Just cut the scrap
By Scrutator
| S |
crutator would like to start by sincerely apologising to teachers who might have been offended when she said a degree in education is easy last week.
She did not mean to offend those devoted to the business of “panel beating” minds in our schools.
Scrutator respects their immense contribution to society.
But, and this is a big BUT, she also knows that a teacher also has the capacity to damage innocent souls.
You see, teaching is generally considered a “calling”.
You can either teach or you can’t.
There are good teachers and bad teachers just as there are good lawyers and bad lawyers.
The problem we have in Africa is that there are lots of people who get into teaching out of desperation or as a stepping stone to other careers.
Most of them are in it for survival rather than passion for the job.
The result is that the teaching profession has taken delivery of some bitter individuals who are unhappy with their jobs and would rather be doing something to earn a living.
The bottom-line is that not all teachers are “panel beating” brains.
Others are just getting along while waiting for the next big break or the next pay cheque.
What happens to the poor souls is none of their business.
Scrutator will not apologise for saying that.
| I |
n the same vein, she will not apologise for criticising NUL.
Any NUL graduate who thinks any criticism of NUL is an attack on their integrity has nothing between their ears or they learnt nothing from that university.
This noise about Scrutator’s criticism being unfair and unconstructive is just hokum.
She loves the university and she will not stand-by while it sinks to mediocrity.
That is why she will not allow its graduates to shield it from criticism.
We only have one proper university in this country and it must work properly.
Those who get pissed every time NUL is criticised are exercising their freedom to get angry at things but they must not threaten a jihad on those who speak their minds.
By the way, Scrutator doesn’t write news but opinions.
Anyone who can’t differentiate news from opinions in a newspaper is masquerading as a NUL graduate.
An opinion needs not be fair or balanced.
| T |
he allegations that Scrutator criticises NUL because she didn’t qualify to study there are laughable.
All you need to get into NUL is a COSC which is basically “O Level”.
It is not for nothing that that certificate is called “O Level”.
NUL graduates must not behave like they wrote some exceptionally tough exams to get into NUL.
They passed ordinary level and they went to an ordinary university.
Ordinary simply means “not unusual”.
In other countries you pass it so that you go to Advanced Level (A-Level) to qualify for university.
O Level students are not wanted anywhere near a university.
The fact is that O Level was designed to make sure that people have an average level of acumen and they function in a literate society.
There is nothing exceptional about it.
So to all those who think it’s hard to get into a university that accepts “O Levels”, please just cut scrap or drink some water.
Scrutator has no time for blabbermouths who think they have a monopoly over free speech.
This brouhaha over her criticism of NUL only serves to prove that NUL is failing to improve O Level students.
|
T |
HE fact that the coalition government has nothing substantial to show for its first 100 days in office is now as clear as a pig’s behind.
A fortnight ago Tommy’s polygamous government hurried to announce a long list of what it believed were worthy achievements it had notched in the first 14 weeks in power.
The earth-shattering announcements we had anticipated on the first 100 days of this cobbled-up government turned out to be just a damp squib.
It was just hot air.
Sympathetic forecasters, excitable apparatchiks and overzealous bootlickers had promised thunder but what we got on November 8 were just minor showers.
It was such a sad sight to watch the government scrambling to show off minor successes to prove that it has done some real work in the first four months after it stumbled into power.
What made the spectacle particularly appalling was that no one had put the government under pressure to make those grand promises.
It is awful to miss targets set for you by another person but scandalous to miss targets you have set for yourself.
In the end it showed that the government had underestimated the gravity of the problems it faced.
Scrutator thinks it has more to do with the innocent exuberance with which the coalition government approached the monumental task it faced when it took over from the Democratic Confusion
government.
It was disappointing that even after the stampede to compile the so-called achievements Tommy himself admitted that his government had failed to compile the full list.
He promised that the full list of the achievements would come in the week beginning November 12.
| T |
hat was more like saying the government knows that it has achieved some things but is yet to get to grips with the specific details of its successes.
Only the coalition government knows why it needed more time to compile the full list.
Scrutator can only speculate that it could be because there are no valid achievements to talk about in the first place.
Honestly, real achievements don’t need weeks to be compiled.
You don’t need to search for them — its either they are there or they are not.
If they are there then they stick out like a sore thumb.
They don’t play hide and seek.
But having said that, Scrutator appreciates that Tommy’s government feels it is obligated to report back to the people on its progress no matter how small it is.
It is refreshing to have a government that knows that it was elected by the people and is accountable to them.
Scrutator recalls that during the previous government we only heard the prime minister talking to the people after coming from a foreign trip.
Press conferences were a taboo under the previous government.
In those days Pakalitha Mosisili would gallivant the globe and on his return to Lesotho numbingly boring press conferences would be organised for him to talk about some conference he had attended.
In the end people who had better things to do like Scrutator just stuffed their ears to avoid hearing the prime minister showing off how much he had travelled.
In contrast, this polygamous government seems eager to talk to people about domestic issues.
Its problem however is that it talks so much that sometimes it just waffles.
That could be because it hasn’t found its feet or its ministers are just overwhelmed by their job descriptions.
Some ministers could still be pinching themselves to make sure that it is they who now occupy cabinet positions.
| K |
hele!
That is all Scrutator could utter when she heard TV Lesotho, that silly excuse of a national broadcaster, appending the ‘DR’ title to Tommy’s name.
News bulletins which were already torturously long are now worse because viewers have to contend with sentences that include “The Right Honourable Prime Minister Dr Motsoahae Thomas Thabane . . .”
Not so long ago the same news readers with shoddy make-up were obsessed with the “The Right Honourable Prime Minister Dr Pakalitha Bethuel Mosisili”.
Blame it all on that university that likes currying favours with the leaders of this country by giving them honorary degrees.
What worries Scrutator is the vim with which the apparatchiks in government embraced that title.
It is not normal practice for recipients of honorary degrees to append the ‘Dr’ title to their names.
In any case, Scrutator doesn’t think the prime minister would take exception to being just being called Prime Minister Thomas Thabane or simply Tom Thabane. He has always said he is an ordinary man.
Scrutator will call him Tommy until bootlickers puke with disgust.
The BBC never referred to Tony Blair as “The Right Honourable Prime Minister Anthony Charles Lynton Blair”.
Even now you would never hear David Cameroon being referred to as “The Right Honourable Prime Minister David William Donald Cameron”.
Did you know that the full name of the US president is Barack Hussein Obama II but he is referred to as just Barack Obama?
Closer home, President Jacob Zuma, Tommy’s buddy, was awarded the title of Honorary Professor of International Relations by Peking University in 2012 but he remains Jacob Zuma in the media in 2012.
This obsession with middle names and given titles seems unique only to Lesotho and a few other African countries.
It is just an archaic practice that wastes precious air time, newsprint and breath.
Malaysia, the country which gave us this heavy burden of a university, is also obsessed with titles.
Little wonder the university’s founder’s name is such a mouthful.
They call him Professor Emeritus Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Dr Lim Kok Wing.
Phew!
Apparently, the title of “Professor Emeritus” was handed to him.
Tan Sri, Dato’ Sri and Dr are also given titles.
The madman of Zimbabwe is now referred to as “His Excellency the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces Cde Mugabe”.
It’s just pathetic.
That reminds Scrutator of how news readers in Uganda used to struggle during the ruthless leadership of a psycho they called Idi Amin.
During that time the Uganda national radio station was required to call him “His Excellency President for Life, Field Marshal Alhaji Dr Idi Amin Dada, VC, DSO, MC, CBE”.
Any deviation was severely punished.
Those days are gone.
Ache!
scrutator29@gmail.com
Comment by 3rd Eye on 22 November 2012:
Your column makes sense compared to the previous one. Now this is more like the Scru i know. Having voted for Tom, i still find no reason why i should call him “Ntate” unless i address him directly, but i respect him. I feel pity for those presenters who are literally forced to include the long & boring “right honourable” & “DR” everytime before they could utter Tommy’s name.
Comment by Antonio on 22 November 2012:
Now u talk like the scru that I once admired. Your last coloum ws more criticising than constructive. I agree with u dat bro Tom shld be adressed just as Tomas Motsoahae Thabane. This “the right honourable Dr” i realy dnt like it.
Comment by Koatake on 22 November 2012:
Its true they waste money for newsprints, but you forgot to mention that they waste money on OPINIONSPRINTS too. I think its time we call part Lesotho times OPINIONSPAPER because you just admitted that you write opinions not news. I do like your opinions SCRU(no but). If those you complain about read them, I’m sure they knock some sense into them.
Comment by semenekane on 22 November 2012:
Ke hantle ha u hlokomela hore u tsoa lekoteng. Hoja oa bua litaba tse constructive hona le junk ena ea hau ea litaba tse destructive. Haeba sena seo u se etsang ke ho batla botumo, oa tla bo batla hampe hee ‘nake.
‘Na ke qetelletse se ke sa bale column ena ea hau ke botjena bona ba hau. Haeba u hlokometse liphoso tsa hau, re ea u lebohela.
Comment by Academic on 22 November 2012:
Good article, now when are you going to write an article about LTV? Im sure many people would realy like to hear your opinion on the broadcasting service, ekare its run by people who know nothing about the media.
Next week’s article should include it! ;)
Comment by Lekhanya on 22 November 2012:
Oaka bua jwalo ka motho anang lekelello,eseng matlakala ane u no a ngotse ka nul..dt ws unaccptble…haeba utla etsa destructive criticism jwalo ka eno hake utlwe bohlokoa ba hau,hape ke rata lesotho times empa habakanna ba utloela oa ngola masaoana a no haresatla ereka news paper ena…
Comment by Pompong on 22 November 2012:
Ache Scru, hobaneng ha u soma kapa hona ho rohaka LTV presenters? Ache ehlile Stlofa o ne a bolela ha are ha a u ratisisi hantle tje. Leleme la hau ha lena khoele!!!
Comment by Lekhoakhoa on 22 November 2012:
Any news? Surely something must have happened in the country in the past 7 days? Criticizing the obvious is not news. Are you not aware that students who go to NUL take a year longer to finish their degree because they have not done A levels? Scrutator ramblings!
Comment by Seoli on 22 November 2012:
Thanks Scru, thumbs up this time around! We too can point to soo many inadequacies in this newspaper. But we never completely dismiss it as dead, in fact we too the love column (that’s why your biggest readers will remain NUL graduates, no matter how often you insulted them, ever wondered why that is so?). We understand that an average person is doing the best he can, with the present knowledge, understanding and awareness he has. We simply ask for a bit of respect for NUL, realising, even for a moment, that therein exist serious academics who are simply bottled in, not only by the general NUL attitude but by the carelessness of successive governments over the years, which seem to have no clue on how to handle higher education.
Comment by Khatibe on 22 November 2012:
I have always had a love hate “professional” relationship with Scru, mainly because of her opinions, which I sometimes sympathised with and some weeks didn’t. I liked the fact that she always had an opinion, especially on things of national interest, which got the rest of us thinking and debating. I have noticed she is a gifted writer (she can write about anything and still get you to finish the article, interesting topic or not) that is why I always read her blogs but her opinions are only as good as her last article.
This particular article is not one of your best jobs (My Opinion):
I Judge the quality of your article not by your opinions (I have come to terms with the fact that we rarely see things the same way), but based on your topic/s of interest. This week you chose to revisit the Nul/teachers debate and their opinion of your opinion. Boring staff. Being such an opinionated individual you should understand some will also have an opinion on your opinion. It’s a democracy it’s only natural. Do not get into a habit of devoting 50% of your weekly article criticizing/responding to those who critic you on the blog. It is their opinion you will not change it. Just respond to them in one line if you have to.
Comment by Seoli on 22 November 2012:
In the end, NUL does have serious problems. They were mainly caused by the decision to increase intake without providing equivalent resources. And, indeed, in a country of 2 million, arbitrarily increasing student numbers from 2000 to 10000 means you will have in that pool, those who would be better somewhere elso, e.g. Fokothi etc. We who work in other countries and see how the governments here give priority to advancement of research (through providing funds of course) are always amazed at how that seems impossible for Lesotho Government to grasp.
Comment by S'bongile on 22 November 2012:
Scru i would rather you didn’t apologize for what you said about NUL because 99,999999% of what you said is true.
Comment by Seoli on 22 November 2012:
Regardless of what I said last time, I am the first to (ironically)confess Scru is the best columnist in this country. In fact she is always head and shoulders ahead of the rest. I may not agree with her, but I admire excellence where I see it.
Comment by LEKHOARA on 22 November 2012:
What about this one:
“The Right Honourable the Prime Minister Ntate Doctor Motsoahae Thomas Thabane MP [Member of Parliament]. . .”
Basotho ke batho ba hlomphang ho feta tekanyo hoo ba qetellang ba senya puo. I think Prime Minister Thomas Thabane still suffices.
Comment by Memorandum on 22 November 2012:
Many universities still accept people with “O-level” qualifications. If Zimbabwe or some other country accepts only “A-level” people near its univerties so be it. That is the system which obtains there and not in Lesotho. In any case, a good number of “A-level” students have been beaten, hands down, academically by their “O-level” counterparts. There is nothing special about “A-level” except that one spends an extra year in high school.
Comment by Memorandum on 22 November 2012:
It is gratifying that there are some Africans who are not title crazy. For instance Nelson Mandela has several honorary doctorate degrees but he does not use the title “Dr”.
Comment by Bobete on 22 November 2012:
“Those presenters with shoddy makeup” jeez,you are despicable, incorrigible, your opinion sucks. Motho ka mong o etsa se a se ratang hahae, “The Rt Hon PM Dr full names” choice of this country if you dont like it you can migrate.
Comment by loose cannon on 22 November 2012:
I echo the same sentiments as @memorandum, A-level is just an extra year in high school.
Comment by Scrutator o tala Ka hanong on 22 November 2012:
Scrutator, I have been following your articles for so long and now I can’t take it anymore, what pisses me most is your way of expressing yourself….do you think the impolite and rude manner in which you write your articles will make your ideas have more weight, go all around the world and read more advanced papers, you will never find columnist who write dirty articles like you….u tsoile taolong wena ngoanana tooe kapa u moshanana it’s not my business…I must admit half the time you have the content that makes sense, YOU JUST LOSE IT WHEN YOU PUT THE PEN ON A PAPER…..
Comment by Educationist on 22 November 2012:
@Memorandum and loose cannon
You are mistaken to believe that A Level just an extra year in High School. It is more than that.
At A level a student specialises a few subject and they go indepth. If you want to follow a career in science you do sciences and normally these are just three subjects or four.
the same applies for commericals and arts.
Believe me it is not just another year but a rich course that prepares one for university.
It is not unusual for students that pass O level high grades to fail A Level dismally. In other countries it is considered the toughest course in High School.
To dismiss it as just a extra year in High School will be to miss the value it has on students.
cheque the statistics and they will tell you that you actually need A Level to get into most prominent universities in the world.
Comment by Motlotsuoa on 22 November 2012:
Aee Scurator why do personalise your opinions, Its wrong to attack LTV Presenters like the way you have done and ho ea tena hobane joale rona ha re tsebe make up oa hao so we can form an opinion, and for the record I am an o level student and I have attended school at NUL with A Level students and ke ba theotse hore…in my two degrees that i did in that insttution. your opinion that A level student are better than O level students is utter stupidity. the calling of titles depend on many factors including how much person is being appreciated, mohlala: Zuma may not be using the title of the proffesor but o reneketsoa ka hore ke mchini oa me etc
Comment by me on 22 November 2012:
@Scrutator and Educationist,
Some universities offer three year Degrees (four years for engineering) after A-level, while NUL offers four-year Degrees (five years for engineering). You do the math, then you will find that these are different approaches to the same goal. Those who think NUL’s approach is wrong are just deluded. A graduate of NUL can make it anywhere in the world, facts speak for themselves. For your info, chock this: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/return-o-levels-gcses-face-axe-003230047.html
@ Scrutator,
Do not fixate too much on the wording, because for instance, you might be led to believe that there is something democratic about the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), simply because there is the word ‘democratic’ in the name. That is too laughable to say the least, so no need to obsess with ‘ordinary’ in O-level. Scrutator, as a matter of fact, you are guilty of equivocation.
Scrutator, do yourself a favor and accept reality as it is, without being deluded. The reality is that with is current approach, NUL is internationally recognized, that’s why NUL alumni are admitted in some of the best universities in the world (for instance, the best university in Africa; the University of Cape Town, of which I am an alumnus. Oh I am NUL alumnus also).
About your opinion, once you make it public, you are subjecting it to criticism, so you have to live with that, and stop being a cry baby.
Just out of interest, when does your work permit expire, and why in particular did you decide to voice your opinion in a foreign country, and not in a country of your birth?
Comment by Rosa on 22 November 2012:
@Me, so all this has something to do with Scru being from another country. Couldnt you have found a better way to counter he argument without resorting to such cheap shots.
@Motlotsuoa, Its a fact that O level is lower than A Level.
There is no denying there.
The other is called Ordinary Level while the other is called Advanced Level. iF Ordinary level is of the same level as A level then why is lesotho working on introducing A level in the next few years.
People, lets not be defensive like Scrutator has insulted our ancestors. NUL Students are accepted in the best universities in the world that is true. But COSC students are not accepted in some of the best universities in the world. A level is accepted in almost all the universities in the world.
Thats a fact.
Comment by me on 22 November 2012:
@Rosa,
My argument stands whether Scrutator is from Pluto or anywhere. Read it carefully. To make your job extremely easy, by telling you that my argument goes until the words ‘just out of interest’. Anything that follows that is not part of argument, but something different. So, if you think I have taken cheap shots at Scrutator, instead of a counter-argument, do you care specifying where I did such a thing? Clearly, A-level is different from O-level, hence why there are different approaches in dealing with both cases (go to my first statement in my previous post). If the issue boils down to O-level vs A-level, then NUL has nothing to do with it. On the other hand, if it involves university graduates, then NUL has a mechanism to deal with that also (e.g four year Degrees instead of normal three year Degrees), so what is this fuss about?
Comment by WILLARD MUBVUMBI on 22 November 2012:
KIkiki…thru your articles you are having more foes than friends. Sometimes truth hurts.
Comment by S'bongile on 22 November 2012:
Scru ba fekenye. now they are defending their useless O levels. Che Basotho ba bang ke lirota.
Comment by Francis on 23 November 2012:
These are ALL @ the end OPINIONS!
Comment by Tsehla on 23 November 2012:
Scrutator, I have read the first part of your column about NUL, and I really appreciate the way you approached some facts. In this column, you were more analytical than generalising as you did in the last article. I do agree that you write more opinions in your columns. An opinion is whatever that comes out of a person’s mind. However, opinions have to be objective in order to attract debate. What you wrote in the previous column was not a criticism, but an attack, and there is a difference between these two things. A criticism gives a person who is being criticized an opportunity to make-up, criticisms are often used in a positive way, whereas an attack doesn’t add value, but instead humiliates people and as a result makes them stubborn.
On the issue of honorary degree offered to our Prime Ministers by one of your local university, I can say that, it is high time that our leaders obtain genuine degrees through the academic institutions, not these easily obtained fake something that I cannot even label them as degrees.
Comment by Thabane on 23 November 2012:
dear scrutator
you should consider a career in comedy… you are hilarious!
Comment by Sefabatho on 23 November 2012:
Scru, well written again. One mishap:
I think it is unfair to criticise LTV presenters about their make-up. They are not sponsored so they ar struggling like any one else, remember they are government employees.
Spot on about the quality of the report by GOL for 100 days, it leaves a lot to be desired.
Following on your comment about O level and A level, can someone tell me why we do O level in Lesotho, there is not even an option to do A level if one wants? I think I now understand why our students tend to struggle when compared to students from other countrie. I am not saying O level students are dull but If I was given an oppoturnity to do it (A level) , I would definitely have done it and I know I was a capable student, who was competing with the A level students and done very well.
Thanks again Scru
Comment by Lekhoakhoa on 25 November 2012:
Most countries do not do A levels anymore, even in England they are now getting rid of A levels in favor of IB. You can do IB at Machabeng, but then who really cares? It goes to show how in touch Scrutator is, there are so many routes to university, you do not have to worry that you have not done A levels, same as we cannot all be doctors and lawyers, you could also do access courses. I find it strange that this paper allows such language to be used, this person called Scrutator is free to say anything they like about other people, is there no regulation in this country? I would like to see what type of makeup she wears. Is there a points system for people who want to live in our country? Should we adopt the same system as Australia? Just a thought.
Comment by khotso on 25 November 2012:
@Lekhoakhoa, You are asking about points because you assume scru is a foreigner.
Do you suppose a mosotho cannot be as critical about thier country?
On the issue of A Levels i dont see your point. Scru didnt say most countries do A Levels. She said in other countries they do A Levels before going to school. I suspect you missed the crux of the argument here. She was merely saying there is nothing special needed to get to NUL. That is true in every way. Indeed there is nothing special. Do you think there is anything special needed apart from a decent O level certificate.
Also, what is this obssession with always defending our nonsense?
Comment by nana on 25 November 2012:
hm, well said Scru, its high time that people understand that NUL is not the best institution in the world. batho ba tsoang NUL ba bona eka ke bona lipoho educationeng, come to south africa, hee joale ba hula ka thata. it is true some of them cope ha ba fihla li universiting tsa SA, but believe me, the majority ba ea struggla, ba fella honours degree, they cant meet the requirements for masters degree. its about time that our new government implements a system e tla thusa bana hore ba specialise ha ba fihla high school, ngoana a seke a qobelloa ho etsa li subject tse mohlolang, ‘me tse kekeng tsa mo tsoela molemo.
Comment by Academic on 26 November 2012:
@nana who said that NUL is the best institution in the world? & u tsebella kae hore NUL students struggle in SA universities? This shows that you are clearly not an academic because this is just “GOSSIP”!
Talk facts about things you know about otherwise ‘Just Cut The Crap’!
Comment by Batho on 26 November 2012:
nana is just pathetic jabbering lying punk, damn ! Like I said before, we do not denounce NUL critisism but we denounce lies. Of course there are a host of problems at NUL thwarding its progress as the university but telling lies about it would not help reverse any mishaps!
Comment by 'Manko on 26 November 2012:
Hi @Nana, i am an NUL alumni, and am currently completing my masters in Law in one of the Best universities not only in the UK but the world. I will starting on my Phd in sep 2013 with one of the best learning centers of economics in the world. If you may, im the top student in my class and can easily prove it to you. While i think there are factual grounds for scrutators utterings, i still think he is a blabber mouth who wouldnt dare go back to his motherland and write this crap. For the good of whats in the facts of his stories, i hope he is indeed learning something and that we shall see growth in the paper. I am almost sure he has sold enough paper to start writing truthfully, constructively and objectively of this country that continues to give him what he can only dream of in his motherland.
kea ikokobetsa
Comment by Academic on 27 November 2012:
And wena scrutator stop writting about make-up, this news paper is not only read by women!
Comment by Lobengula on 27 November 2012:
On the topic of African leaders and their titles, Scru forgets to mention the president of The Gambia. His Excellency The President of The Gambia Sheikh Alhaji Dr. YJJ Jammeh! At some stage he was fighting to be declared The King of The Gambia.
Comment by Majara Ke Lebitso La Ka on 27 November 2012:
@Educationist!! A-Level is just an extra year in an institution, ke utloa ke sa tsebe hore na uena u hana u ipapisitse le eng!!! Kapa taba ea hau uena ke ‘specialisation’??? Empa le ha ho le joalo ‘the bottom line’ ke hore it’s an extra year, so wake up and smell the coffee morena!!!! U tala!!!!
Comment by Majara Ke Lebitso La Ka on 27 November 2012:
@Khotso oa serota!!! Our matric level Lesotho mona ke O-Level, joale u n’u re NUL entry requirements tsa teng e be eng???? A-Level??? Hele!! Ache, ea pota ngoetsi!!! NUL will require O-Level because our matric is O-Level, ha e na hore ho batla bana ba Basotho matsoele a khoho!!! Hantle batho ba ts’oanang le bo Khotso le lula kae???
Comment by mymothersaid on 27 November 2012:
I think they will lose readers with this drip drip criticism of our only main University. @ Nana you should you have not realized that most NUL students are eligible to attend most universities in the world not just RSA and are doing well! I think who ever asked about points system was spot on, this person would not write like this in other countries, but then she/he did bring it down by talking about make up, as if anyone was interested in such a topic.
Comment by Letsie on 27 November 2012:
WOW! I am truly impressed by Scrutator’s articles and would like to thank him/her for always writing about things that are often ignored but are of great importance. I believe that the problem not only lies with NUL but the education system in general, from bottom to top. NUL graduates seem to have taken offence on the issue as opposed to looking into the matter critically and objectively. Even if scrutator was insulting your degrees, it is not you who administered them and so you should not take it too hard, in fact you should take time to do a further investigation and hopefully come up with solutions on how this institution, known better by you because you attended it ( I am assuming you did learn, critical thinking as well as research skills) could be made a better place for higher education.
The bottom line is that the quality of our education system overall is ineffective, we produce graduates who are not always creative, not independent thinkers and are always roaming the streets looking for employment. Our most trusted institution of learning does not even provide people with necessary skills of sustainability, it produces workers, not thinkers, intellectuals or academics. But then again how can we expect such results from an institution which is staffed with lazy academics who produce nothing in terms of research?
I can only hope that as a people we can come to understand the importance of education in development and therefore put pressure of those in office (we put them there so they are accountable) to restructure our education system rather than criticize a “foreigner” who is the only person with balls big enough to challenge our failing system.
Comment by reality on 27 November 2012:
All those who are insulting Scrutator cant read. Read the article again and see if it deals with all the crap that you are raising in you silly and misinformed comments.
For Instance, where does Scru say anything about NUL graduates not making it in other universities in the world.
Inferiority complex is the reason for this fabrication from some people.
As for NUL graduates, i can only say come on guys. Why fight so strongly against a columnists you have always said had never been to NUL. Why are you so sensetive? What are you hiding?
@Letsie, you put it right. I have seen nasty things written about other universities including the socalled best of the world but i have never heard then screaming like the people from NUL do.
Comment by mymothersaid on 27 November 2012:
There is nothing wrong with our education system, the issue was that NUL is accepting O’Level students hence they are supposedly not as clever as those who have done A’Level. People have been jumping on the bandwagon criticising NUL which has nothing to do with it except that students take longer to graduate. Machabeng does IB so if one wants up and coming qualification go there, this is accepted worldwide. It will cost you, Scru is still talking about A’levels. Most people have done well abroad with NUL degree.
Comment by lerato on 27 November 2012:
Who left this country with COSC and went straight to become a first year student at prominent universities in this country?
Stop the lies people. Cant you hear that you are saying NUL students are accepted anywhere in the world instead of saying COSC students are accepted anywhere in the world.
The point is not that NUL produces bad graduates.
Far from it. The point is that NUL accepts O levels and Scrutator is saying there is nothing special about O level. Indeed there is nothing special about it.
The point she is making is that you dont have to be extraordinary in order to get to NUL. Its true. O level is a basic qualification just like a driver’s licence. Its the same as computer literacy.
Indeed, cut the crap.
Comment by Ribolla on 27 November 2012:
@ Lerato and Nana. I pity you for not making abroad or clearly for being unsuccessful if you ever did(which i doubt). For your information I ma stdying in the US, straight from COSC. I am in my senior year now and believe I am sure I am gona graduate first in my biomedical engineering class. At first I struggled because of people like you who intimidated me, making me feel like my level of education is unworthy. Truth remains ha hloho e le tala Alevel will not automatically make you any better. A level eno ya bona only helps for the first month kamora moo, si sokola sonke. If le na le thahasello ya ho ithuta abroad hit I will give the right channels.
Comment by Academic on 28 November 2012:
@Lerato your comment makes no sense, akholoa hao tsebe sekhoa go to NUL and learn CSS 100! and just cut the crap!
Comment by Majara Ke Lebitso La Ka on 28 November 2012:
@Lerato!!! COSC u ka kena straight ka eona in any university in RSA hle ngoaneso!! U ka ya UCT, UOFS, UJ etc, u tlameha u le hlooho e thata ‘nake. E ka re u bitter, u monela motho ea tsoang ka NUL. Lesotho mona MATRIC ea rona e bitsoa O-Level, joale u n’u re NUL e batle eng??? NUL ha ho kenoe fela hle ‘nake, e hlile u tlameha u be extraordinary hore u kene NUL, ha e ne e ba ha ho joalo, NUL ho ka bo ea everybody…. Ache, u tala ‘nake!!!
Comment by Seoli on 28 November 2012:
“we produce graduates who are not always creative, not independent thinkers and are always roaming the streets looking for employment. Our most trusted institution of learning does not even provide people with necessary skills of sustainability, it produces workers, not thinkers, intellectuals or academics.”
Good. But help me solve this puzzle. we send hundreds, if not thousands of students to SA, other African countries and Overseas. If indeed things are as you say, what have the fellows who never went to NUL but to other elite varsities done for this country? I haven’t seen a single creative thing coming out of this country yet. Where are those who were supposedly taught differently??
The problem is deeper and lies with the lack of enabling environment to take advantage of the knowledge base with have. I have often said and I will repeat, “even if you were to bring Harvard and Cambridge educated folks into this environment (by the way, we have quite a few in this country, many of them NUL graduates) you will have nothing to show for it.
Comment by 1234 on 28 November 2012:
Good
Comment by Majara Ke Lebitso La Ka on 28 November 2012:
@Seoli!! Ke e ke bone e ka ma-NUL e ba li-job seekers le ba tsoang li-universitying tsa Afrika Boroa, e bile ha nke be ke bone e ka, e hlile ho joalo. Ke utloa ke sa utloisise ha u re NUL produces depended thinkers u batla ho reng!!! Most of Lawyers in Lesotho ke li-products tsa NUL and majority of them are self employed, teachers on the other hand are job seekers because it’s very rear moo u ka fumanang motho a ithehela sekolo sa hae. NUL ha insitution ea mesebetsi ea matsoho hle ngoaneso!!! You are realy not talking sense!!!!
Comment by Majara Ke Lebitso La Ka on 28 November 2012:
@Lerato!!!! Uena kannete u ts’oeroe ke masepa!!! U n’u re NUL e amohele li-A-Level??? E tla ba nka kae bana ba entseng A-Level hoba Matric ea Lesotho ke O-Level!!! Kapa Limkwos eona e amohela ba li-A-level feela???? I think you need to go to the toilet and relive yourself, you seem to be realy pressed!!!!!
Comment by Majara Ke Lebitso La Ka on 28 November 2012:
@Sebongile!!! I read your comment in the Sandawana scandal, I thought you were somehow motho ea pholileng empa I can see now that I was wrong!!! E be u lula kae? U kene sekolo kae?? Mona Lesotho Matric ke eona O-Level!!! Mme re tla lula re e buelella eona O-Levl ena ea rona!! So, just take your mouth and sit on it if you have nothing important to say!!!!
Comment by mofumahatsana on 29 November 2012:
da last i checked ds labelled “O Level”,e poqa batho hae mona ebe ba mathela kolong tsa makeishening tsa fanang ka da “superiour A level” and actually acquire flying colours there. should NUL be blamed hore ebe Lesotho still offers O Level? even though you claim not to write news but opinions,i believe opinions should be factual or else join the scandal crew on (eTv) you will make a good scandalous journo
Comment by Pingpong on 30 December 2012:
Baithuti ba bangata ba hlolehileng ka NUL eaba ba ts’elela ka mose ba mathile mohoalotso ha ba fihla ka moo ka ipotsa na lebaka ke lefe. le joale ntse ke ipotsa.
Comment by Mosotho student in UK on 4 April 2013:
Hahahaha.nana let me correct you, skare s.a has the best university ratheq rephrase that, i did my undergraduate at NUL and i completed my Masters ho engwe ya li junivesity and was on top of my class,wana knw y?bcz wt i did in my 3rd n 4th year at NUL li etswa at MASTERS LEVEL with a bit of mixture! you may say all u like,NUL offers the best hence we are accepted anywhere in the world.
Comment by Mosotho student in UK on 4 April 2013:
Hahahaha.nana let me correct you, skare s.a has the best university rather rephrase that, i did my undergraduate at NUL and i completed my Masters ho engwe ya li junivesity in s.a and was on top of my class,wana knw y?bcz wt i did in my 3rd n 4th year at NUL li etswa at MASTERS LEVEL with a bit of mixture! you may say all u like,NUL offers the best hence we are accepted anywhere in the world.
Comment by Mosotho student in UK on 4 April 2013:
Lerato, a friend of mine is in AMERICA as we speak, he did his COSC at LESOTHO HIGH SCHOOL,he went to nul bt didnt complete his first year. NO IB,NO NUL RESULTS SLIP, GOOGLE JABU MBARA, O KENA HUSTONTILSON UNIVERSITY IN TAXUS. O etsa COMPUTER SCIENCE AND MATHS.