A GOOD number of continuing government-sponsored students studying at the University of the South Pacific (USP) campus in Laucala, Suva, Fiji have been terminated.
This was for failing all their four units in the second semester of 2020.
Director of Training under the Solomon Islands Tertiary Education Skills Authority (SITESA) within the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development (MEHRD) Curtis Kalu revealed this over the weekend.
It was revealed that some Solomon Islands government-funded students studying in Fiji universities were terminated from their scholarship and are waiting to return home.
She could not reveal the total number of students.
Ms. Kalu explained some of the sponsored students from last year have been given leniency in assessing their academic performance.
She said there was no academic assessment done last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“No student was suspended or terminated in semester 1, 2020 as leniency was given due to the pandemic; therefore no academic assessment was done in semester 1, 2020.”
She added, in semester 2, leniency was again given.
“However not to those who fail all units taken in semester 2, 2020,” Ms. Kalu said.
She explained termination was given only to those who failed all courses taken in semester 2, 2020.
She said most students who failed all units have returned and in the country already.
Its understood only continuing students who have passed all or some of their units have remained in Fiji to continue with their studies this year.
Each year, students have been assessed for their academic performance by the training unit.
And those who fail most of their units usually face termination.
By FOLLET JOHN
Newsroom, Honiara
