving the situation, including the manner the loans are administered by the board.
The committee will comprise experts in information communication technology (ICT), lawyers, lecturers and the Tanzania Higher Learning Students Organisation (Tahliso).
"These are experts in the education sector who will scrutinise the cost sharing policy and suggest ways of improving it to avoid strikes in the institutions,” she said.
In 2004, the Government formed a similar committee to investigate the causes of strikes, but few changes were made afterwards, observers said.
The committee members were Dr Hawa Sinare (an advocate and former UDSM law lecturer) as chairperson, Prof Tolly Mbwette (vice-chancellor, Open University), Mr Muhingo Rweyemamu, N.E. Ligate, Mr Augustine J. Kajigili, Mr Lubambula M. Lubambula and Mr John H. Msumi.
However, to date, the Government has not revealed what measures were taken to effect recommendations made by the committee.
Following the latest round of strikes, police have arrested scores of students, accusing them of inciting their colleagues.
A former student leader at UDSM, Mr Julius Mtatiro, has been charged with incitement, while Ugandan national, Mr Odong Odwar, was arrested and remanded for questioning.
Inspector-General of Police Saidi Mwema told reporters in Dar es Salaam on Thursday that more arrests would be made.
Opposition leaders, mainly from Chadema, have criticised the manner in which the Government is handling the problem. Secretary-general Wilibrod Slaa and special seats MP Halima Mdee accused the police of intimidation, by arresting student leaders.
They distanced Chadema from the student protests, saying the police were seeking excuses to harass party officials.
Meanwhile, the University of Dar es Salaam Academic Staff Assembly (Udasa), and the administration have formed committees to suggest long term solutions to the students’ woes blamed for the frequent strikes.
Suggestions, include advising the Government to reconsider its position on the cost sharing policy with regard to tuition fees.
“The cost sharing policy has had the university undergo strikes last year when it started, so, I should say that the administration worked out terms which could see to it that government reviews its position on means testing before awarding loans to students,” a lecturer said.
In a related development, foreign students on exchange programmes, who remained at UDSM after the closure, have been asked to leave.
The students, who are mostly from Uganda, were told on Thursday that they would have to leave as soon as the administration gives them money to foot their transport costs back home.
However, they have not been told when they would be recalled.
