Limkokwing University - A bogus institution?

With its exotic name and arrogant advertising, Limkokwing has taken the nation by storm.

It is every student's dream to find themselves bombarded with Science and Technology concepts by a 'black lecturer'. Their wish is to see themselves going to Limkokwing- an institution that has become 'GC's most rocking university or college'. Street talk has it that there is even a dancing style by the name Limkokwing. It is also common belief that Botswana's most pretty faces are enrolled at Limko. This just proves the institution's powerful identity.

On the other hand, the once sparkling Mmadikole seems to have lost its place among Botswana's hearts. Limkokwing is giving Mmadikole a good run for its money. If I was to conduct a research, I would not be surprised to find 4-5 children going by the name Limko.

However, this is beside the point, the crux of the article is on what Limkokwing is offering Botswana. With the government's quest to 'have a paradigm shift in our human resources development... (Nkate 2007)', risky and sometimes dirty measures are taken to fulfill the mission. Limkokwing is a prime example. But who pays the price? It is ordinary Batswana who cannot afford to take their children to overseas institutions.

What can you say about Limkokwing when University of Botswana is always chided for its low quality education? It is nothing but a mafia institution masquerading as an academic one. If they are serious about the academic well being of Botswana, they wouldn't be employing university graduates who have never pursued teaching programs. Some are still retaking courses at UB!

Other than employing unqualified lecturers, it is also appalling that most students enrolled at the institution obtained low grades from senior schools. I have no problems with sending low grades students to tertiary institutions, but it boggles the mind why science courses that are known to give students hard times be given to low grades students. Isn't it shocking to find a student with 26 points doing a Bachelor of Computer Science? At Limko, it is just ok and the government has no problem with that.

The government's quest to push for economic development through tertiary institution access shall always remain a mirage if they keep on taking the same path. I am not a prophet of doom, but rumours that South African students from other bogus (unknown) institutions are shunned by the employment sector is a serious concern.

Personally I don't think the government is serious about the quality of our education. Their only concern is to appease international donors and create a better image with high percentage of students accessing tertiary education. But, like Gaborone Technical College students, Limko students shall soon go on strike. It's only that they are still blinded by the P1, 900 per month bribery.

Institutions improve with time, but not with Limkokwing. Instead of improving itself, Limkokwing rather engages in extravagant bootlicking graduation ceremonies-showering ministers (or shareholders) with false degrees. It's high time Botswana realize that their tax money is going down the drain. It's high time Botswana know what their students are taught at tertiary level. Our parents should not only be excited because we can buy them tea and sugar from the monthly allowance. They should know whether what we are pursuing at these institutions is relevant to this era of globalization. It's high time we realize that institutions like Limkokwing have nothing rather than milking the nation taxpayer's money.

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Global Concerned Citizen