Udom saga: 21 students left out for lack of qualifications
Udom campus
What you need to know:
In May, this year, Prof Ndalichako expelled 7,802 diploma and certificate students who were pursuing special courses at Udom that were meant to alleviate an acute shortage of science subject teachers in public schools.
Dar es Salaam. Twenty-one of the 7,802 students who were expelled from the University of Dodoma (Udom) earlier this year have not been allocated places in other colleges due to lack of necessary qualifications.
The students were among those who were pursuing special diploma courses in science subjects for primary schools.
The Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Vocational Training, Dr Leonard Akwilapo, said yesterday that all 21 students scored Division Four in the national Form Four examination.
He added that the ministry made the decision after consultations with the students’ parents.
Last month, the Minister of Education, Science, Technology and Vocational Training, Prof Joyce Ndalichako, announced that only 382 of the expelled students would continue to pursue the special course because they had the necessary qualifications.
Dr Akwilapo said yesterday that 6,595 students had been posted to other teacher training colleges, and the government would pay Sh600,000 annually as tuition fees for each student for two years.
The students were posted to colleges in Morogoro, Mwanza (Butimba), Mpwapwa, Songea and Tukuyu.
Dr Akwilapo added that the remaining 269 students had been posted to various vocational training centres because they did not qualify for diploma or certificate courses.
The reallocations and joining instructions have been posted on the ministry’s website and the students have been directed to report at their respective colleges by October 15.
Dr Akwilapo said first-year diploma students and those pursuing certificate courses would begin their studies afresh after they were suspended while in their first semester, while second-year students would also resume their studies in the first semester.
In May, this year, Prof Ndalichako expelled 7,802 diploma and certificate students who were pursuing special courses at Udom that were meant to alleviate an acute shortage of science subject teachers in public schools.
However, the decision was greeted with criticism from various stakeholders, including opposition MPs, some of whom boycotted parliamentary sessions to pressure Deputy Speaker Tulia Ackson to allow the august House to discuss the issue as a matter of urgency.
