EDITORIAL: NUST must account for admission failures

The revelation that 20 students admitted to NUST’s bachelor of medical laboratory sciences programme did not meet the admission requirements raises serious questions about how they entered the programme in the first place.

Students apply to universities trusting that institutions will determine whether they qualify before admitting them. Discovering otherwise after admission places students in an uncertain position that should have been avoided.

The problem is compounded by NUST’s 2025 intake of 150 students, the programme’s largest since 2008, despite limited practical training capacity. Fifty-five students are now unable to proceed to placements, with NUST exploring transfers to comparable institutions within SADC.

Education minister Sanet Steenkamp has asked the question that deserves an answer: “Why have they been admitted in the first place?”

Universities must ensure that admissions are matched by the academic and practical capacity needed to complete qualifications.

NUST must find solutions for the affected students, but it must also establish how 20 students were admitted without meeting the requirements and ensure it does not happen again.