adminThis follows an outcry over last year’s alleged bias against students from Matabeleland region, after the institution published a list of prospective students.
The institution yesterday opened its intake for undergraduate courses for the 2013 academic year.
In an interview yesterday Nust’s director of information and public relations Mr Felix Moyo said they would decide on how to accommodate students from the Matabeleland region only after they apply.
“We will wait for the applications to come in so that we are able to agree on how to accommodate students from this region that complain of being sidelined. This is why we are urging people to apply so that we know how best to help them,” said Mr Moyo.
He said it was sad that students from Matabeleland region were reluctant to apply for places at the institution.
“Our message to people has been to apply, apply and apply, but surprisingly people do not apply and expect to get a place at the end of the day,” said Mr Moyo.
He said at the moment, classes for the 2013 academic year were empty and as such students from the region should apply in their numbers.
“Sometime you get people with 12 points at Advanced level not applying saying that Nust cut off points were high, but this is not always the case, there are chances that these people could actually be eligible for consideration. At this moment in time there is nothing that the university can do except to advise them to apply,” said Mr Moyo.
Mr Moyo has in the past explained that the institution was recruiting students on merit and not on tribal lines. He said there were many Shona students compared to Ndebeles because schools in Matabeleland lacked science teachers while many students were reluctant to take up science subjects.
He said the Matabeleland community should address the problem at primary and secondary level to enable local students garner enough points at A-level to enrol at Nust.
Online Reporter