Govt ponders giving private universities bursaries
By ADRIAN MWANZA
MINISTER of Education Douglas Syakalima has said that government will dialogue with private universities in order to come up with an understanding concerning bursaries.
Mr Syakalima said students in private universities must be entitled to bursaries, scholarships and loans that were available to public universities.
He said the government was aware that this was an equality issue for universities and hoped that the ministry under the new dawn government would dialogue with private universities and hopefully come to accommodate each other’s respective interests.
Mr Syakalima said this when he officiated at the inaugural meeting of the Alumni launch of the Zambian Open University (ZAOU) in Lusaka yesterday.
He said government recognised that graduates of private universities contributed to the social cultural, legal, political, Political and economic developments just like public universities.
Mr Syakalima said graduates from ZAOU, the first private university in Zambia and the leading private open and distance learning institution in the region, had gone on to make significant contributions in all walks of life.
“Some of them are right here in the audience, they include just to name a few, traditional leaders, former cabinet ministers, members of parliament, businessmen, union representatives, lawyers, educationists and Chief Executives of Companies,” he said.
He said former students could support the institution in fundraising and providing direct, individual or collective financial support.
Mr Syakalima also said that the graduates could provide direct input and feedback to the university in the development of learning programmes and strategic planning.
“The formation of an Alumni Association and the active participation therein pronounces the visible attachments between the former university and its graduates,’’ he said.
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