ABOUT 58 Solomon Islands Government- sponsored students who had taken up studies in the Philippines will be returning to continue their studies there.
This was revealed by the Minister of the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development (MEHRD), Lanelle Tanangada, in Parliament on Monday.
She was responding to a question asked by the Member of Parliament for Ranoggah-Simbo, Charles Sigoto, during Question-and-Answer time.
MP Sigoto asked the MEHRD Minister about the status of all the government-sponsored students in Philippines who were repatriated home during the peak of COVID-19 returned and were still to return to their institutions of studies to continue their courses.
When responding to the question, Minister Tanangada said, “I am delighted to inform Parliament that government through the Solomon Islands Tertiary Education Scholarship Authority (SITESA) is making arrangement to allow Solomon Islands Government (SIG)-sponsored students to return to Philippines at the end of this month to continue with their studies.”
She said more than 300 students were forcefully repatriated during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“About 58 students are ready to leave for the Philippines at the end of this month.
“These students need one to three years before they can acquire their qualifications,” she added.
Minister Tanangada explained that these students need return to their campuses of study because their courses are offered at the face-to-face mode.
“So, they need to be sent back to the Philippines. They have to be physically present in the Philippines to be able to continue and complete their studies.”
She said another 130 students will complete their studies online because their courses can be accessed online.
“Therefore, these students do not need to travel back to the Philippines to complete their studies, but to remain in Honiara to complete their courses.
“These students [also] have one to three semesters to complete their studies,” she said.
Some other students have already returned to the Philippines to resume their studies with the support of their parents.
A few other students have found jobs and decided to continue their studies online. Most of the education institutions in the Philippines are operating on a tri-semester basis and classes are expected to start at the end of this month.
By MOFFAT MAMU
