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UNESWA PLANS TO HAVE 2 FIRST-YEAR GROUPS

09/01/2024 15:50:00 Mthunzi Mdluli

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MBABANE – The University of Eswatini (UNESWA) is planning to have two cohorts in the new academic year, which commences in August 2024.

This comes after reports that the 2022 first-year students, who received their admission letters from UNESWA, indicating that they had been admitted to further their studies, were told by the institution to wait temporarily for undisclosed reasons. This then means the 2022 group is likely to be joined by the upcoming 2023 learners currently waiting for their FormV results. Due to this occurrence, it is likely that UNESWA will have the highest ever number of first-year students to be enrolled within one year.UNESWA Registrar Dr Salebona Simelane, was yesterday asked on national radio to explain why the institution was likely to have the highest number of first-year students in the academic calendar.

Reasons

Simelane said one of the reasons for the possible increase in first-year figures was the fact that students who completed Form V in 2022 had not yet started their lectures at the university, as of today. He said the 2022 group was informed that they would begin their tertiary academic journey in August 2024, afterwhich they would be joined by the upcoming 2023 learners, awaiting their Form V results. He said they hoped that everything would work as per their plan.

“The university will only be going through application forms for the 2023 students currently waiting for their Form V results. The other group (2022), was given admission letters as an indication of being accepted by the institution. We are expecting an increase in the figures, but that would depend on the number of students we will admit from the 2023 group. We are prepared, even if the number is increased,” said Dr Simelane. He was then asked whether they had spaces for a specific number of students in the upcoming academic year. The registrar said there were currently ongoing discussions regarding the matter.

According to Simelane, the institution always had an intake of first-year students ranging from 2 500 to 3 000 in every academic year. “There was, however, a decline in the number of first-year students, who were admitted by the institution for unknown reasons in the previous academic year. I think the COVID-19 pandemic and other contributing factors led to such a decline in the intake,” he said. Simelane then highlighted that around 2 200 students from the 2022 group had already been admitted to the university and were waiting for the commencement of their lectures in August 2024.

He, however, indicated that they were expecting the students’ figure for this year to surpass 3 000, or 3 500. It could also reach 4 000, depending on how they utilised their facilities. “We are still going to look at whether lecture times would be extended or not as well. We are busy working around these things,” he said. Simelane made an example of a facility usage, where he said they would consider using the resources from 8am and 6pm, or even go beyond 6pm, to 9pm, in the evening lessons. He said they were likely to do that to maximise the utilisation of resources, such as classrooms.

He further said they were also looking at the possibility of conducting lectures on Saturdays. He said those were some of the options they had at their disposal. On the issue of adequate personnel, should the number of first-year students increase as of August 2024, he said: “In terms of personnel, we have them on the ground. And again, can’t we actually distribute our personnel? For argument’s sake, some can teach in the morning, while others come in from 1pm until 9pm. There are variations, as you can see. It is a question of sitting down and coming up with realistic arrangements to help our students. Sometimes there might be no need for any addition, rather than making use of what is already available.”

Accommodation

In as far as accommodation is concerned, Simelane said it was global practice that some students resided on campus, if the institution provided them with accommodation. He said others lived off campus. “Even some high schools in the country have day scholars and boarders. In some extreme cases, there are universities that do not offer accommodation at all. Those students then commute. Accommodation is not an issue that is expected to give us any challenge. If the institution runs out of accommodation, then students can look for other alternatives in nearby places, where they can stay,” he said.