The National University of Science and Technology (Nust) yesterday said it does not discriminate against students from the Matabeleland region but most of them had poor Ordinary Level passes in Mathematics making it difficult for them to be enrolled for programmes at the institution.
The country’s second oldest State university recently came under fire from activists and political parties in the region for allegedly discriminating against students from the region.
The storm that culminated in a call for the resignation of the institution’s vice-chancellor Lindela Ndlovu on social networks came after what the activists termed a “tribally-biased enrolment policy” after the university published its enrolment list for the 2012/2013 first-year students. But Nust director for communications Felix Moyo said the university did not discriminate against aspiring students from the region.
“There has been concern at the low enrolment of students from the Matabeleland region and this is mainly a result of most students failing to pass ‘O’ Level Mathematics,” he said.
“In addition, the few trained teachers in schools have been lured to neighbouring countries leaving most schools with no qualified Mathematics teachers.”
Moyo said the university was running a programme which it hoped would result in improved enrolments from the region.
“Nust, through its Department of Applied Mathematics in the Faculty of Applied Science, intends on addressing the low ‘O’ Level Mathematics pass rate,” he said.
“There is a need of addressing this problem and help the students to pass their ‘O’ Level Mathematics, which will lead them to decide to study Mathematics and other science and social sciences programmes at a higher level.”
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
Moyo said the project — called National University of Science and Technology School Enrichment Programme (Nustep) — was being led by an academic Senelani Hove-Musekwa.
“The objectives of Nustep are to introduce new skills to the teaching of Mathematics in Matabeleland schools and then eventually the whole country,” he said.
