MASERU — Lerotholi Polytechnic College will phase out craft courses from its curriculum in its new academic year which begins in July as it prepares to be a university of technology in 2015.
From July the college will not be offering certificate courses in welding, panel beating and spry painting, carpentry and joinery, plumbing and sheet metal work.
Other courses to be phased out include electrical installation, bricklaying and plastering, fitting and machining, automotive, auto-electrics and dress making.
The registrar of Lerotholi Polytechnic, Motlatsi Nts’ala, confirmed the college will not be taking new students for the crafts and certificate courses.
“The students who were already doing these courses will get a chance to finish their courses but there would not be any intake of new students,” Nts’ala said.
He said the plan was to transform the college into a university of technology in 2015.
Nts’ala said the college management had already started encouraging the current lecturers teaching the affected courses to further their education as most of them have certificates and diplomas.
“The least qualification for academic staff at a university should be a first degree. We want some of them to go to school to meet university requirements.
“There are a few who are about to retire and we are still negotiating on what will happen because we want them to meet the university requirements.”
The college had since introduced a new course, tourism and hospitality management, which will run from July.
