SOLOMON Islands Government sponsored students in the Philippines, who returned home during the COVID-19 period, are getting impatient in their wait to go back to the Philippines to complete what is left for them in their studies.
The students, who returned home during the COVID-19 pandemic period, received no word from the Solomon Islands Tertiary Education and Skills Authority (SITESA) on when they will return to the Philippines. Some of these students are to go back for their graduation, some for the presentation of their thesis and others for the continuation of their studies.
The students are frustrated over the delay by the government in facilitating their travel back to the Philippines.
“We have waited for so long and are not sure how long will we wait? SITESA told us that we will return in January 2024 and when January 2024 came, they told us that they have postponed our return for April 2024 and when April came, they said August 2024 and it’s only two weeks left before August and there’s no word from them,” one of the students, who requested the withholding of his name, said.
The student said they have complied with all the requirements set for them by SITESA, adding that they have done their part but SITESA has failed to update them on their return.
He said they do not want another postponement of their return as it will prolong the completion of their studies.
“We have been patient for so long and we are now running out of it. We care about future. Those of us who will graduate want to return to graduate, those of us who are due to present our thesis want to return to do so and those of us who are yet to complete our studies want to return to complete our studies. Our one ultimate goal is to return home with qualifications in order to secure jobs to help ourselves and our families,” the student said.
Solomon Star sent an email to the Chief Communication Officer of the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development (MEHRD), Charles Kadamana to obtain answers from relevant officials in the ministry but he never responded.
By IAN LADDS OSO
Solomon Star, Honiara
