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Govt says quota system still in use

Malawi Government on Monday said it is still using the controversial quota system of admitting students into the country’s public universities, since the opening of the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (Luanar) has not eased the pressure on tertiary education admission.

Minister of Education, Science and Technology Eunice Kazembe also expressed doubts that even the opening of the Malawi University of Science and Technology (Must) in Thyolo, which she said is expected to have its first students in the 2013/2014 academic year, is not expected to improve the situation.

Presenting a report on progress at Must and the situation at Chancellor College and the Polytechnic, Kazembe said the creation of Luanar, which was among the six new universities planned by the Bingu wa Mutharika’s administration, was just the de-linking of Bunda College from the University of Malawi, hence did not mean any significant additional spaces in the public universities.

She said: “In terms of spaces, we cannot say we have significant spaces created.

The only new university is Must and we will indeed have more space but there will still be need for apportioning of space.”

After the update, Chitipa North Member of Parliament (MP) Nick Masebo asked Kazembe to confirm whether government has abolished the quota system, considering that there was slow progress on the plans to have six new universities in the country to increase access to tertiary education.

Kazembe said in as far as government is concerned the planned six universities, including Must and Luanar, were still on track.

“Those six universities were supposed to be created in the next 10 years from 2010 and that would be by 2020,” she said.

In her statement on the status of Must, which is situated at the late Mutharika’s personal Ndata Farm in Thyolo, Kazembe assured the House that the university is ready and will have its first intake of students in the 2013/2014 academic year.

 

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