TRANSPARENCY Solomon Islands (TSI) has called for greater transparency in the National Training Committee (NTC) and National Training Unit (NTU) when awarding scholarships.
It added scholarship awards must be based on merit, not preference.
“Recent termination of 179 students studying in USP at Laucala Campus in Fiji is a clear manifestation of awarding scholarship to students who doesn’t meet the scholarship selection criteria,” TSI said in a statement.
“TSI was informed by sources close to NTU that a number of parents, individuals and some MPs bribed some officers in NTU to fast track their award letters of students despite their low GPA’s,” it added.
“The termination demonstrates MEHRD’s seriousness and commitment to ensure students performed well during their study in various institutions in the region.
“We laud the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development, particularly the Permanent Secretary Dr Franco Rodie, for the decision.
“The PS took that step in the right direction, in line with government policy to ensure students performed to standard as expected.”
TSI said the government continues to spend millions of fund from tax- payers in this country for scholarship every year.
“Government wants value for money when sending students to ensure they complete their studies and return to serve in the private and public sector.
“We urge the NTC and NTU to stop allowing members of parliament from interfering into the screening and selection processes because it breeds corruption.
“It is appropriate to issue scholarship awards to students that come under MPs privilege based on merit and not on favoritism or bribing officers working in the ministry.”
