Maravi

'Government lacks priority on education'

'Government lacks priority on education'
By Patson Chilemba
Wednesday October 10, 2007 [04:00]

THE MMD government lacks priority on education, United Liberal Party (ULP) president Sakwiba Sikota has said. Reacting to finance deputy minister Jonas Shakafuswa, who said the government budget cannot cater for all the needs of the universities, Sikota urged Shakafuswa to own up and say that the MMD had failed on education.

“On Shakafuswa’s statement, I think he should say the MMD government does not want to increase funding. It’s the question of where you put your priority. Monies are there. He should tell people that the MMD is not willing to increase funding,” Sikota said. “This government lacks priority on education.

They need to prioritise university education. It’s not correct to say there is no money. For example, in the household, if the father does not put priority on food, the children might think going to drink is the best thing. All that shows lack of priority.”

Sikota said university education was very important and that the government should by all means find ways of adequately funding universities.

“The ULP government will ensure there is adequate funding to the universities because we shall consider it as a top priority.”

On the statement by Shakafuswa that it would be better that the university remained closed in order to find solutions to the problems affecting the institution, Sikota wondered what it was the government wanted to address, which it had failed to do in the past.

Last week, Shakafuswa said there were other competing needs on the meagre national resources.

Shakafuswa challenged those who were calling for increased funding to the universities to come up with better ways of how to allocate money. “After the budget, that’s when they come and say ‘why didn’t you allocate like so and so?’ That’s rubbish,” he said.

Labels: CBU, EDUCATION, JONAS SHAKAFUSWA, SAKWIBA SIKOTA, ULP

posted by MrK @ 4:27 AM