Nursing school closes doors at Rundu and Divundu – The Namibian
THE Nursing Training Institute of Technology (NTIT) has closed its Rundu and Divundu campuses after only one year of operating.
The institution offered nursing foundation and nursing assistant certificate courses.
Nursing school closes doors at Rundu and Divundu
• ESTER MBATHERA and PETRUS MURONGA
THE Nursing Training Institute of Technology (NTIT) has closed its Rundu and Divundu campuses after only one year of operating.
The institution offered nursing foundation and nursing assistant certificate courses.
Both courses ran over a period of 12 months.
The school’s management made the announcement on 17 February, citing tribalism and demands for it to offer free education by the National African Students’ Association (Nasa).
The school also cited community interference in its operations and the pressure to take bribes.
Before the school’s sudden closure, Nasa wrote it a letter on 27 January, requesting to meet with its management.
In the letter, Nasa claims students at the institution approached the association to investigate alleged irregularities.
And upon investigation, Nasa says, it was established that the school promised students scholarships upon registration, but the students were later told to pay monthly tuition fees.
Tuition fees of between N$12 000 and N$20 000 per year have thus far allegedly been collected, Nasa has found.
It is also alleged that students had to pay N$1 000 each for uniforms they say they have not received.
If they did not do so, their academic results would allegedly be withheld, Nasa says.
Nasa has refuted all claims against it and called on NTIT founder George Ferreira to provide evidence to substantiate his claims that the student body is tribalist and has demanded free education.
“Failure to comply, Nasa is willing to take an unapologetic step, involving the Ministry of Higher Education [Training and Innovation], the nursing council and a court of law. And our main reason is to ensure that students are refunded,” Nasa spokesperson Muzani Muzani recently said in a statement.
DESPONDENT
A student registered for a nursing and midwifery certificate at NTIT’s Rundu campus on Tuesday said: “I have lost hope in everything. The world is being shut down in front of me, because I am being robbed of the chance to study.”
The student said she has paid N$18 500 in registration and tuition fees.
A student from NTIT’s Divundu campus said students were not informed of the closure of the school.
“The management just dropped a public notice on the school group at midnight, saying that the school is closed,” the student says.
The students say they suspect the closure is in reaction to them discovering NTIT is not a registered educational institution and its courses are not accredited at the Namibia Qualifications Authority.
Ferreira this week confirmed the closure of the two campuses.
“It’s sad that we have gotten to this point. We must stop the black-on-black hatred. We are all brothers and sisters. We don’t have to speak the same language,” he said.
ACCREDITATION
Documents seen by The Namibian from the Nursing Council of Namibia and the NQA indicate that the institution applied for accreditation in 2021.
The nursing council indicated that the two foundation courses are not registerable qualifications, and that candidates do not need to register at the Health Professions Councils of Namibia (HPCNA).
Ferreira said the school has not registered any students at the two campuses for the 2023 academic year.
PROTEST
On Tuesday around 70 students represented by Nasa took to the streets of Rundu claiming the institution has failed them.
Muzani made several claims against NTIT.
“. . . using unqualified lecturers, which we believe are from Unam, to lecture occasionally. Appointing student representatives and using them as finance and administrative officers. Using students as cleaners and they are not paid, and no hospital practicals for students,” he said.
He said the students are financially and mentally conflicted by the unethical behaviour of its management.
Kavango East Regional Council chairperson Damian Maghambayi last week described the situation as “unfortunate”.
“I was not informed that the institution is closing,” he said.